Cleansing silence is the tiptoeof a fairy as she slylybirths comfortyouthful dreamerwriting love notes to pixiesin beams the moon can sparesolace wrappedin prayer under coversphantom of shame circlesdisgrace like fireflieswithout flamesladybugs missing spotsand archaic tainted statueswith long-ago muted tongueswhile willows lamentso, plug your earsif puffed up, with mossfrom primal oaks if truth offendsboulders of disgrace…
Category: Alcoholism
Editor’s Pick, “One Petal at a Time,” Live on HotelMasticadores
It is an honor to be featured today on Hotel Masticadores by Michelle Ayon Navajas as the “Editor’s Pick!” She did this for the anniversary of my book, One Petal at a Time. She is especially gracious, as she is releasing an anthology titled After Rain Skies – A Global Anthology to encourage a connection with…
“After Rain Skies: The Global Anthology” Available March 8, 2025
I am honored and proud to be included in this new anthology that Michelle Ayon Navajas has curated. There are more than two dozen talented authors who have contributed to this book with poetry and prose about survival after trauma. Be sure to pick up your copy when it becomes available next week! “I am…
“Madder Than A Wet Hen” Now On Masticadores Latinos English – Story by Joni Caggiano – ©️2025
Madder Than a Wet Hen “I’ll wear the prettiest dress I have today. Maybe the boy behind me won’t draw on my ears with his pen. He hurts my feelings, and I wonder if the ugliness at home follows me around. Surely, he won’t tease me with my ballerina dress on.” I realize I am…
The Cure – Live on HotelMasticadores
The Cure slow motion sobriety stirs direly like ticks on a thin-horned beast the black and white film resonates greasy black hair crawls like ants drunk for weeks, the smell lingers like a mucous trail of a banana slug blood dances a tango in your head vomit and snot, well-oiled fireworks explode on your white…
Beautiful Review Of “One Petal At A Time” By D. Wallace Peach
The wonderful D. Wallace Peach posted a beautiful review on GoodReads that is soon to be on Amazon. Here is the beginning: Readers who gravitate toward lush, emotional poetry won’t want to miss this generous offering of over 80 freeform poems. Though I don’t often read Author’s Notes and Forewords, these heartfelt and eloquent introductions…
Barbara Leonhard’s Review Of “One Petal At A Time” On Roi Fainéant Press
Thank you, Barbara Leonhard (Barbara’s Blog), editor of MasticadoresUSA, for this amazing review and submitting it to Roi Fainéant Press (Roi Fainéant Page)! Barbara’s Review of “One Petal At A Time” The title of Joni Karen Caggiano’s powerful poetry collection, One Petal at a Time, makes me recall what I used to say as a child…
Poetry Book And Art Review: One Petal at a Time
Thank you, Dawn, not just for writing this amazing review, but for taking the time to read my book, which was published shortly after your book was released. Thank you also to this wonderful community and all of the other support and love I have received during this time. What a wonderful community of writers…
Kindle Sale on One Petal at A Time for .99 cents – Friday to Monday
Please pick up your 99 cent copy of the Kindle version of “One Petal At A Time.” You have from now until April 30th at 3:00 AM, EST. If you have friends or family who you would like to gift this book to, perhaps someone who grew up in a dysfunctional home environment, now is…
Her first “I love you”
tops of ancient trees gather timeless within the weighted breeze, they sing within a huddle hovering like flour in crispy air when buttermilk biscuit flour tosses with her love and song dancing like a last love affair you do not know her bare bones nipples sticking through thin threads no money for a bra, boys…