Peter Valentine

Hoang-Kim Vu‘s approach to the across clues really influenced the vibe of today’s poem. Here it is: heaven a/ a place a sound nothing a brief light a well of light insignificant light nothing d/ across the sea across the fields covering the fields change return change it’s strange remembering what to a/ say

My poem from today’s puzzle <br> <br> a/ is it enough to say <br> i carried the mountain <br> for there i carried it <br> forward on feathers <br> (red feathers black <br> feathers) to the mouth <br> of the sea <br> there near <br> d/ your body <br> i settled <br> perhaps completely <br> …i do like it there... <br> perhaps i’ll make a shrine <br> to the long moments <br> long listening <br> the shrine <br> to your <br> d/ oh honest <br> eyes <br> <br>

poem made from words in today’s puzzle<br> soft things a/ in this full heart flying of hope eating the lore of friendliness— in a declaration of “hey!” i open the earth and skateboarding to the center show d/ you a word a/ shilo

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ maybe the moon’s bluffing flying in its path a rock, a thing it rose a million million d/ days to rest there like a finger a/ alas

poem made from words in today’s puzzle… a/ the day that preceded the big bang, what was that like? george says life is a lonesome question—george, who is the last of his bloodline… and yes who knows what the tortoise knows — like was that tortoise sometimes happy? and who knows what lonesome george knows of life when life preceded the big bang? d/ wait… really? really a/ no one?

I’d say anytime you put the word moon or love in the across clues, you’re going to get a moon poem or a love poem a/ you believed the moon to have feathers the moon that settled in the trees for the summer silver feathers — you told me — a billion silver feathers i wanna love the moon like you love the moon the soul of the moon to drink in the moon like the ocean d/ and reveal in the slowness of the cold water a/ that bare hope

Poem made from today’s puzzle: <br> <br> a/ summer <br> green wood <br> a great trunk <br> the flooring uncovered <br> this takes a long time <br> this takes time <br> you count out <br> d/ the bones of the family <br> another unwieldy secret <br> zigzagging away <br> memory <br> a/ all dust by now

Usually I strictly follow the rules of my puzzle poem,’but today I took some liberties. The title is not from the puzzle and I added the word “again” at the end (not in the answers). But I was just in California over the weekend admiring Mt. Tamalpais and when “mountain” appeared in the across clues I decided to loosen the rules. <br> <br> tamalpais <br> <br> a/ here written in the mountain <br> in lines <br> some part of a journey <br> i’m packing for <br> d/ california <br> who once named me lover <br> your instrument paths <br> whistle the song of this land <br> and where daybreak hits <br> the hand splits <br> a/ over me again <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle<br> <br> a/ to the gloomy to the grifters to the <br> surrenders i present the golden plume of praise <br> d/ to the tiny the tortured steeping the <br> brightest moon under the sea i speak across <br> the night <br> a/ fly! fly! <br> <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle <br> <br> a/ the truth of the city is in the release of density <br> from trawling in a middle mass of chances… <br> a little music of d/ here <br> a sidewalk jumping game <br> over and over and over <br> looking up <br> counting <br> a/ one two <br> one two <br> one two<br> <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle<br> a/ o heart! in such a world as this where a brave of birds wild the sky in a tempest of joy you run in the orchards over d/ the rush of angels just a/ to see

Today’s poem - a haiku! - made from words found in today’s puzzle<br><br> a/ o happy flower d/ with what boundless ambition a/ and into dreams at last

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ in my orchard of regret is a small hammock for the scarecrow — who had a brain — and i regret to say the scarecrow is d/ not thinking more on this it’s a shame, really… who’s to go and put back the a/ wet straw

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ someone found a haw under the sink, a clean haw with colorful tips and d/ 21 pips! made its home, it has to mature in some corner in standard hot/cold conditions it has a long a/ sleep season yeah

So many wonderful words to choose from in today’s puzz. Here’s today’s poem: a/ we run rawboned out scratching the surface of the night night the old whale celestial, great we rush — like an astronomer of unwelcoming d/ physics enrobed in an equation of distance and you and i will never stop and a/ yet… oh! oh! oh!

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ the feeling in a number as akin as 11 as flowery as 17 4 in torment 3 for tea sorry 8 sorry 8 whatever it’s only 1 me d/ and a letter is its voice its sound the singer of its chemistry the pride of m the leaves under l b’s perfumery and what what is up with a/ ctrl c

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a city of dreams a/ the story of this land whose madness made thin d/ covered now in a cloth a/ of moonlight

Here’s my poem made from today’s puzzle: <br> <br> a/ the coffee rings <br> bronze shadow things <br> of you of coffee measurement of <br> in-progress projects shifted <br> to spent <br> d/ lines of code <br> maps for a prize <br> a tooth a pulse a soul <br> and a fork at the spot <br> where the fork is <br> at the a/ side

Today’s poem made from words in today’s puzzle. a/ = across clues. d/ = down clues. a/ = answers. <br> <br> a/ in the fabric of love <br> hide the eagles of madness <br> what weight <br> what madness <br> d/ that shredded plume of steel <br> of gold <br> that breaks across the warm constellation <br> as a/ ocean aeries tremble <br>

Today’s poem is a rhymer. Made from the words in the clues and answers to today’s puzz. <br> <br> a/ is it just a fly you say <br> do angels look to look away <br> and you can fly and you can play <br> the quiet in the low <br> d/ when dreamers surreptitiously <br> think the moon prosperity <br> might they together set it free <br> you see that might be a/ dope <br>

Today’s poem from today’s puzzle <br> a/ all is black <br> all is pretty <br> all is strength <br> all invisibility <br> d/ half of the water <br> half frozen, half measured <br> half of the wilted <br> half sudden, half peaceful <br> a/ two dreams <br> two dreams <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's crossword puzzle<br> <br> a/ a soul of green <br> a soul of gold <br> the soul of nobody at all <br> the song of a lover <br> the sleep of the old <br> d/ the tiny sounds of a tiny bee <br> and by and by the centipede <br> the sounds of the forest a/ tree <br> <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle <br> <br> the night of a thousand ravens <br> <br> a/ in pain in fibrous grief <br> you emerge <br> s l o w l y <br> d/ to see the river of dreaming <br> to seep in <br> d r a i n i n g <br> d r a i n i n g <br> a/ a sliver <br> <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle <br> <br> a/ a message from the internet: <br> <br> rinse your world with rose water <br> your strange pretty world <br> pick a windowpane <br> d/ little world people <br> the seeds of sleep say where… <br> for to be and to be me <br> this body this story <br> this might be the answer <br> a/ to see<br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle<br> a/ from sweet beginnings of you, of me—who made crucible d/ of the night until the longing collapsed to release… what? a storm? a kind of oil? and a/ we fell down down down the rain

Today's poem made from words found in today’s puzzle <br> a/ the sea measures the works of minds in units without bearings volumes of ancient sailors the naked the lost in a milky eye in the laugh of water begone d/ no love… no calculation… there is and there is one truth a/ the sea

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle<br> a story of courage a/ in the weight of the flood spanning green worlds d/ you carry a wish up a ladder it’s a a/ secret key

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle<br> lake fishing a/ the line at the bottom wiggles where mudbugs move scratches letters in ancient language a tale, i think for whom this maple throws d/ fingers of light sweet as a hand that gently put the world down gently down and sung to 100 times a/ alas the crawdads

poem made from words in today’s puzzle <br> a/ i see you, son see you come up the road you look ready for things for tomorrow’s symphony d/ for the rainy world for a different world that’s not the one a/ i made up

poem made from words in today’s crossword puzzle <br> a/ i may go out the way of the volcano the stone the root tell me are you asleep? d/ really, really close but not you too? who knew the sounds of sleeping a/ know the feeling

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ life. is it only setting or is life opening open- ing d/ yes, i know the little tasks the little tasks you missed your moment um… that’s just a moment i know you you can fly a/ now

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ i see the glow in the road bed slow, i go not in protest i go with a rock i found d/ to show the way lifted to the sky to the spirits a/ play

Happy Saturday! My stars! If such an interesting puzzle can’t have an interesting poem then I don’t know what the world’s coming to: a/ let’s talk about hasenpfeffer straight up, tonight! wind up the windows and haul this jellyfish in — scratch this mattres from shrub to leaves from impossible to carolina to upside down… show this dish what what is and what is what d/ and stevie nicks and hacky sack but absolutely each variety of arriviste hairstyle while you and i beat the wine list and engage the a/ elements in rabbit stew

This Monday puzzle produced a head-scratcher of a poem . .. a/ in a mix of great wonder, bloody fury and arctic fleece the gods of the orange van leave the taqueria to stop d/ at a red light… it’s tuesday, a/ ted

Today’s poem. a/=across clues; d/=down clues; a/= answers <br> the night hunter<br><br> a/ a sound at the door<br> furtive, quick <br> someone’s name…<br> circled <br> the cry…<br> for nobody <br> for the night hunter<br> d/ who stored flowers <br> who stored the knives<br> in a cart <br> in a boot <br> on a roof <br> in a wall<br> in a hole in the earth<br> in a a/ fist<br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle <br> <br> o sun o sun <br> <br> a/ instrument of diamond might just painter of the flower in the field <br> <br> d/ you permeate the mountains and… you found the hidden hedgehogs hurray! <br> <br> you drink of the fountain <br> but never never found you love <br> never swayed to the music like the boy and the girl in the church storage room <br> <br> as you race in again to fix the a/ dark <br> <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today’s puzzle<br><br> a/ a sudden dip of moonlight <br> a city-shaping pupil <br> of reverent d/ light <br> and in one darting motion <br> the forehead of one man and the forehead of <br> the man in the moon <br> both find quiet oversight <br> and for a/ a minor moment <br> silence <br> <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle<br> <br> a/ stand <br> stand a while <br> through the angers <br> stand <br> for the defeats <br> stand still <br> stand still <br> d/ one <br> just one <br> the belief of one <br> the practice of one <br> the one in the crowd <br> <br> a/ you <br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle <br><br> a/ put all the people together in a love cannon<br> put in all the gold all the paper all the cheese<br> put in all the wind instruments <br> put in all the cats<br> put in the musical, cats<br> all all together in the cannon together<br> d/ now the moment of truth<br> a/ go time<br>

Today's poem made from words found in today’s puzzle <br> <br> a/ we go the way of all things<br> the past leaves the bones <br> in the tombs left <br> the name of the egyptian king carved in to <br><br>never<br> a billy goat’s cry<br> d/ and we are here perhaps<br> and what am i perhaps a parade of words<br> brief new i you awesome good put away<br> a/ come close<br> stay<br>

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle <br><br> a/ love is no breeze <br> of a sudden blowing<br> love is a decision<br> true as tried<br> d/ and writing by you here<br> this undeniable morning<br> seeing you <br> this is my home<br> a/ i do<br> i do<br>

Poem made from words in the clues and answers of today's puzzle <br> <br> a/ who can speak to the story of the mountain <br> a pageant of dinosaurs? <br> the pioneering ladybug? <br> the earthquake? <br> d/ in the journey of the seabird <br> the seabird carried the families of the nation <br> and the breeze carried the seabird <br> and something spoken carried the breeze <br> that something that the <br> a/ poet lost<br>

Today's poem made from words found in today’s puzzle<br> a/ walking of night by the whistling wire d/ radio comes in like a hole in the dark if you’re death say so with a little laugh a/ no reason not to

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle <br> a/ a thin pale man in a white suit comes to deliver a letter comes as the dust that comes in d/ the dread in the air the way the only way the river appears only a/ wet

Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle<br> sf 1990 a/ the quality of life was the quality of friends kings of the slackers d/ werewolves who a/ stole time

poem made from words in today’s puzzle <br> a/ rise hold feel hold break d/ go let go be a/ live live

If you want to receive all my crossword poems in your inbox you can subscribe at <a href="https://substack.com/@petervalentine" target="_blank">https://substack.com/@petervalentine</a> here’s today’s poem. a/ lo! the mini fridge all night a-running whispered to impulses d/ proceed… proceed to things untapp’d a pathway past the present map to a game plan a/ I can only imagine

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ it’s happening in the oil and dirt in the show of fire in the earth’s flesh in the sweat of animals in the foul sweat of protest d/ of warning of time preparing the element whose name comes from the language of a/ rage

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ in the hurricane you and me walk in the light a honey light shoes grind smoke up the mountain passage to the house of the olympians d/ who is victorious who is made of diamonds where does the sound of the beginning of the day go a/ in the same gentle glory?

poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ each next until now once more out across the first and on down to huddle under the next - bubbles in a rainstorm - a bonfire on the mountain - a star in a spangled banner d/ and the untruth night stretching through the cold and visionary day a/ it’s soon again, later