Merril D. Smith
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merrildsmith.bsky.social
Merril D. Smith
@merrildsmith.bsky.social
1.1K followers 800 following 3.8K posts
Poet, Historian, Lover of river walks and the sea. Cat Lady. Poetry Collection: River Ghosts (Nightingale & Sparrow Press) New Poetry Collection: Held Inside the Folds of Time (Jane's Studio Press).
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merrildsmith.bsky.social
Merril D. Smith @merrildsmith.bsky.social · 3d
Good morning! For #PoemsAbout #TimeSlips
I'm fascinated by time. 😊
Thank you as always to @alanparrywriter.co.uk and @thebrokenspine.co.uk
Poem: We’re All Time Travelers The contour of time– not flat, but shaped with possibility, polished, as a queen’s pearls sliding from the string, dropped here there we meet, fall in love now, long ago, in the future-- a child’s perspective that a wish can alter time’s path, an unbroken circle, an orbit before we accelerate.
merrildsmith.bsky.social
Street and Other Public Art @resalis.bsky.social @robbiecheadle.bsky.social latinosenglishedition.blog/2026/01/19/s...
Street and Other Public Art
Hi everyone, its Robbie Cheadle with you today with the January post in the Street and Other Public Art section here on LatinosUSA – English Edition. My guest today is the talented Resa McCon…
latinosenglishedition.blog
January 19, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
johnchmura.bsky.social
Another must read from @merrildsmith.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
carolynthomas.bsky.social
Outstanding work from the excellent @merrildsmith.bsky.social Solidarity, my friend
January 19, 2026 at 3:53 PM
merrildsmith.bsky.social
It's Monday, and I'm musing! This is my weekly post with a #Poem #Photos and commentary on the past week.

merrildsmith.org/2026/01/19/s...
Shadows of This Earth
Monday Morning Musings Shadows of This Earth “Then all the nations of birds lifted togetherthe huge net of the shadows of this earth”–Derek Walcott, “The Season of Phantasmal Peace” Shadows s…
merrildsmith.org
January 19, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
thebrokenspine.co.uk
We’re into the final stretch.

If you’ve been circling this call, stop circling.
Submit.

#PoemsAbout #LiftToTheSky #WednesdayWIPs #SpineEdicts #PoetryCommunity #SubmissionWindow #OpenCall #Poetry
Call for Submissions: Poetry That Remembers, Mourns, and Refuses to Let Go - The Broken Spine
Submissions Open Throughout January 2026 | Publication Later That Year
thebrokenspine.co.uk
January 19, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
paulwritespoems.bsky.social
First Book Bag of the year features @secretsoliloquies.bsky.social pamphlet Songs from Last Imaginations published by @dragonflyflight.bsky.social plus news, opps, shouts, playlist
paulwritespoems.bsky.social Paul @paulwritespoems.bsky.social · 1d
The Book Bag is Back for 2026. Let's sit back and enjoy Songs from Last Imaginations, a pamphlet of lyrical poetry and terrifically curated photography.

Plus the usual recap, news opportunities and of course the first playlist of 2026.

#TheBookBag
The Book Bag: Songs from Last Imaginations by Dorian Nightingale
Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. Well it’s good to be back after a good Christmas break where I’ve slowed down a little. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve hosted Write Here, Right Now, hosted another instalment of The Book Bag Open Mic Sessions, attended a Black Bough poetry bootcamp for planning how I’ll make the most of the year to come. I’ve also been lucky enough to be welcomed by Matthew MC Smith to be a guest sub-editor for Black Bough’s Christmas / Winter Anthology .
paulwritespoems.com
January 18, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
owlnsquirrels1111.bsky.social
Didn’t write anything for #PoemsAbout #TimeSlips. Today’s #vss365 prompt #sear inspired to write a quick combo piece. For
@thebrokenspine.co.uk
@blsamaddar.bsky.social
🙏 as always for the read!
Will read others but pending notifications first 🙏

#Oulens #BlueskyPoetry #SmallPoemSunday (in advance)
A Searsecond By C. Oulens Searing— Tearing my eyes off the tear hanging from the cliff of throat looking piteously pathe- tic-ally at me with eyes the size a plucking pear bleeding pleading reeling To be Dead un- gorgeously Or Dropped
January 17, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
zentinl.bsky.social
With apologies for the late Friday post to #PoemsAbout #TimeSlips.
As usual, gracious hat tip to @alanparrywriter.co.uk and @thebrokenspine.co.uk

#poetrycommunity #poetry #poems #blueskypoets #blueskypoetry
January 17, 2026 at 3:44 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
poetryman1.bsky.social
Still in a bit of a lull in inspiration.
Had a go so here it is!! Cheers and a HNY! 🎉

#poemsabout #timeslips
@alanparrywriter.co.uk
@thebrokenspine.co.uk
January 18, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Last week bent time.
This week: #FalseCrowns — borrowed authority, inherited power, praise that doesn’t fit.
Who crowned you?
Who benefits from you believing it?

New theme opens Friday.
Don’t post early.
Use Alt Text.
Tag #PoemsAbout to be found.
A pale blue skull sits centred on a white plinth against a soft teal background. An ornate black crown rests on top of the skull, delicate and sharp in contrast to the smooth bone beneath. The Broken Spine fountain pen logo appears in the top left corner. “@thebrokenspine.co.uk” is written in white at the top right. Bold white text in the lower right reads: “Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #FALSECROWNS”.
January 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
daveashleypoet.bsky.social
#poemsabout #timeslips #horrorprompt #crawling #poem #sonnet
January 16, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
mwplovesmusic.bsky.social
Time slips beneath and
between me,
sand through my fingers,
or just one minute
to hours later,
no memories rising;

16 years a blur,
or perhaps nothing
at all,
it all slips away
when your grip tightens

#poemsabout #poetry
January 16, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
deemclachlan.bsky.social
Time for another #fridaypoem for #poemsabout #timeslips
In which I spend an unholy amount of time thinking about seeds…

#poetrycommunity #poems #poetsofbluesky
Seed by Dawn Mclachlan In this capsule there lies a story An ancient tale of seasons passed and golden glory Plant spent bloom faded past time weathered to hardened skin that speaks in hushed whispers of the tale within of soil and rain and sun and oncoming seasons chorused through by insect hum and another year that's yet begun It tells a story of a fragile seedling that survived the odds and springtime's needling as it stretched for the sky revealing our hopes and reasons why we dream of the harvest After all our shared challenges in the long slip of time there now remains this seed and in the circle of this eternal tale of battles fought and won within this small hard casing is the story yet to come
January 16, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
philippabowe.bsky.social
Very busy week and only found a quick moment for a response to the #PoemsAbout prompt, #TimeSlips - but then sort of enjoyed the time constraint! Will catch up on the others over the weekend. Thanks as ever to @thebrokenspine.co.uk
and @alanparrywriter.co.uk. Happy Friday poets! 💜
Poem on a grey background with white shadowing. Timeless Time slid through a crack in the thick waxy cloth of yesterday, fabric torn by the diamond needle of want, time gurgled down the plug hole with nothing to impede it, time has it all its own way, time has a yen for obliteration, an unchecked impulse, heading for the ocean of nothingness and I begged it to take me with it, but no, said time, time refused to pause its march, and today I am left here, alone, timeless.
January 16, 2026 at 8:31 PM
merrildsmith.bsky.social
This one by @gjgreenlea.bsky.social
January 17, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
anntigone.bsky.social
#PoemsAbout #TimeSlips

A Crack in the Snow Globe
January 16, 2026 at 7:23 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
merrildsmith.bsky.social
Thank you so much, Ann! 💙
January 17, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
robbiecheadle.bsky.social
I Say the Words and Dance thechaossectionpoetryproject.com/2026/01/14/i... @merrildsmith.bsky.social
I Say the Words and Dance
Merril D. Smith “Do not obey in advance.”—Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century When they ban the booksand suppress the press– I’ll whisper the wordslest you forget …
thechaossectionpoetryproject.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:56 PM
merrildsmith.bsky.social
Roberta Writes - d'Verse, Esther Chilton, Bird of the Week, Sunday Stills & CFFC roberta-writes.com/2026/01/17/r...
Roberta Writes – d’Verse, Esther Chilton, Bird of the Week, Sunday Stills & CFFC
d’Verse d’Verse’s challenge is to write a poem inspired by the painting below entitled “Mme Kupka among Verticals”. It was painted in 1910-11 by Frantisek Kupka. You can join in h…
roberta-writes.com
January 17, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
paulwritespoems.bsky.social
Tickets Available Now.

🎟️ shorturl.at/Ocvzw
January 16, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
paulwritespoems.bsky.social
The Book Bag returns Sunday 8am featuring @secretsoliloquies.bsky.social pamphlet Songs from Last Imaginations.

Plus news, recap and playlist 🤩
January 15, 2026 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
jenthorne.bsky.social
Another Friday and another #PoemsAbout

Mine is a bit miserable today, but that's been the vibe this week!

Can't wait to read everyone else's offerings.

#Timeslips

@alanparrywriter.co.uk @thebrokenspine.co.uk
Timeslips Ten shots in. Having fun. Wake up on the curb outside my house. What happened? A needle in a vein. Nothing matters. Wake up in a squat, breathing among the dead. What happened? Pills washed down my throat. Don’t want to wake up. Do anyway. What happened? Get clean. Try a steady life. Monotonous routines. Wake up and I’m fifty. What happened?
January 16, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
metaphorqu.bsky.social
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk
#PoemsAbout

#TimeSlip

TimeSlipSpell

It doesn't take much.

- A stray glove -

- Some unknown busker saxophoning all along a silver bridge -

- Their uncoupled hands -

To be back where they were.

The call of the owls in the dark.
January 16, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
stacebot.bsky.social
For this week's #PoemsAbout #TimeSlips, I'm thinking about what gets left unprocessed.

Thank you to the host @alanparrywriter.co.uk
and @thebrokenspine.co.uk and to all of the other writers.

#poetry #poem #writing #PoetryCommunity #BlueSkyPoets
skip take these are the dark days. the waiting ones. soaking the whites in bleach. idle hands. waiting. for something human to arrive. plastic-bag-on-the-head days. cold white sweat. dog-hair world. i lick my wounds and wait. the ache comes wrong-- heart stopping mid-break. i resolve myself. begin again. jig the saw. pieces everywhere. drain the dregs. pull the window shades off the rods. wreck the room. shake to shake in the gloam. i am the new wrong-way right. the wrong something anywhere sometime this time. no map. not the asphalt. not the bird cutting the flat horizon into forever nothing. i need mist. i need shade. not quite light. something to lose myself in. to loose these ties. these days do not need hope. they need names. definitions. black spray paint. the lot.
January 16, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Merril D. Smith
pvcannon.bsky.social
For #PoemsAbout #TimeSlips

With thanks to @alanparrywriter.co.uk and @thebrokenspine.co.uk
A free verse poem about how we construct time but it is only ever a construction.
January 16, 2026 at 1:27 PM