Coleman Glenn
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Coleman Glenn
@colemanglenn.bsky.social
320 followers 550 following 150 posts
Husband, dad, New Church (AKA Swedenborgian) minister, occasional writer of occasional poems. Poetry collection: A LITTLE LIGHT (2024)
Substack: alittlelightverse.substack.com
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colemanglenn.bsky.social
The Bigsby Barkley game.
A still from a Busby Berkeley film of dancers in a circle looking down at the camera, with the 6 dancers in the center of the circle replaced by photos of Tank Bigsby and Saquon Barkley.
October 27, 2025 at 2:51 AM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
this is art
October 19, 2025 at 8:39 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
A poem.
Black text on white background: Virga He says again the words he said before: if necessary, he will drop it all to hold them. “Honey, *nothing* matters more,” he says again. The words he said before once tendered hope for what he might restore. They hang now, desert rains made mist mid-fall. He says again the words he said before: “if necessary.” He will drop it all. -Coleman Glenn
October 17, 2025 at 5:28 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Happy Shakespeare Day!
The Fair Youth’s Complaint An Imagined Reply to Shakespeare’s “Procreation Sonnets” Well, Bill, your sonnets finally got to me, With all their pressures to impress my seal On waxen fruits that fruit eternally, Et cetera, so forth, you know the spiel. Enticed by your advice I grabbed a wife With features fairly fine but not so strong That they might mask my own engrafted life, So sweetly celebrated in your song. She birthed a boy. I staked and pruned him well; I snipped and shaped his soul to match my own. He blossomed, and I watched my own pride swell Within a youth in whom my luster shone. But oh, he burst, and spattered *me* with scorn! Such bitter fruit were better left unborn.
April 23, 2025 at 7:12 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
A poem for Good Friday.
ECCE HOMO Behold the Man whose head is crowned With thorny branches twisted round By hands that bear the stain of sin. The multitudes are pressing in And cries of “crucify!” resound. Like seed sprung up in thorny ground The loud “hosannas” have been drowned. Through all the frenzy and the din, Behold the Man. Behold Him now condemned and bound. Behold Him. Hear the hammers pound. Behold, as well, the soldier’s grin. Behold a mirror. Look within And face whatever there is found. Behold the Man.
April 18, 2025 at 12:39 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
If you’re in the Philly area on April 15th, come out to the Swedenborg Library at Bryn Athyn College to hear and share some poems. I promise it will be more fun than filing taxes.
April 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Happy birthday A.E. Housman, Robert Frost, and Leonard Nimoy!
**Poem for March 26th** Out tramping past the cherry tree I met a lanky lad Who formed his fingers in a “V”. His blessing left me sad. The fellow’s words, I’m sure, were not Designed to do me wrong, But oh, I know ’tis not my lot To prosper, nor live long!
March 26, 2025 at 10:35 AM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Poem for the first Sunday in Lent.
TEMPTATION For forty days and forty nights the waters crash above the land and storm clouds hide the two great lights. An uncreation is at hand. For forty days and forty nights on Sinai, Moses sits in cloud and eats no bread, nor drinks, but writes the words that will convict the crowd. For forty years of weary days the manna falls, the daily bread enduring though the people’s praise decays, and grievance grows instead. For forty days and forty nights the Lord endures the tempter’s scorn. Alone on desert land He fights to see our undone souls reborn.
March 9, 2025 at 12:00 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
My one word of advice for new parents: beware of crinkling.
Illustrated bar chart of “Relative Decibel Levels According to My Sleeping Baby,” showing slight increases from “Rain” to “Dog barking” to “Fireworks” then a large jump to the highest category, “Paper bag crinkling”
February 15, 2025 at 4:34 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
If you’re in the Philly area, come out next Tuesday (Feb 11th) for a poetry open mic at Bryn Athyn College’s Swedenborg Library from 6:30-8:00 pm. I’ll read several of my poems, then the mic will be opened for you to share yours. Hope to see you there!
February 3, 2025 at 1:53 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Well sorry Pellets of Fire Calcium Chloride Pellets, I’m melting as much as I can afford to melt and I DO NOT NEED YOUR ATTITUDE.
Bag of ice melter with the words “USELESS, MELT MORE!”
January 23, 2025 at 6:51 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Technically a poem for Candlemas rather than Christmas, but still appropriate for the season - “Candlemas” by Denise Levertov. #smallpoemsunday
With certitude Simeon opened ancient arms to infant light. Decades before the cross, the tomb and the new life, he knew new life. What depth of faith he drew on, turning illumined towards deep night.
December 23, 2024 at 3:31 AM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Perhaps my favorite small poem - “Aubade” by Bill Coyle, from his book The God of This World to His Prophet. #smallpoemsunday
Aubade On a dead street in a high wall a wooden gate I don't recall ever seeing open is today and I who happen to pass this way in passing glimpse a garden lit by dark lamps at the heart of it.
December 8, 2024 at 6:14 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Just a little nonsense from me today. #smallpoemsunday
**A haiku containing all the Important Poetry Words** A murmuration: crows in azure erasure limn winter’s slant light.
December 1, 2024 at 4:37 PM
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An Advent prayer.
MEDITATION ON THE MAGNIFICAT All the builders up of Babel will be scattered, kingdoms shattered, when the King is born in pure humility; and my pride with all its craving to be flattered will be battered -- let it be so, Lord, and let me let it be.
November 30, 2024 at 4:45 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Today my book is just TEN DOLLARS! (Yes, it was ten dollars yesterday and will be ten dollars for as long as I’m too lazy to bother making complicated change for people who want to buy it in person, i.e. until the end of time, but still - it’s a bargain!)
A screenshot of the Amazon page for A LITTLE LIGHT: Poems by Coleman Glenn, showing the book’s cover along with the paperback price listing at $10.00.
November 29, 2024 at 5:29 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
That, friends, is quality sports writing. (From Gary Klein in today’s LA Times)
Minutes after the 1990s band Smash Mouth performed at halftime, Barkley smashed the Rams in the mouth.
November 25, 2024 at 1:55 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
And here’s a beauty from Linda Pastan. #smallpoemsunday
Caroline She wore her coming death as gracefully as if it were a coat she'd learned to sew. When it grew cold enough she'd simply button it and go.
November 24, 2024 at 4:14 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Happy #smallpoemsunday (and happy birthday Tom!)

Here’s a recent one of mine.
**Suspended** He says again what he has said before: if necessary, he will drop it all for her, for them — *I’ll let it hit the floor*, he says again. What he has said before holds little that might move her anymore. It hangs, a veil of rain failing to fall. He says again what he has said before: *If necessary*. He will drop it all. ~Coleman Glenn
November 24, 2024 at 4:13 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
Philly-area folks: I’ll be signing and selling my poetry collection tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 23rd) at the Bryn Athyn Craft Sale - stop by if you’re around! (More importantly, you can buy a potholder from daughter and her friend.) www.brynathyncraftsale.com
A table with potholders and books for sale.
November 22, 2024 at 9:43 PM
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Exhibit A
Screenshot of a MAGA block list with the first blocked user identifying as opposing Trump and MAGA.
November 20, 2024 at 5:19 PM
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A new triolet. #poem #poetry
**Suspended** He says again what he has said before: if necessary, he will drop it all for her, for them — *I’ll let it hit the floor*, he says again. What he has said before holds little that might move her anymore. It hangs, a veil of rain failing to fall. He says again what he has said before: *If necessary*. He will drop it all. ~Coleman Glenn
November 19, 2024 at 11:33 PM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
A sonnet of mine, published recently on Alex Rettie’s “Poems for Persons of Interest” blog. #poetry pfpoi.blogspot.com/2024/11/winn...
Magical Thinking At nine, I knew that I could use the force to tap into the universe’s flow and nudge a floating object off its course or sense a stranger’s mental undertow. With passing years such fluid powers waned as oceanic childhood shrank to youth and surety of wish-fulfillment drained, revealing rocky hollows of the truth: we’re made of matter — severed flesh goes rotten; someday a person I can’t live without will die; when I go, I’ll be casually forgotten. These facts remain, unmoved, severe and dry. Some few stray swirling fantasies survive: Existence is. A child is born alive.
November 18, 2024 at 4:16 PM
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My very smallest poem. #smallpoemsunday
THE SHALLOWS His smile is like a lighthouse in the dark that flashes *here find shipwreck and the shark.*
November 18, 2024 at 1:43 AM
colemanglenn.bsky.social
By avocation, I write poetry - mostly in meter and rhyme, with lots of light verse, some serious verse, some religious verse. I just published my first collection, A LITTLE LIGHT; here’s the cover and a few poems. It’s available at the usual places books are available. 2/2
November 15, 2024 at 6:26 PM