O:JA&L Poetry: All forms & styles
Prose Poetry
Ken Poyner
BALANCING THE RAPTURE
Fewer were taken than we imagined might be, but most of us expected to be left behind. After the religious spectacle, the important thing is reclaiming the practical. The entire staff at the hardware store is still with us. Only one part-timer from the bakery was taken. More girls than we wagered from the titty bar were selected, leaving some people wondering, others happily confirmed in belief. With a number of couples split, the dating scene evolves. Given residual grace, we see one another differently. There is a trust without judgement. From here forward, credit is as good as cash.
About the writer:
Ken Poyner has eleven available collections of poetry, flash fiction and micro-fiction, the latest “The Lechery of Fish Tuners”, drabbles. He has suffered ten Pushcart nominations without a win, and has taught on an NEA Poets in the Schools grant. He spent 33 years herding computers. He is married to a world class female powerlifter, who is still setting raw world records.
Image: “…a cry of command…” (AI-assisted digital image) by O:JA&L staff creative. 2026. Public domain via Midjourney AI.
Other work by Ken Poyner available at O:JA&L:
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”UNDERLYING PREDICTION”
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”THE WORRY”
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”THE CASE AGAINST”
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”Steady Work”
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”VALUES”
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”UNPROFITTING PROGRESS”
Flash Fiction|Flash Sequence||Ken Poyner|”Beautification”|”Completing the Circle”|”Proof”
Featured Series: Prose Poetry|Ken Poyner|”The Rain Mistress”
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”Understanding”
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”Competitive First Date”
Poetry: All forms & styles|Prose Poetry||Ken Poyner|”Building the Serial Killer”
OJAL Art Incorporated, publishing since 2017 as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and its imprints Buttonhook Press, HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues, and HIGH BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Art, supports writers and artists worldwide.
The O:JA&L Free Presses Masters Series
The O:JA&L Free Presses Masters Series (from OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters) gathers acclaimed writers for concise, downloadable chapbooks that pair fresh work with candid reflections on craft. Each installment—often framed by an interview with an associate editor—opens a window onto how masters of poetry, prose poetry, flash fiction, and related hybrid forms build voice, compression, and surprise. Designed as a reader’s invitation and a writer’s toolbox, the series celebrates literary art that moves fast, cuts deep, and lingers long after the last line.
Click on the titles below to explore or download the free PDF chapbooks.
Prose Poetry and Flash Discourse
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Brian Clements on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Mark Budman on Flash Fiction & Nonfiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Ray Gonzalez on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series:
Michael Martone on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series:
Roberta Allen on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series:
Peter Conners on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Maxine Chernoff on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Pedro Ponce on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Kent Dixon on Flash Fiction & Nonfiction
With an interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Tom Hazuka on Flash Fiction
With an interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
MIixed Forms: Haibun, Haiga, & Tanka Prose
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Roberta Beary on Haibun
With an interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
Experimental Discourse
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Jim Meirose on Experimental Discourse
With an interview by Associate Editor Warwick Newnham
Poetry: All forms & styles
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Poetry from Bruce McRae
With an Interview by Associate Editor Jeff Streeby
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series:
Poetry from Richard Widerkehr
With an Interview by Associate Editor Jeff Streeby
The Dally Post Press Masters Series:
Rod Miller on Cowboy Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Jeff Streeby
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