• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer

submissions are open

Shō Poetry Journal

Established in 2002, revived in 2023

  • Read a Poem
  • Listen
    • Shō Number Six
    • Shō Number Five
    • Shō Number Four
    • Shō Number Three
    • Pride Month Playlist #1 (2024)
    • Black History Month Playlist (2025)
    • Women’s History Month RoundUp 2025
    • Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Roundup 2025
    • Pride Month Playlist #2 (2025)
  • Interviews
    • A Conversation with Arah Ko
    • A Conversation with Nathan Xavier Osorio
  • Buy
  • About
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Story
    • Masthead
    • Accolades
    • Nominations
    • Contact
  • Shō Family
    • Contributors
    • Contributors (by issue)
    • Cover Art
    • Books from Shō No. 3 Poets
  • Submit
    • Submissions
    • The Sita Martin Prize
    • The Shō Poetry Prize
    • Prize Winners
  • Donate
  • Cart

Uncategorized

Color photograph of the author, Kathryn Bratt-Pfotenhauer, a white person with shoulder length curly red-blonde hair and green eyes. She wears purple eyeshadow, dark purple lipstick, pink hoop earrings and a partially visible black and purple New York University t-shirt; her hands are in her hair.

Audio Feature: Kathryn Bratt-Pfotenhauer

Nov 10, 2024 · Shō Poetry Journal

"I was thinking a lot about human mortality and environmental catastrophe, and how we all are momentary in the world"

Pride Month Playlist ’24

Jun 28, 2024 · Shō Poetry Journal

The End of June

Dec 13, 2022 · Shō Poetry Journal

by Robert L. Penick The old man at the corner bus stop –there without fail each morning at eight – disappeared either two weeks or six months ago.I’m not sure which.Was 1987 the year I dated the girlwith the long auburn hair?Perhaps it was 1986.I was at the university, I know.I remember the mole on her …

Hiroshima

Dec 11, 2022 · Shō Poetry Journal

by Lyn Lifshin patterns of kimonosburned on some women on the 12th daywounds began to open wider. Womensaw their hair fall out. Someone without eyes calling for a sister. Purplesores. Some couldn’t be touched, their skinfell off in glove-like pieces. By the 20th day,vegetation began to grow wildly, lush green weeds,huge wild flowers. As people …

Cleaning

Dec 11, 2022 · Shō Poetry Journal

by Robert L. Penick I’m dropping empty cat food cansinto the recycling bin.There have been a dozen of themsitting on the kitchen counterfor weeks. The house stinks of them.I take the garbage outside,remove your clothes from the dryer,fold them up and put them onthe dresser. When I wash the dishesI handle each piece gingerly,trying not …

Shō Number Two

Oct 13, 2022 · Shō Poetry Journal

Shō Number Two Shō Number Two appeared in Spring 2003 and featured poetry by Amy Uyematsu, Jim Simmerman, Ann Menebroker, William Packard, Todd Moore, Gerald Locklin, Joan Jobe Smith, Fred Voss, Lyn Lifshin, Robert L. Penick, and others. In this Issue PAUL AGOSTINO The Girls of Summer ART BECK The similarities are striking: / Nicotine ANSELM …

Shō Premiere Issue

Feb 22, 2022 · Shō Poetry Journal

Poems for Shō’s Premiere Issue were solicited and selected by founding editor, Sita Martin. Shortly thereafter she succumbed to a battle with cancer and Johnny Cordova stepped in to oversee production and cover design. Shō’s Premiere Issue was released in Spring 2002 and consisted of sixty-eight poems by nine poets, as well as a small …

Publishing Stats

Since our revival issue was published in Summer 2023:

260

Poems Published

170

Total Poets Published

62

Audio Features Published

28

Poems Nominated for Prizes

1

Poem chosen for inclusion in Best Spiritual Literature

Shō Poetry Journal


is a proud member of the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses.

Our Story
Masthead
Accolades
Donate
Contact
Submit
FAQ
Newsletter

  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Bluesky

Copyright © 2025 · Shō Poetry Journal · All Rights Reserved

Privacy policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok