The Plea
by Peter Krumbach
Clowns are exceptional
athletes. Imagine running
in those shoes. Wearing
that enormous polka dot
coat. The wig, the prosthetic
nose blocking each breath.
Clowns have no shrinks.
No one keeps records
of clown suicides. So
please, quit yammering
about lion tamers.
Peter Krumbach’s most recent work has been or is about to be published in Copper Nickel, jubilat, The Massachusetts Review, Salamander, and elsewhere.
See what happens when you click below.
What surprising, fascinating stuff can you tell us about the origin, drafting, and/or final version of “The Plea”? Only after I’d written this postage-stamp poem, I began asking what it’s really about. Is it our tendency to worship winners and dismiss the losers? The habit of ranking drama above comedy? Anger? The injustices we witness every day in this circus of ours? And you thought I’d give you a succinct answer.
Check out the write-up of the journal in The Writer.
Matter Press recently released titles from Meg Boscov, Abby Frucht, Robert McBrearty, Tori Bond, Kathy Fish, and Christopher Allen. Click here.
Matter Press is now offering private flash fiction workshops and critiques of flash fiction collections here.
Submissions
Poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction/prose poetry submissions are now closed. The reading period for standard submissions opens again September 15, 2025. Submit here.
Upcoming
05/04 • Leath Tonino
05/11 • Chris Pellizzari
05/18 • Chris Clemens
05/25 • Clayton Eccard
06/01 • TBD
06/08 • TBD
06/15 • TBD
06/22 • TBD
06/29 • TBD
07/06 • TBD
07/13 • TBD
07/20 • TBD
07/27 • TBD
08/03 • TBD
08/10 • TBD
08/17 • TBD
08/24 • TBD
08/31 • TBD
09/07 • TBD
09/14 • TBD
09/21 • TBD