Lothlorien Poetry Journal - Best of the Net Nominations 2026

 

Congratulations to those I have nominated. My sincere gratitude to you all for giving me the opportunity to publish your superb poetry, fiction and art. To me, you are all worthy of nomination. Mo Anam Cara fellow Lothlorians ~ Strider Marcus Jones

Lothlorien Poetry Journal

Best of the Net Nominations 2026

Poetry

Peter Mladinic -

 

The Skyliners

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Five Poems by Peter Mladinic

                                                Published on 12th June 2025

Paul Connolly -

 

Prefab

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Five Poems by Paul Connolly  

                                                Published on 2nd May 2025

Karen A. VandenBos -

 

Janis, A Voice Full of Instruments

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Five Poems by Karen A VandenBos

                                                Published on 24th May 2025

Barbara Di Sacco -

David

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Three Poems by Barbara Di Sacco in Italian with English Translations

                                                Published on 17th January 2025

Kurt Luchs -

Ode to Silence

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Five Poems by Kurt Luchs

                                                Published on 17th February 2025

                                        

Hedy Habra -

Triptych Poem Consisting of 3 Ekphrastic Poems

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: A Triptych Poem Consisting of 3 Ekphrastic Poems by Hedy Habra

                                                Published on 3rd September 2024

Short Stories/Flash Fiction

Greg Patrick -

Charioteer of the Twilight - The Legend of Boadicea - Short Story

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Charioteer of the Twilight - The Legend of Boadicea - Short Story By Greg Patrick

                                               Published on 8th November 2024

Michael A. Sullivan -

Beautiful Lion

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Beautiful Lion - Short Fiction Story By Michael A. Sullivan

                                               Published on 29th December 2024

Creative Non-Fiction

Giulio Magrini -

The Life Upstairs - Creative Non-Fiction Story

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: THE LIFE UPSTAIRS - A nostalgic depression starring Joyce Lynn Magrini - Creative Nonfiction Story by Giulio Magrini

                                              Published on 7th May 2025

Lynda Tavakoli -

 

All You Need - Creative Non-Fiction Story

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: All You Need - Creative Nonfiction Story by Lynda Tavakoli

                                                     Published on 11th March 2025

Works of Art

Kushal Poddar - 

Art - The First Fish

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Eight Poems by Kushal Poddar

                                              Published on 19th January 2025

Kushal Poddar - 

Art - Skull

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Five Poems by Kushal Poddar

                                              Published on 23rd May 2025

Antonia Alexandra Klimenko - 

Art - The Crossing - Painting-Collage

Lothlorien Poetry Journal: Two Poems by Antonia Alexandra Klimenko

                                              Published on 25th October 2024

Three Poems by Stephen Philip Druce

 

PEN FOR ME A FOUNTAIN

Pen for me a fountain -

a watercolor vessel,

a cartoon cat crescendo

in a jigsaw sparrow wrestle,

a crinkled sitar interlude -

an arching escapade,

a peeling potion scissored

in a scamper marinade,

pen for me a fountain -

an icicle precession,

a stream of marching embers

in a hanging straw confession,

atomic sitar deserts -

a clustered cactus folly,

a rustling herd of thunder

in a lashing sodden jolly,

pen for me a fountain -

a pollen mist regatta,

a wilderness of chapters -

a jangling limpet harbour,

in a lather tip toe tapestry

of waterfall finesse,

the curdled voodoo violins

embroider to undress,

pen for me a fountain -

a valley storm quintet,

a fluttered feather dalliance -

a dewdrop jelly set,

like alphabetic ribbons -

a starry stitch amok,

in a lampooned ocean lullaby

the phoenix patterns flock.

WHERE THE MUSIC DROWNED

The sunsets played their violins -

the alley cats on double bass,

the tree tops plucked on mandolins -

the night time trumpets knew their place,

the street lamps sang in baritone -

the lemon pipes - a crooning yellow,

hurricanes blew saxophones -

a distant thunder played piano,

the rescue sirens added flute -

the snowflakes danced to drum machines,

the clocks in key - they followed suit -

as beating suns shook tambourines,

the midnight chimneys harmonized -

the echo bridges whistled tunes,

the rain guitars electrified the dogs

to bark through cloud bassoons,

a scarecrow wind of castanets -

a rodent busked the underground,

the moon it dropped a clarinet -

in a river where the music drowned.

PLANET MORDAZIUM

On planet Mordazium,

circling flesh machines

grind their juggernaut

limbs like cathedral

castanets,

sea dragon sequels

stiffen fairy tale drunkards

in a meditation froth of

cross legged swamps,

railroad slingshots flame

bedlam vipers into

the sullen gut of

sun goose passageways,

in a reptilian symmetry,

iron messengers drift

through reservoir centuries -

under wishbone bridges

of surrendered skin,

in a timeless fruit wizardry,

carnival veins scuffle 

in a syrupy resurrection

of merry leaf intricacy,

below the cunning wheat,

overthinking clock hands

conceal slow-burning villains

in a trapdoor composure of

bladed tranquility,

as headless servants

buckle in a honeydew 

of squalid chance.

Stephen Philip Druce - Is a fifty eight year old poet from Shrewsbury in the UK. His poems are planet based. They describe the events that take place on the planets that exist in his imagination. His work has been published in the UK, India, Canada and the USA. He has written for London theatre plays and BBC Radio 4 Extra.

One Poem by Joshua Kepfer

 

Fool’s Gold 

 

When	all	I	ever	find	is	fool’s	gold,
can	I	search	for	something	real?	Then	when
I	travelled	far	and	wide	to	find	you,
finally,	all	searching	ceased.	To	make	you,	too,
be	for	forever.	To	test	you,	some	have
completed	what	and	find	what?	A	real	purpose.

 

When	can	I	finally	be	completed?
All	I	travelled,	all	for	what
I	search	far,	searching	forever	and
ever	for	and	ceased	to	find.
Find	something	wide	to	test	what
is	real.	To	make	you	a
fool’s,	then	find	you	some	real
gold.	When	you,	too,	have	purpose.

 

 

Joshua Kepfer lives in California, where he enjoys exploring the mountains and the ocean with his wife and daughter. He has work published in Abstract Magazine, Coffin Bell Journal, Peregrine Journal, Merganser Magazine, Garfield Lake Review, Tiny Seed Journal, Green Shoe Sanctuary, Press Pause Press, and Azure: A Journal of Literary Thought.