Shannon Lise

Head to our latest issue to read Shannon Lise Johnson’s poems that burst into music and image. Evocative, refreshing, unfettered, these verses will stay with you for a long time to come.

I'm thrilled to have three poems in The Bombay Literary Magazine's gorgeous new issue. Many thanks to Aditi Rao for her glowing introduction =)

"Shannon Lise’s poems are bursting with image and music. Each poem in this set is replete with so many rich, sensory worlds — the missing limbs of corals, the ducks with three eyelids, the waterfall carrying the faces of a thousand women, the corpses on tides, the sun on pine needles. And then, just as you are about to get lost in these images, there are moments of contemplation and quiet declaration, always fresh, always surprising. I loved the feeling of constantly zooming in and out in these poems: for example, the move from watching “bright rocks foam beneath your feet,” to a lifetime of watching “just one tree until it dies,” to the woman whose “sliced and scarred mouth is stronger/ than empire.”

These poems are meant to be read and reread many times over, and each time, a new image grows some kind of roots, some kind of wings." ~Aditi Rao, Associate Poetry Editor

'The Body of God' and Other Poems - The Bombay Literary Magazine | TBLM Issue 56 | Poetry | December 2023 ‘The Body of God’ and Other Poems Shannon Lise Editor's Note Shannon Lise’s poems are bursting with image and music. Each poem in this set is replete with so many rich, sensory worlds — the missing limbs of corals, the ducks with three eyelids, the waterfall...

Happy second Sunday of .

From poet Lucille Clifton, the poem "john":

somebody coming in blackness
like a star
and the world be a great bush
on his head
and his eyes be fire
in the city
and his mouth be true as time

he be calling the people brother
even in the prison
even in the jail

i’m just only a baptist preacher
somebody bigger than me coming
in blackness like a star

I'm excited to have three poems in the upcoming issue of The Bombay Literary Magazine, which will be coming out in just over a week :)

Presenting our talented contributors from issue 56! Issue 56 will be out in less than two weeks! Watch this space for all the details 📝

It was lovely participating in this poet's dialogue hosted by Ballast literary journal.

Below you can read poet Megan Wildhood's response to my poem, "So Many Times I Have Kept Moving When I Wanted to Stay, as well as my response to Wildhood's poem, "The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You."

Dialogue: Shannon Lise and Megan Wildhood — ballast Dialogue: Shannon Lise and Megan Wildhood Megan Wildhood on Shannon Lise’s “So Many Times I Have Kept Moving When I Wanted to Stay"“So Many Times I Have Kept Moving When I Wanted To Stay” has haunted me with its beauty since the first time I read it. “Rain-green road,” “mossy steps tum...

New poem in Ballast :)

Shannon Lise — ballast Shannon Lise Back to Issue 1.2 So Many Times I Have Kept Moving When I Wanted to StayI have dreamed of a place where the little white ships and their silver bannersglide up with the gulls to the quay, its mossy steps tumbling to the sea. Where the rain-green road cradles the shore and the gras...

Read "The Wave in My Heart is a Great Green Wave" over at Flypaper Lit. :)

"The Wave in My Heart is a Great Green Wave" by Shannon Johnson Originally from Texas, Shannon spent twelve years in Turkey and is currently located in Québec City, where she is pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology. Her debut poetry collection, Such...

This lovely anthology from The Anti-Languorous Project has two of my poems in it!

I actually received it in the mail quite a bit earlier this year, but in the busyness of my academic semester forgot all about posting it. Better late than never, right?

An exquisite tiny poem for today.

From Bryana Joy.

"This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful."

Enjoy this delightful poem from Maggie Smith in her book, "Good Bones."

Love this little piece of magic from Naomi Shihab Nye.

Photo credit: Bryana Joy Beaird

From one of my favorite poets:

"It's hard to be an American in these increasingly fractured times. Gun violence is rising at alarming rates all over the nation. In 2019, it became the leading cause of death among children and teens, surpassing vehicular accidents. When there's nowhere to put your sorrow, poetry can help."
- Bryana Joy

I have two new poems in "Indelible", the latest biannual issue of Agapanthus Collective, and I'm pretty excited about it! :)

You can read "Jungle Fever" and "Fugitive" here:

https://issuu.com/agapanthuscoll/docs/agapanthus_s22

Agapanthus Collective Issue #3: INDELIBLE The second biannual issue talks the unremovable marks of life with the works of 13 contributors.

Check out the latest episode of Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast to hear me read & talk about my poem "Body in the Sun," recently featured in the City of Dublin Poetry Walk. :)

Viewless Wings Press

Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast - City of Dublin Poetry Walk Read by the Poets Part 2 For National Poetry Month, the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast feature poems currently on display in the City of Dublin’s first ever Poetry Walk. Each poem is introduced and read by the poet. 26 local businesses and organizations across Dublin, California are featuring the submitted poems, and a map...

April is National Poetry Month, and I'm thrilled to be part of the City of Dublin's first poetry walk! Such a beautiful project; many thanks to James Morehead & Viewless Wings for putting it together. =)

You can check out the rest of the poetry walk here: https://viewlesswings.com/2022/03/31/city-of-dublin-poetry-walk-2022-combines-poetry-and-local-businesses/

"Body in the Sun" was originally published in the 2022 Winter Special of , which you can find here: https://cerasusmagazine.com/magazines/winter-special-2022/

Hey friends! "Such Excess of Light" is on Goodreads & Amazon! If you've read it, would you consider adding it to your books and maybe even leaving a review? I'd be so incredibly grateful!

I'll confess, I didn't realize how much authors need, crave, and deeply appreciate reviews till I became one! 😅 Thank you!

If you haven't read it yet, and you'd like a signed copy, let me know! I still have some copies for anyone in the Québec City area who would like to come pick up an autographed book. =)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60114758-such-excess-of-light

https://www.amazon.ca/Such-Excess-Light-Shannon-Lise/dp/1639800352/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XA731J0FPD59&keywords=such+excess+of+light&qid=1648139210&sprefix=such+excess+of+light%2Caps%2C283&sr=8-1

Such Excess of Light Such Excess of Light

I have two poems in the 2022 Winter Special of CERASUS Magazine: "Body in the Sun" & "February Hymn".

Both of these poems make use of a slightly more traditional structure and feature powerful, fast-flowing rhythms; I'm quite attached to them, and I'm so glad they found a home in CERASUS!

CERASUS Magazine Giving a platform to voices worth hearing.

I'm delighted to have three poems in NOVUS Literary Journal's beautiful Fall 2021 Commemorative Edition. :)

Just received my copy in the mail (COVID shipping delays are real, you guys!) and it happened to arrive on my birthday, which made for a lovely surprise gift!

I'm delighted to have three poems in Novus Literary Journal's beautiful Fall 2021 Commemorative Edition. :) Just received my copy in the mail (COVID shipping delays are real, you guys!) and it happened to arrive on my birthday, which made for a lovely surprise gift! @novuslit #literaryjournal #poetrycommunity

Here's a little poem published last year over at In Parentheses and prompted by a reflection on all the different ways we both belong to and are cut off from this good - and dying - earth. The powerful hold life has on us, juxtaposed against the loneliness we each must face.

Been taking a break from social media over the holidays, but logged back in to announce the release of my poem "Starfish" in the winter issue of Plainsongs Poetry Magazine. Can't wait to get my copy in the mail! :)

Plainsongs | Corpus Callosum Press Plainsongs poetry magazine, published twice a year, strives to capture the multiplicity of voices that make up the diverse midwestern soundscape.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended last night's book launch! I truly appreciate each and every one of you who came out to support my poetry and celebrate "Such Excess of Light." I had a blast, thanks for making it such a success!

Upcoming poetry reading: Monday 01 November @ 9pm EST

I'll be debuting my brand-new poem, "Amarula on Ice" at Quiet Lightning's virtual literary mixtape.

Join us to be part of the first-ever reading of this poem! I'd love to see you there!

Free event, RSVP required.

https://app.gopassage.com/events/ql-literary-mixtape-anna-allen-sophia-passin/

Two years ago The Sunlight Press nominated my poem "Here" for the 2020 poetry Pushcart Prize.

Today, "Here" is featured in my debut poetry collection, "Such Excess of Light," just released by Kelsay Books.

I'm delighted & so grateful to everyone who's been there for me on this journey!

Now available on Amazon & www.kelsaybooks.com. I'd love to know what you think! =)

Kelsay Books Kelsay Books, Poetry Publisher, Formalist Poetry, Free Verse, Bookstore

And it's here! I'm thrilled to announce that Kelsay Books has just released my debut poetry collection, "Such Excess of Light."

These poems are the fruit of years spent tracking fugitive moments of contemplation, wrestling beauty out of loss, and distilling the best of myself to offer the world. I've been looking forward to sharing them with you so much! :)

So, here's the fun part! There will be an in-person book launch on November 13th with a poetry reading, reflection time, book sales and signing, and snacks and drinks. More details to come; feel free to PM me to reserve your spot!

Here's "Efflorescence", a tiny poem of mine recently published by In Parentheses :)

I wrote "Baby Sun Rose" back in March of this year in the midst of a reflection on new parenthood, and I think it's one of my favorites of this year's poems. I'm delighted to announce that it was just published over at In Parentheses, along with a handful of other poems. Enjoy! =)

“Baby Sun Rose” and Other Poems by S. Lise Originally from Texas, Shannon Lise spent twelve years in Turkey and is currently located in Québec City, where she is pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology. She is a 2020 Pushcart Prize no…

Today I'm overjoyed to share with you two poems of mine that have just been released in Wild Roof Journal's fall issue.

"The Oyster Gatherers" and "After the Fact" are poems written from a place of profound vulnerability in the face of the deep paradox and mystery that shape a world at once scarred by loss and throbbing with life. Enjoy.

Issue 10: Gallery 2 – Wild Roof Journal Cover image: "Plugged" by Claire Lawrence Gallery 2 Visual Art, Poetry, and Prose Paris Jessie Holy SurgeSmooth, fluid berries replayed hymns nostalgic light earthly spacethe crops of my basketto grow through dimness you know how a wolfruns wildly through forestgrazing bushes saving falling leaveswh...

I have a poetry reading coming up this weekend, and you're invited!

WHEN: This Saturday, August 28th, 8-9pm Eastern Time

WHAT: Summer 2021 Zoom Poetry Reading, hosted by Bryana Joy Studio

I'll be reading two poems for this event, one old and one new! "We Don't Need These Great Big Clocks" won the Sunlight Press Tech Life Award back in 2018, and "Fugitive" is a brand-new, never-before-published piece that will be making its début on Saturday.

Shoutout to Bryana Joy Studio for the invitation! Bryana is an accomplished poet and workshop director and I can't wait to see what poems she and her students have to share with us.

Join us for a relaxed evening of sharing our stories (via poetry!) and inspiring each other =)

PM me for the zoom invite. We'd be so happy to have you!

Today I want to share with you my poem "Metamorphosis," which was selected as a top finalist for Wingless Dreamer's summer contest and is being published in their "Depths of Summer" poetry anthology (links to announcement and anthology below). Thanks for reading! =)

https://winglessdreamer.com/winner-announcement-for-depths-of-summer-contest/

https://winglessdreamer.com/depths-of-summer/

My second poem in Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters, "The Messenger" is an older poem that was written in Bosnia in 2016, shortly after meeting someone who would become the love of my life (events which may or may not be connected). Let me know what you think! :)

The Messenger – Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters The Messenger by Shannon Johnson how beautiful upon the mountains is the good news coming coming in the vessels and the veins in the thunder-rooted throbbing of these feet in the wind of the thrown dust passing what is it like, the good news coming? like dawn wind in your eyes upon the opening of a....