Coming mid-October from The Poetry Box
Dear friends,
It is with great joy and gratitude that I announce Brainstorming, my new collection. Writing these poems kept me sane during the first year of my stroke recovery, and sharing them with friends each Sunday connected me to the community I cherish. Now I get to share them with you.
My thanks to Robert Sanders for his stunning cover, created from the paint-by-numbers canvas I was working on when the stroke hit.
Here’s the opening poem, which captures where it all began:
The Brainstorm
(August 2025)
A quiet afternoon painting by-numbers
in the dining room. Yellow flowers are what
I remember last before the tornado attacks.
Fierce winds wind around my underarms, then my waist,
before I scream for help and lose consciousness.
A wild stroke hits and a clot-buster saves
my voice and thought processes, weakens
my left arm and leg. The trade-off:
a mind that works hard every day
for a body that doesn’t remember how.
With love,
Carolyn
Prefer a signed copy from Carolyn herself? Email portlandpoet@gmail.com.
Metrophobia: an irrational fear of poetry
Afraid of poetry? Carolyn Martin is here to change your mind.
Metrophobia is a laugh-out-loud, deeply relatable collection from award-winning poet Carolyn Martin. Whether she’s blessing a feral cat, reporting live from the Sermon on the Mount, or riffing on AI and aging, Martin busts the myth that poetry is just for scholars or romantics with quills.
With her signature blend of wit, tenderness, and sharp observation, Martin invites readers into a world where daily life becomes funny, fierce, surprising, and sacred. These are poems for readers who say “I don’t get poetry,” for writers who crave fresh inspiration, and for anyone who finds meaning in the mess.
For a signed paperback copy, email Carolyn at portlandpoet@gmail.com. For an ebook, contact Lingua Ink.
About Carolyn
From Roman Catholic nun and Associate Professor of English to management trainer and business writer, Carolyn Martin’s life has taken her from coast to coast, from the classroom to the conference stage, from poetry to business writing and back again.
She currently lives in Clackamas, Oregon, where she gardens, writes and plays with creative colleagues.
Books
Explore a selection of Carolyn Martin’s most beloved poetry collections—books that surprise, delight, and speak to the heart of everyday life.
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