Cindy B. Stevens, poet

Cindy B. Stevens, poet I'm a poet I'm a poet, a singer, a dreamer. I have to write what I hear in my head, dream in sleep, what my bones ache to express.

Recent publication with Longleaf Press
A Path to Freedom – A North Carolina Anthology in Honor of Military Veterans
“drip”
“no return war”
November 2024,

My poems appear in:
Heron Clan anthologies, (Katherine James Books)
The Phoenix (Pheiffer University Literary Journal)

My chapbook, Naked, is available at The Main Street Rag Bookstore
and these NC independent bookstores:
Purple Crow Books in

Hillsborough. https://purplecrowbooks.com
and
The Regulator Bookshop in Durham. https://www.regulatorbookshop.com

I SHARE PIECES OF MY POEMS WITH YOU HERE

I pause one hundredtwelve days poem post hiatusanticipation© 4 July 2025Cindy B. Stevens Borealis ...
07/04/2025

I pause one hundred
twelve days poem post hiatus
anticipation

© 4 July 2025
Cindy B. Stevens

Borealis

Photo by Jonatan Pie on Unsplash

01/11/2025

Two of my poems are included in the Longleaf Press publication,

“A Path to Freedom
A North Carolina Anthology in Honor of Military Veterans”, November 2024.
https://longleafpress.org/

My chapbook, “Naked”, 2018, is available at Main Street Rag
https://mainstreetrag.com/
and
local independent bookstores:
Purple Crow Books, Hillsborough
The Regulator Bookshop, Durham

11/30/2024

"A Path to Freedom... illustrates beautifully and poignantly the extraordinary bounty and diversity of writers in North Carolina that can speak, with eyewitness precision and passion, from an astonishing range of perspectives about the military experience. This ample and convincing anthology – fro...

11/30/2024

Recent publication with Longleaf Press
A Path to Freedom – A North Carolina Anthology in Honor of Military Veterans
“drip”
“no return war”
November 2024.

I’ve missed several postings, but won’t promise to myself an every 6th day post. Not right now. That commitment has be...
03/10/2022

I’ve missed several postings, but won’t promise to myself an every 6th day post. Not right now. That commitment has been one struggle for the past year, but until last month, I was successful. Somedays, words sneak to paper. Other days, I have nothing.

I started “mani-pedi” two months ago.

I got drunk at my nail salon today
Chardonnay
no lunch
it took one glass only
they’re generous with their pours

© 13 January 2022
Cindy B. Stevens



Photo credit: maria-lupan-2O0TgnpH6_4-unsplash

I try to post every six days. Yesterday was the sixth day and for several days now, I’ve tried to pull my thoughts toge...
02/15/2022

I try to post every six days. Yesterday was the sixth day and for several days now, I’ve tried to pull my thoughts together to share a poem. All day yesterday, nothing. My mentor tells me not to explain my poetry; and I won’t explain why I’m struggling with words these days. Tragedy and I know each other, but this dark place is by far my hardest road.

© 15 January 2022
Cindy B. Stevens



Photo credit: Michael Mouritz

This is poem is evolving. Might be waltz rhythm, rumba, or remain haiku.death matchI prove no match whendeath decides, ...
02/09/2022

This is poem is evolving. Might be waltz rhythm, rumba, or remain haiku.

death match

I prove no match when
death decides, squeezes my hand
equates my slow stride

© 8 February 2022
Cindy B. Stevens



Photo credit: danie-franco-jyyNiSEcCl4-unsplash

From my chapbook, Naked, published by Main Street Ragbrokennot worthyI accept the bread anywaycup it in my handsit’s tor...
02/02/2022

From my chapbook, Naked, published by Main Street Rag

broken

not worthy
I accept the bread anyway
cup it in my hands
it’s torn like skin on a barbed wire fence

vine’s fruit
blood rich
a ruby Port thick on my tongue
I swallow the sacrifice

will I remember?

©2018
Cindy B. Stevens



Photo credit: ashabul-kahfi-zd4E4KvoL-A-unsplash

sign of the crossmy kaleidoscope oil cushionssin colorsjewelsmutedsin anglesmirroredsubtlefingers turn cylindertowards s...
01/27/2022

sign of the cross

my kaleidoscope oil cushions
sin colors
jewels
muted
sin angles
mirrored
subtle

fingers turn cylinder
towards sunset
I close my booth door
decrepit hasp rattles

I know what I’ve done
my mind says it’s
worse than my worst

what do I say when after my confession, my
priest remains silent
no penance
prayer
no absolution

my no Ash Wednesday forehead
no oil
no cross

© 26 January 2022
Cindy B. Stevens



Photo credit: bella-novena-qwfzhVMSQlE-unsplash

I almost didn’t post this too fresh, raw piece that’s not finished; never finished.veilmy brother died two days agoa man...
01/21/2022

I almost didn’t post this too fresh, raw piece that’s not finished; never finished.

veil

my brother died two days ago

a man who it pains to speak
walks with death
lays his hands on
prays for me

© 20 January 2022
Cindy B. Stevens



Photo credit: rene-bohmer-YeUVDKZWSZ4-unsplash

a snorkeluntil I stop for my first school bus since March 2020I don’t realize my emotions are not drowningthey’re treadi...
01/15/2022

a snorkel

until I stop for my first school bus since March 2020
I don’t realize my emotions are not drowning
they’re treading water underneath my surface

I watch kids unload
they greet their moms
their dogs
tears bubble through my snorkel

© 14 January 2022
Cindy B. Stevens



Photo credit: usgs-ENweJAo_LyY-unsplash

The last stanza of “four hands”:I used to think it harder to fold a fittedthan a flatby myselfuntil I had to fold the to...
01/09/2022

The last stanza of “four hands”:

I used to think it harder to fold a fitted
than a flat
by myself
until I had to fold the top with two hands
now, it makes sense to have one set

© 7 January 2022
Cindy B. Stevens



Photo credit: louis-mornaud-porAZtNVkyk-unsplash

Address

Hillsborough, NC
27278

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cindy B. Stevens, poet posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Cindy B. Stevens, poet:

Shortcuts

Share

Category