Laura Lee

Literacy proponent

  • Publications

    Laura Lee

    Some of my poems, short stories, and nonfiction articles are included online and in print books and magazines published in the UK, Greece, India, New Zealand, and the United States. Many thanks to the staff at these publications. 

    “In the Walls,” a short story, published at Open: Journal of Arts & Letters, https://ojalart.com/flash-fictionshort-short-storylaura-lee-koenigin-the-walls/, 2024. 

    “Pray with Bones,” a poem, in High Shelf Press, published online and in print, October 2020. Check here: https://www.highshelfpress.com/issuexxiii.

    “The Three Month Sentence,” a poem, in Esthetic Apostle , 2019.

    “Red Halo,” a poem, in Prometheus Dreaming, 2019.

    “Devastation,” a poem, 2019, in Headline Poetry. https://headlinepoetryandpress.com/2019/08/02/331/

    “Havishammed +1,” a poem, 2019, online and in print edition available through amazon.com and at High Shelf Press.

    “Where You Are Not,” a poem, June 2019, Esthetic Apostle, here.

    “Swamp Pearls,” a poem, May 2019, in Prometheus Dreaming, here.

    “Not Sleep,” a poem, in Cagibi: A Literary Space, 2019, here: Cagibi.

    “The Professor and the Gravel,” (2019), a poem, in Wingless Dreamer.

    “Saltwater Faces,” an ekphrastic poem inspired by paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago, High Shelf Press, 2018, here.

    “Click,” “The Night is our First Language,” and “They Left the Bed,” poetry published in The Poetic Bond VIII print issue, 2018. Available at Poetic Bond VIII.

    “Moving Gravel” a short story at Crack the Spine – Themed Anthology Submissions, “Routine”, print edition, 2018. Available at Crack the Spine Anthology.

    “Walk with Child,” a poem, in Snapdragon Journal, 2018, “Here and Gone” theme, here.

    Coffin Bell Journal,2018, “Herstory,” a poem, 2018,here.

    Spillwords Press, “Stopped,” a poem, 2018, here. 

    Tuck Magazine, June 2018, “Teach to Kill” http://tuckmagazine.com/2018/06/06/poetry-1528/.

    Tuck Magazine,  May 2018, “Refuge,” http://tuckmagazine.com/2018/05/29/poetry-1511/.

     Southernmost Point Guest House (UK), poetry.

    Journal of Modern Poetry 21 (Volume 21), “Hell, No,” a poem at JOMP Volume 21 Dear Mr. President.

    Journal of Modern Poetry 20 (Volume 20), “Moonlit Awakening,” JOMP Volume 20 Poetry Writer’s Guide to the Galaxy.

    Journal of Modern Poetry 18 (Volume 18), The Official Poets Guide to Peace, two poems: “Open” and “After Poetry Class.” 2015. Purchase here.

    Journal of Modern Poetry 17 (Volume 17), JOMP Volume 17. 

    Cram Volume 12: “White Board Clown,” 2011. Chicago Poetry Press 2011.

    Magazine (New Zealand) , Raewyn Alexander, Publisher, nonfiction and poetry.  Raewyn Alexander NZ.

    Fiction in: http://staxtes.com/2003/ “Between the Sunlight and the Skipping” in English Wednesdays

    Poetry in: https://poetsagainstthewar.org/ archives.

    Illinois English Bulletin, a publication of the National Council of Teachers of English, nonfiction article about teaching in an alternative education program.

     Poetry in Marginalia, Elmhurst, IL.

    PS It appears I have two blogs with similar names and “similar” but not the same URL’s:

    I must determine which one has my archives, was paid for, etc.

    Must choose or merge from:

    https://lauraleewriterpoeteducator.com

    OR 

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  • One Day Closer to Spring

    Recovered from an old site. Very strange. Posted on

    From two years ago, shortly after my sister had died. And now this year, my brother is gone as well.

    One Day Closer to Spring

    I didn’t put up a Christmas tree this year until Christmas Eve. My sister had just died, and Christmas was HER holiday. What was the point? But realizing what a grinch I was, I followed the Big Guy’s lead as he put the decorations on the tree by himself. I put a few on myself, feeling small and mean to deprive him of those lovely lights.

    A number of years ago, in an act of laziness or spite, I’m not sure which, I lost or threw away all the ornaments I’d collected over the decades. I think I was cleanly madly, that rush to clean at the holidays, and just tossed things…including the old ornaments. Grinch indeed.

    Come to think of it, I’d often resist anything holiday-like, for it just reminded me of decades of horrible holidays spent wishing they could be over quickly.

    But it is Valentine’s Day today, and the sunlight is returning. We always make sure the lights are down, the ornaments down by this time! But this year, I hesitated.

    Until today.

    And the grief hit me big time, big angry loud crying, because Christmas wasn’t just my sister’s holiday, it was her entire season, from November to February sometimes, and if I put away the holiday things, that means she’s really gone.

    She is really gone. My only sister is dead, having died in my (former) favorite month of October. Right before the lights go out and we are plunged into the dozen dark weeks.

    I’ve put away half the ornaments now, carefully wrapped the more expensive ones and the few remaining older ones I didn’t toss. I need to remove what’s left of my mascara and fix up my blotchy face so I can go out and enjoy a great valentine’s day dinner with my husband.

    The sun is bright today, gorgeous sunshine on new snow. It’s lovely. And I keep thinking, I’m so sorry, sister, I’m so sorry you are gone, I’m sorry how you died, I am sorry for all the pain you had. I am just so sorry, and I miss you so much.

    But I am going out to dinner tonight, and I will enjoy my time with my husband. I will raise a toast to my sister, maybe a red wine to honor the day, our love for her, as we watch the sun go down just a bit later today than yesterday, one day closer to spring.

    Thanks for reading.

    PS It appears I have two blogs with similar names and “similar” but not the same URL’s:

    I must determine which one has my archives, was paid for, etc.

    Must choose or merge from:

    https://lauraleewriterpoeteducator.com

    OR 

    Home

  • Let’s Give this Blog a Try

    I’ll try again! I did create a PAID blog before the beginning of the pandemic, but my sister died, the pandemic hit, my brother died, and I got injured and “retired” from my career. My husband “retired” due to the pandemic as well.

    All these made my brains mush. I lost the EMAIL login for the website/ blog, my computer crashed, and the backup drive got corrupted.

    A sign perhaps, to try again? So I will.

    THIS time I have carefully written down the new email address, URL, and both saved to an outside media and printed out a piece of paper.

    Argghhh! Lessons learned!

    Thanks for reading.

    Laura Lee, educator, poet, writer

    PS Added in June 2025. I’m not so clever. It appears I did lose my logins for my paid blog, etc. Is this the one to continue to use????

    PS It appears I have two blogs with similar names and “similar” but not the same URL’s:

    I must determine which one has my archives, was paid for, etc.

    Must choose or merge from:

    https://lauraleewriterpoeteducator.com

    OR 

    Home
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