by John J. Dunphy Originally published in the 4/17/11 edition of The [Alton, IL] Telegraph. There’s a chapter on Mary Ann Pitman in my book Abolitionism and the Civil War in Southwestern Illinois. Signed copies are available through me at my Second Reading Book Shop. John J. Dunphy is the author of Abolitionism and the Civil War in Southwestern Illinois, Lewis and Clark’s Illinois Volunteers, From Christmas to Twelfth Night in Southern Illinois, Murder and Mayhem in Southwestern Illinois and Unsung Heroes of the Dachau Trials. He is also the author of the following collections of poetry: Old Soldiers Fading Away, Zen Koanhead, pagan rites, Stellar Possibilities, Dark Nebulae, Bullet Cluster and Touching Each Tree.

Two Newspaper Columns I Wrote About William Lee, a/k/a “Deaf Bill” by John J. Dunphy Author’s note: I wrote these columns a decade apart. The temper and tone of the second column is much different than that of the 1986 piece. Let the record show that Lee was (finally) laid to rest on June 24, 1996. I also wrote a piece on “Deaf Bill” for issue 3:5 of Springhouse magazine (www.springhousemagazine.com).

My poem in the February 2023 issue of bottle rockets by John J. Dunphy first day of spring I draw flowers in the snow John J. Dunphy’s poetry collections include Stellar Possibilities, Zen KoanHead, pagan rites, Old Soldiers Fading Away, Dark Nebulae, Bullet Cluster and Touching Each Tree.

by John J. Dunphy Originally published in the 10/27/13 edition of The Telegraph of Alton, Illinois. The Wittmond Hotel is located in Brussels, IL.

My poem in hedgerow issue 140 by John J. Dunphy *** July 4th fireworks the veteran’s ears plugged with cotton John J. Dunphy’s poetry collections include Stellar Possibilities, Zen KoanHead, pagan rites, Old Soldiers Fading Away, Dark Nebulae, Bullet Cluster and Touching Each Tree.

Squished: A Decidedly Irreverent Poem by John J. Dunphy God held me, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand. Then, for reasons I will never understand, God suddenly made a fist. John J. Dunphy’s poetry collections include Stellar Possibilities, Zen KoanHead, pagan rites, Old Soldiers Fading Away, Dark Nebulae, Bullet Cluster and Touching Each Tree.

3 Poems from Cold Moon Journal, January 3, 2023 by John J. Dunphy midnight melody our cat walks on the piano keys *** backyard a squirrel chows down on my aunt’s fruitcake *** freeze warning I put out extra food for my feral cats John J. Dunphy’s poetry collections include Stellar Possibilities, Zen Koanhead , pagan rites, Old Soldiers Fading Away, Dark Nebulae, Bullet Cluster and Touching Each Tree.

John J. Dunphy’s poem in the January 2023 issue of Failed Haiku nursery I buy a tree after learning my diagnosis John J. Dunphy’s poetry collections include Stellar Possibilities, Zen Koan Head, pagan rites, Old Soldiers Fading Away, Dark Nebulae, Bullet Cluster and Touching Each Tree.