Known as a “blackout poem,” this was a reject from Lit Cleveland & Gordon Square Review.
You can read and enjoy the winners here: http://www.gordonsquarereview.org/
I hope that, wherever you are today, whether in full view of the eclipse or far from it, you are surrounded by loves ones and laughter. Have a wonderful day.
Here’s how it looked in Dallas, yesterday:
Image credits: Sun, NASA (Source: https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/amf-gsfc_20171208_archive_e001435/ )
“Mea Culpa” poem and image by Holly Jahangiri
Text used for erasure: Klara and The Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro (last viewed at
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Dallas eclipse photos: Holly Jahangiri
Excellent pictures! It was very cloudy where I am, but we had 90% totality and I actually got to see it, despite the clouds. I’ve seen a blackout poem or two before, but had no idea they had their own name and were an actual style. They’re so interesting!
Thank you for sharing your pictures of the eclipse. I didn’t get to see, but there have been a lot of great images on social media.
Stopping in from A-to-Z: https://brewingcoffeetwistingwordsbreakingpencils.ca/2024/04/12/k-puzzle-brands/
If you ever do get the chance, it’s two to four minutes you won’t soon forget. If you don’t, well, there are other marvels in the world. I’m glad I was able to see it before I die, but I don’t think it was SO spectacular that I’ll ever become an “umbraphile,” chasing eclipses around the world and making reservations a decade in advance. I will say that I have not seen an image that adequately captures that one brief moment where I glimpsed the “diamond ring” at the end. If you have ever stood inside the shimmering light of a rainbow – literally in it, where you couldn’t see the rainbow, but knew you were a part of it – that’s a similar feeling.
This was my fourth total solar eclipse. For my first one, I was a senior in high school and traveled with a group of scientific observers from New York City to North Carolina. What I experienced is something I never expected, almost spiritual (and I don’t consider myself a spiritual person). I only had to travel about 150 miles this time and it was totally blocked by clouds (my husband called it “the total eclipse of the total eclipse”) I hope I have a chance to see totality at least one more time in my life. I consider myself so fortunate to have had four opportunities. Alana ramblinwitham