Episode 175, Shedding Gemstones COMES OUT at the end of Pride Month. Bill and Shaun talk about the Equality Gala and read some poems by noted gay poets, such as Joseph Legaspi, who in his poem "Vows (for a Gay Wedding)," he writes: "So I vow to be brave. / Clear a path through jungles of shame and doubt and fear. / I'm done with silence. I proclaim."

On June 12, 1942, Anne Frank got a diary for her 13th birthday. A few weeks later, she went into hiding with her family. Her diary changed the world. A diary can be serious and life-changing or fun and entertaining or both. A diary records in words the thoughts and feelings of our day. A diary holds poetry. We discuss these things and more with special guest, Bill's niece Vada.

Episode 173: Talking in Cursive takes us down Route 66 with poems written impromptu at the Capital Cruise Expo in Tulsa on May 28-29, as Tulsa set a Guinness Book World Record for the longest parade of classic cars. We asked people to write about Route 66. We also talk about the act of handwriting and some other cool stuff. LISTEN and SHARE please!

Episode 172: White Board Snake Road gives you information about the history of the white board, which you didn't know you needed, plus some poems left on the museum white board, which you definitely need.

Episode 171: Pocket Poems 2026 is about Poem in Your Pocket Day, where people are encouraged to carry a poem in their pocket all day and share it with others. Two folks shared their poems with us, and we talked about them and Shaun also had some bad jokes that Bill suffered through, and we discussed whether burn piles or poetry coroners would make a better topic for a book.

Episode 170: Turtle Kingdom is about Earth Day and turtles, hugging trees, listening to birds, dancing on the earth, carrying your world on your back–all these beautiful things. Let’s be engaged in the world around us–through poetry or anything creative that makes your heart sing and helps you be present. Let’s be people of the earth.

Episode 169: The Boy Poet from Corn reveals a Grand Prize Co-Winner in the Oklahoma Poem Contest. Third Grader and Corn OK resident Luke Thiessen wrote a prize-winning poem about Oklahoma's state reptile the Eastern Collared Lizard. And that poem inspired another . . . and others. We also discuss how poetry changes the world. Luke knows this. You must listen.

Episode 168: Spring Pez, Pickles & Poetry provides you with lovely spring poems and lowly spring items from the dollar store, plus a Spring "Scented Fun Dough" challenge that Bill, of course, wins. Here's your 30ish minutes of fun and poetry for the month.