Of Poets & Poetry: November | December 2025: A Publication of the Florida State Poets Association

Of Poets & Poetry: November | December 2025: A Publication of the Florida State Poets Association

Dear Readers, With unyeilding divisiveness all around us, I am reminded that we do have things in common. Among my favorite of those things occurs during the holidays. We each may have our own cultural and faith traditions at this time of year, and yes, they may differ greatly. But for most of us who are able, we gather together at a table and share a special meal. That experience is repeated in cultures across the globe. Our prayers may differ. The flavors of the food lovingly prepared may differ. The faces and holiday apparel may differ. However, the idea to set aside time to come together with family and friends is the same. So, for this issue we asked poets to send us poetry that relates to their experience of a special meal during the holidays, and asked of them to also share a favorite recipe that is made for the occasion. You may remember a similar request a few years ago. I loved that many of you wrote to me that you enjoyed reading the poetry and even tried some of the recipes. Maybe, by sharing how we express our holiday traditions, we can all become a little more tolerant, a little more understanding, empathetic, and maybe, even a little more joyous . . . with good will toward all. I hope you enjoy this our 41st issue. Mark Andrew James Terry, editor markajterry@gmail.com P.S. To complement the poetry and recipes in this issue, we decided that only high art could, and so what you see on the cover and in the header panels of the article are primarily paintings by masters from the 18th and 19th century.