Philly Poetry Chapbook Review is pleased to feature Deirdre Garr Johns’s poem “To Let Go” as our third featured chapbook poem of Issue 7: Winter 2025. You can find more poetry in their chapbook, Fallen Love, now available from Finishing Line Press.
To Let Go
The dandelion thrives
on its ability to die,
scattered chaos that lands where it can—
a haphazard path without worry.
It takes more effort
to cling to a core dried
than to let go.
I envy this kind of renewal.
Fluff—the stuff of childhood—
so delicate, taken by the wind
or a soft sigh,
releasing itself
like the slip of a shawl
over a bare shoulder.
About the Poem
“To Let Go” is the last poem in Fallen Love – which is a collection of poetry about the transformative nature of love – but this poem brings closure to more than just what we experience when we fall in and out of love. The poem captures the whimsical dandelion “fluff” – willing to free itself from its core. In letting go, renewal is found. Imagine if we could also let go, and free ourselves from a “core dried.” We can also bare ourselves and find peace in a “path without worry,” taking our cue from the simplicity of nature.
Author Bio
Deirdre Garr Johns writes poetry, nonfiction, and children’s fiction. Her work is often inspired by the beauty of nature and the memories of people and places. Deirdre hopes to inspire others and create a sense of connection to the world around us. She is the author of the poetry collection Fallen Love (Finishing Line Press, 2025) and children’s book Weathering the Storm (Palmetto Publishing, 2024). Her website is www.amuseofonesown.com
From Fallen Love
Fallen Love is a collection of poems that explores the ways in which love can build, break, and restore the spirit. Fragments of memories establish the structure of Fallen Love, with carefully sequenced poems that create a journey through the phases of love. To fall in love, we must open ourselves to vulnerability and be prepared to confront the difficult nature of fallen love. A narrative voice evokes an intimate tone that will resonate with those who desire to love and to be loved. Strong imagery and subtle rhymes expose love’s gentle and tumultuous nature, capturing its ability to take us by the hand and bring us to our knees. Though this collection offers a singular experience, the larger journey explored is the relationship one has with the self, which transcends the physical nature of love. In an attempt to reconcile love’s simple, yet complex nature, Fallen Love reveals a deeper understanding about love’s transformative power.
Contents
Book Excerpt: Further Thought by Rae Armantrout
Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for January 2025, “Further Thought” from Go Figure by Rae Armantrout, along with a few words from the poet.
Read five poems by poet A.L. Nielsen, our first biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue, along with a few words about the poem “When We Walked”.
Chapbook Poem: The Poem as an Act of Betrayal by Benjamin S. Grossberg
Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for January 2025, “The Poem as an Act of Betrayal” from As Are Right Fit by Benjamin S. Grossberg, along with a few words from the poet.
Jan. ‘25: Year One: What worked, what didn’t, and what to expect
Editor Aiden Hunt looks back at our first year and discusses changes to Philly Poetry Chapbook Review in 2025.
Three Poems by Shelli Rottschafer
Read three poems by poet Shelli Rottschafer, our second biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue, along with a few words about the poem “Because We Remember.”
Dancing With the Dead: On Ragnarök at the Father-Daughter Dance by Todd Dillard
“Todd Dillard successfully transgresses the unspoken cultural embargo on work that grapples with life during the COVID-19 pandemic in his new chapbook, Ragnarök at the Father-Daughter Dance.”
Read three poems by poet Wendell Hawken, our third biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue, along with a few words about the poem “First Hurt”.
Book Excerpt: Slow Chalk by Elaine Equi
Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for February 2025, “Slow Chalk” from Out of the Blank by Elaine Equi, along with a few words from the poet.
Chapbook Poem: Caro M. by Angela Siew
Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for February 2025, “Caro M.” from Coming Home by Angela Siew, along with a few words from the poet.
Read four poems by poet Natalie Marino, our fourth biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue.
A Conversation with Kate Colby
Poet Kate Colby discusses her latest chapbook, ThingKing, her creative writing practices, and her penchant for poetry chapbooks with PCR Editor Aiden Hunt in this interview piece.
Read three poems by poet Adele Ross, our fifth biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue, along with a few words about the poem “Heavy Water”.
Book Excerpt: The Self-Combed Woman by Laynie Browne
Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for March 2025, “The Self-Combed Woman” from Apprentice to a Breathing Hand by Laynie Browne, along with a few words from the poet.
Chapbook Poem: To Let Go by Deirdre Garr Johns
Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for March 2025, “To Let Go” from Fallen Love by Deirdre Garr Johns, along with a few words from the poet.