Bad Lilies

The Real Names of Things The real names of things are hidden from us. The dragonfly is green daylight through a rippled pane or filaments of green gold from a lamé dress whilst its inner self remains inviolate and shut. Too much is known as exterior impressions, too much for the blue jay's feather to overbear upon our partial comprehensions so shatters to nameless blue fragments.

'The Real Names of Things' by John Stammers badlilies.uk/john-stammers-1

Fern Owl Two of you flew over Pendle Hill as my love and I followed the path to its brow. I strained my ears to hear you halloo over the wood. Flame-marks ring each eye's inferno. Horned head, furred toes curl to hooks, you are a spectre to shrews, woe of voles.

Our issue spotlight begins with two poems by Yvonne Reddick! badlilies.uk/yvonne-reddick

Issue twenty-two — Bad Lilies

Delighted to be in such wonderful poetic company in the new issue of @badlilies.bsky.social . The poem might make the new book, might not. Ooooh the decisions! www.badlilies.uk/issue-twenty...

I'm delighted that my poem 'Pacific Swift' appears in this new issue of
@BadLilies. It's one of a number of glimmers of hope in what has been a dark time for me creatively & otherwise.

This poem is a memory of spending a week on a schooner off Vancouver Island when I was 14.

Issue twenty-two — Bad Lilies

OUT NOW. Issue Twenty-Two: 'Ghost Ship'. badlilies.uk/issue-twenty-two

Austin Allen — Bad Lilies A poem by Austin Allen

Grateful to @kathryngray.bsky.social and @andrewjamesneilson.bsky.social for including my narrative poem "Dissent at the Temple of Gemini" in the new issue of Bad Lilies. Enjoy, and please do yourself the favor of reading the full issue!

www.badlilies.uk/austin-allen-2

Graeme Richardson — Bad Lilies Three poems by Graeme Richardson

A taste of my forthcoming book, thanks to @badlilies.bsky.social - www.badlilies.uk/graeme-richa...

I have new poems in the new Bad Lillies magazine.

Issue twenty-two — Bad Lilies

OUT NOW. Issue Twenty-Two: 'Ghost Ship'. badlilies.uk/issue-twenty-two

Issue Twenty-Two: Ghost Ship

Proofs to contributors are being prepared...our cracking new issue is out for Halloween in a week's time 👀👻⚓️ badlilies.uk

We’ve a beautiful new @badlilies.bsky.social landing on Halloween! Expect poems that will stay with you at this time of the thin veil between worlds.

SUBMISSIONS FAQ UPDATE: Our submissions window is currently closed. If you submitted to our window over August 2025, please bear with us as we received an unprecedented number of poems. We are reading, however, for issues into 2026 and so will be in touch as soon as we can.

While we are on the subject of our new issue, an update on current submissions!

Issue Twenty-Two: Ghost Ship

Proofs to contributors are being prepared...our cracking new issue is out for Halloween in a week's time 👀👻⚓️ badlilies.uk

Our new issue is out later this month! For those waiting to hear from our last submission window, fear not: we are reading for 2026 issues! And apologies for being behind schedule...it's been a busy time at Bad Lilies Towers and we received an unprecedented number of submissions.

My pamphlet of poems, Summers Are Other, is officially out now. Here's a taster, a version of Du Fu that Linton Kwesi Johnson used as an epigraph to Time Come, his Selected Prose. rackpress.blogspot.com?m=1

Issue twenty-one — Bad Lilies

It's National Poetry Day! We have a new issue coming out later this month but in the meantime, enjoy our last one: badlilies.uk/issue-twenty-1

Issue twenty-one — Bad Lilies

It's National Poetry Day! We have a new issue coming out later this month but in the meantime, enjoy our last one: badlilies.uk/issue-twenty-1

First stanza of The Viaduct: As a child I would cross with my father's brother, and in summer weather we would walk into loss.

Pamphlet titled Summers Are Other

I'm very much enjoying Andrew Neilson's pamphlet Summers Are Other from Rack Press, particularly the lovely lyric 'The Viaduct'
@badlilies.bsky.social

Submission FAQ — Bad Lilies Guidelines to submit to Bad Lilies

A reminder that our @badlilies.bsky.social submissions window closes this Sunday! If you’re thinking of submitting some beautiful blooms, you can find our submission FAQ here: www.badlilies.uk/submit

Gathering flowers – The Friday Poem In Conversation: The Friday Poem talks to Kathryn Gray and Andrew Neilson of digital poetry journal Bad Lilies

"… great sonics, an authoritative tone (even, or perhaps most especially, in expressing vulnerability), attentiveness to the line (for non-prose poems), and, very obviously, a freshness of language (free of cliché, invigorating)" thefridaypoem.com/in-conversat...

Submission FAQ — Bad Lilies Guidelines to submit to Bad Lilies

A reminder, halfway through the month, that our submissions window is open! Read our interview above to see what we're looking for... badlilies.uk/submit

Gathering flowers – The Friday Poem In Conversation: The Friday Poem talks to Kathryn Gray and Andrew Neilson of digital poetry journal Bad Lilies

"… great sonics, an authoritative tone (even, or perhaps most especially, in expressing vulnerability), attentiveness to the line (for non-prose poems), and, very obviously, a freshness of language (free of cliché, invigorating)" thefridaypoem.com/in-conversat...

Submission FAQ — Bad Lilies Guidelines to submit to Bad Lilies

A reminder that Bad Lilies is currently OPEN for submissions. Our next issue will be in October and we are looking for poems both for that and for issues into 2026! badlilies.uk/submit

Submission FAQ — Bad Lilies Guidelines to submit to Bad Lilies

A reminder that Bad Lilies is currently OPEN for submissions. Our next issue will be in October and we are looking for poems both for that and for issues into 2026! badlilies.uk/submit

Delighted to launch my little book from the once busy port of Londonderry. Fair fa ye! @blackboughpoetry.bsky.social @poetrysociety.bsky.social @badlilies.bsky.social @poetryireland.bsky.social @artscouncilireland.bsky.social

Submission FAQ — Bad Lilies Guidelines to submit to Bad Lilies

📣 Our submission window is now OPEN for the month of August. Get your blooms to us while the sun is shining! badlilies.uk/submit

Submission FAQ — Bad Lilies Guidelines to submit to Bad Lilies

📣 Our submission window is now OPEN for the month of August. Get your blooms to us while the sun is shining! badlilies.uk/submit

Subscribe to our issues — Bad Lilies Bad Lilies is an online poetry journal, publishing the finest of contemporary poetry in English.

If you have subscribed to our new mailing list then you got the inside track on (and early access to!) our upcoming activities earlier today. If you haven't subscribed yet, then do! badlilies.uk/subscribe

Sarah Westcott — Bad Lilies Two poems by Sarah Westcott

"A poem found the girl one day. The field found the girl. One day she found a new field. In the first
field some children are playing."

#TodaysPoem #poetry
The field by @sarahbwestcottpoet.bsky.social (2025 @badlilies.bsky.social) tinyurl.com/4hf4xa7m

Issue twenty-one — Bad Lilies

Have you read our latest issue? You can also now subscribe to our new mailing list for news on submission windows and future issues! www.badlilies.uk/issue-twenty-1