Poem #11: Illusion of Heaven

April is National Poetry Month! I wrote this poem in college, and while it doesn't have the cheeriest of themes, it does make me nostalgic for the time and place in which it was written:

Red star, heart-shaped
Hangs from my ceiling and catches the light
Color of blood, essence of passion
A treasure to me and a symbol of love

Is dull to the touch, no trace of warmth
Tears at the surface and infects within
If was eaten, would make me ill
But shimmers and evokes hunger still

Facets sparkle, magic was there
Disappointment hangs now and blackens the night
Faux star, sky my ceiling
Glow bright once more and restore the firmament.

"Illusion of Heaven," copyright 2026 Amelia Cotter (most recently published in Illinois State Poetry Society Member Poems, 2024)

History Alive: Now Streaming on PARAFlixx!

Inside the walls and on the grounds of our country's most historic sites are stories waiting to be told. History isn't always left in the past. Sometimes it's alive, right in front of us... The hourlong premiere of History Alive is now streaming on PARAFlixx! Join us as we explore Fowler Theatre and "Old" Benton County Jail in Fowler, Indiana, and Jonesville Rest Home in Jonesville, Kentucky. 

It's been a privilege to work alongside this fantastic cast and crew. This has been, and continues to be, the coolest journey. Use promo code BOOTIQUE25 for 25% off your annual subscription to PARAFlixx and stay tuned for Season 1 of Spooky Story Bootique, coming this spring! Thanks and Happy Hauntings!

With the cast of History Alive (Lee, Jamie, Pete, Kara, and Jeffrey).

Haiku #21: Chicago

February is National Haiku Writing Month, or NaHaiWriMo, and there is no shortage of poetic inspiration here in the beauty of our wintry Windy City:

Chicago

the delirium, ecstasy 

of gray on gray on gray

"Chicago," copyright 2026 Amelia Cotter (first published in Lines of Communication: a poetry anthology, 2025)