She calls herself Mary Oliver’s Drunk Cousin. Lyndsay Rush is the living poet I’m celebrating today during the 2026 Slice of Life Challenge. You can read all the posts each day at www.twowritingteachers.org as writers blog throughout March and post their links on the community site. If I had a colleague at the water cooler flattening her hand to admire her nail polish and declaring that she was so damn sure she would never read a poem she liked, this is the book I’d hand her before retreating around the corner and peering over the top of the cubicle at her in her chair devouring these poems and proving herself wrong.
Lyndsay Rush, author of A Bit Much, got her start as an Instagram poet. Click her name to read the interview that gives more information about Lyndsay. I’ve used her collection to create a Cento poem by writing several of her existing lines into a new arrangement.
The Dark Doorway
You heard it here first:
Otters hold hands while they sleep
If you’re feeling weird lately
stand in the dark doorway of
The Gospel I was raised on
for the nonbelievers
and drive off into the sunset
Lines in this Cento are taken from these poems, in this order: Maybe Crocs are Okay; Loving Each Otter; Help; Someone to Eat Chips With; His Body is Bread and So is Mine; Beware of Lost Boys; A Spell for Success
Common Threads 
You got me with the otters. I love anything about otters. First time I’ve heard of a Cento poem too.
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Celia, thank you so much!
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Kim,
There’s a lot packed into this poem, especially the lines about “the gospel for nonbelievers.” Oof! I know THAT gospel and its whip. I follow LR on Instagram. Lots of good posts there. I keep of file of poems that inspire me when I scroll. I think I need this collection. After all, there are otters holding hands in those pages.
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Glenda, this is one to own for sure. I could read these pages again and again and again – – and I will!
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Kim, I just looked and discovered I bought the book back in September. I must have it around somewhere. Time for a scavenger hunt.
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Start with My Boyfriend is from Alabama. Page 39, if memory serves. It’s a hit!
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Love this share! Not only do you share a great cento poem, but you inspire us to read more of the poet’s poetry! Good well done 🙂 I will have to write a cento for next week’s poetry Thursday!
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Megan, enjoy writing the Cento! I can’t wait to see! Thanks so much for reading.
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Great job and I love your poetry book reviews so much. I just want to get on Amazon and order all of them.
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Rita, I have 18 poetry books on interlibrary loans right now and am seriously thinking of ordering many of them so I can own them and read them anytime. I simply adore being able to pick up a collection and nibble on different poets’ pages based on what my heart needs. I’m glad you are enjoying the poets.
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Oh I love her poetry! Thanks for the poetic spark today. I’m zooming in on your book stack to find some fun new titles!
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I’m thinking, based on reading your blog post today, that we are a lot alike. So I hope that there are many in here that will appeal to you. I lean toward some of these more than others, but then when my mood shifts I lean toward others. Funny how that works! Thanks for reading.
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I love the description of your imaginary colleague to hand this book to: “If I had a colleague at the water cooler flattening her hand to admire her nail polish and declaring that she was so damn sure she would never read a poem she liked…” Now I’m off to check out Lyndsay Rush’s work!
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She’ll pull you right in! Cheers, and thanks for reading!
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Add to cart…
🙂
Your description of the work is very inspiring!
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Thank you! I know that cart button all too well…. 🙂 I hope you fall in love with the work of this poet.
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There is such a thing as an instagram poet? I am old! Love what you’ve done with Lyndsay’s titles. And that image of the otters holding hands while they sleep made me smile. The world is not so terrifying in the little corners of the world.
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