Greg Luti

A reflective poem that examines the price of the choices we make. In “The Toll,” Greg Luti considers how the sacrifices we accept in pursuit of something we love eventually come due. Three, two, one, it’s over! They won! Oh my god! I can’t believe what just happened! What he just did! That was one of the most amazing sequences I have ever seen. He is definitely going down as one of the best who ever played. Going forward, the defendant will no longer be able to see his chil

A poem about the moment inspiration goes quiet. In “Killing The Muse,” Greg Luti follows a writer through creative exhaustion, confusion, and a tense confrontation with the source of his ideas. I sat at my desk alone in my room, wishing to forge another story out of thin air. But this time, I was done with the emotional toll the words had taken on my mind. I was at my limits with the words…. I don’t know how many more I have in me. For a moment, one I don’t recognize, I can’t

A reflective poem that examines the feeling of being emotionally and spiritually dead while still alive. In “Two Dead Men,” Greg Luti portrays two men sitting in a park, each lost in their own internal sense of emptiness and disconnection from life. Two men sit on a park bench, neither really looking at the other. They are speaking to each other, for no one else is there to even care. The sky is bluer than the ocean, and it would have you comment on the lack of clouds in the

A contemplative poem about the language that shapes a life. In “The Words,” Greg Luti follows the things we are told, the things we say, and the words that remain when the rest of life is stripped away. There are many words you are told to remember in this life. As soon as you are born, the world cannot wait for you to talk, only for them to tell you to shut up, and force certain words down your throat. You will remember some of these words in your life. I am sure that some o

A poem can capture the emotional weight of long-awaited victory. In “They Won,” Greg Luti reflects on the moment a lifelong sports fan experiences their team finally winning a championship — and the unexpected peace that follows years of disappointment. I guess I got so used to them losing that I never thought I would see them win. No title for them. No talks of championships. None of that. My team would lose, and for no other reason than that is what they do. I got so accust

A poem that argues philosophy doesn’t only belong to books and classrooms. In “The Real Philosophers,” Greg Luti looks at ordinary people who keep asking the hard questions while going about their everyday lives. The real philosophers, at least the ones I have met, are those who question the world, wherever they go. They whisper of truths in the office. Silently speak of questions in the grocery store. They philosophize as a part of their life. They question because that is w

A poem can confront the reader directly about whether the writing is worth their time. In “These Words,” Greg Luti gives permission to stop reading if the words fail to connect, urging readers to close the page, return the book, and walk away if it simply isn’t for them. Stop reading these words if they just don’t speak to you. If you feel nothing when you come across a phrase. If the words don’t jump off the page. If there is nothing living in these words. Stop reading them.

Greg Luti’s poem “Truthful Lines” reflects on those rare, powerful moments when a single line — in a story, a poem, or a conversation — cuts through everything else with raw, uncomfortable truth that stays with you long afterward. There are times when lines or moments can mean more than the rest of the scene or story being told. We all stop for a second because of the line. The part is so honest, so truthful, that we have to take a moment and appreciate what was said. The bea

Greg Luti’s poem “I Guess I’m a Ghostbuster Now” reflects on the suspicion society places on adult men around children, the disappointment of fallen celebrity idols, and one man’s quiet resolve to be a safe, reassuring presence for kids. There is a lot of talk today about kids, and the feeling that kids are when they are with guys of my age. Adult men. And let’s not even sugarcoat this, let’s get right into the deep end. Hold your breath. There is a stigma that the average si

A poem about the moment trust runs out. In “The Limit,” Greg Luti follows a speaker through the painful realization that the systems and people he relied on have failed, leaving him isolated and questioning what comes next. Who do you go to when the system fails you? When your heroes can’t even defend you anymore? What do you do when all that you know is wrong? Nothing more than a carefully crafted lie, you believed and developed your life around. What do you do when the hope

An ironic poem reveals a contradiction in human behavior. In “The Lonely Man,” Greg Luti shows a man who openly admits his loneliness to two women offering help, yet twice rejects them with the same smirk: “I’m lonely… but I’m not that lonely.” This self-aware refusal to change is the heart of the poem’s irony. A man walked down a street one night when a woman whom he had never met approached him. All the men in town knew of this woman, but would never dare say such a thing i

An ironic poem often highlights the gap between what we say and what we actually feel. In “Why I Didn’t Open Your Email,” Greg Luti captures a chaotic morning spiral of overthinking, existential questions, and everyday procrastination that leads to a hilariously relatable decision not to open an email. I didn’t open your email right away because I was busy. No, I was not working late hours in the office. I try to leave as early as I can every day. Nor was I spending time with

An uplifting poem about the person you hoped you would grow into. In “Your Name,” Greg Luti imagines a future where crowds chant your name — not for fame, but for the honest, good person you wanted to be since childhood. I hope when the crowd gathers, and the stadium is full And everyone is ready for the big show. I hope they are all screaming your name, kid. I hope that your name is the one on the billboard and is uttered by everyone who is there to see you. They are all exc

A man’s true worth is often judged by society’s standards of success. In “Judgement of a Man,” Greg Luti reveals that real value lies not in wealth, strength, or achievements, but in the simple, profound way a man respects and honors his mother. Judge a man not on his accomplishments in his field of study nor by the fleeting greatness that the world bestows upon his mortal head. Don’t judge a man by his wealth, for the stocks he buys, or the gold he accumulates. Not by his st

A tribute poem can honor a national tragedy with reverence and hope. In “9/11 Tribute Poem,” Greg Luti offers a heartfelt prayer remembering the heroes and victims of that day — those who ran into darkness so others could see light, and the enduring power of faith and love over hate. Dear Lord, Jesus Christ, that which conquered Death and forced open the door that was jammed for all time, look upon those souls who we lost on that fateful day 23 years ago. Those who ran into t

Greg Luti’s poem “Blood on the Page” explores the intense pressure a poet feels to bleed all his darkest secrets and hidden truths onto the page — the raw, unflinching confession a “good poet” is supposed to make. I was going to bleed all over the page here for you as a good poet should. Good poets are adept at confessing things to their audience that no one really wants to hear. When a soul confesses their life, though, it is okay and acceptable all of a sudden. I was go

A poem about change can capture the painful gap between desperate hope and harsh reality. In “Change,” Greg Luti follows a boy who begs love to transform like the weather, the day, and the town around him — only to receive a heartbreakingly honest and final rejection. “People change, do they not?” A boy pleaded with a girl, who stood there physically but mentally left a while ago. “Surely people change… The day starts as morn and then becomes night. You don’t see the morning

Greg Luti’s poem “Wrong Answer for the Teacher” explores his decision to chase writing instead of following his family into teaching — weighing the pursuit of happiness against stability, risk, and all the what-ifs that come with choosing a creative life. Teaching is a touchy subject for me. I come from a family of teachers. My friends are teachers. Everyone I know is a teacher. Expect me. I do not teach. I have never stood in the front of a room as degenerate children stared

A poem can turn an ordinary late-night smoke break into a raw confession. In “A Smoke in the Cold Night,” Greg Luti listens in on two coworkers outside a yogurt shop as their conversation reveals deep frustration with hypocrisy, dead-end jobs, and the quiet desperation of doing what you’re “supposed” to do instead of what actually makes you happy. A disgruntled worker leaned up against the cement wall behind the yogurt shop, smoking his cigarettes as the new guy sat on the cu

A poem that takes a harder look at a familiar idea. In “Hard Work,” Greg Luti questions the myth that effort alone explains success and considers what real grinding actually costs. Hard work is a lie. It is a lie told to you by above average individuals when they are asked why they are successful. The geniuses don’t claim that they needed to work hard to be great. No. They have natural talent. They don’t need to work hard. There is a difference between working hard to improve