Bio for 2025
Tony Wheary is a contemporary poet whose work captures the subtle tensions between stillness and transformation, the personal and the universal. Drawing on rich imagery from everyday life and echoes of rural or small-town culture, his poems explore how language holds space for grief, joy, and wonder. With a voice both grounded and lyrical, Wheary turns the intimate moments of existence into shared human experiences.
Often inspired by Kentucky landscapes, barroom conversations, and the quiet mystery of morning light, Wheary’s writing bridges the visceral with the philosophical. He brings a unique eye for detail and a compassionate sense of timing, inviting readers to sit with each line like a pour of well-aged bourbon—slow, intentional, and resonant.
Often inspired by Kentucky landscapes, barroom conversations, and the quiet mystery of morning light, Wheary’s writing bridges the visceral with the philosophical. He brings a unique eye for detail and a compassionate sense of timing, inviting readers to sit with each line like a pour of well-aged bourbon—slow, intentional, and resonant.
Reason for signing up:
"The bourbon burned like memory—
not sharp, but certain.
I sipped the silence between stories
and called it prayer."
not sharp, but certain.
I sipped the silence between stories
and called it prayer."
Badges
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