F.I. and Joel Goldhaber, poet and authors of science fiction and fantasy

August 12, 2026

Persistence Pays

Both of the poems I'm sharing with you today have, to put it kindly, made the rounds. They each had more than a dozen revisions, some taking into account new information that became available or a specific call that triggered another line or a new stanza. They're both more than a year old. And they both have been rejected dozens of times.

But, I'm a stubborn old character and I refuse to abandon political poems just because no one is willing to publish them. (And that's usually what it comes down to. For both of these poems, and those still seeking a home, I get rejections along the lines of "invigorated by the political passion in these poems" or "I share many of the views you express in these poems, and I admire your passion" or "We appreciated the chance to read your work" but...)

In both cases, the homes found for these two poems were new-to-me publications and I have Authors Publish to thank for pointing them out . I recommend Authors Publish to anyone seeking homes for their writing. All listed publishers are researched and verified and either have no submission fees at all or offer submission-free windows.

So, to quote a movie from last century, if you believe in your writing "Never give up! Never surrender!"

"Do They Hate Their Children?"

Issue 5 of My Galvanized Friend, In Full Color, includes my poem "Do They Hate Their Children?"

My Galvanized Friend believes "in a world where all people are free to express their gender identity and sexual orientation with pride through all forms of artistic and personal expression" and embraces a mission "to promote and encourage the creation, dissemination, and enjoyment of LGBTQIA+ literary and artistic expression."

First written in May of 2024, "Do They Hate Their Children?" had 13 versions, was rejected more than 80 times, and after acceptance was withdrawn from 11 additional publications, some of which had it under consideration for more than six months.

"Boycott Bewilderment"

"Boycott Bewilderment" appeared August 5, 2026 on Cacti Fur published by Grandma Moses Press.

Founded in 2015, Cacti Fur is the oldest online poetry journal in the contiguous United State. A poetry high ground, Cacti Fur publishes only 52 poems a year.

First written in April of 2025, "Boycott Bewilderment" had 13 versions, including six written since I submitted the one that was accepted last October. (Fortunately the editor, Jim Thompson, was willing to add lines I considered critical from newer versions.) It had been rejected more than 40 times and after acceptance was withdrawn from 11 additional publications, some of which had it under consideration for more than a year.