Chase Dimock
banner
chasedimock.bsky.social
Chase Dimock
@chasedimock.bsky.social
Writer and Editor in Chief of As It Ought To Be Magazine
Reposted by Chase Dimock
maybe I look mad,
fingers tracing my chiseled past,
spooling thoughts—trance-like,
but in this spun-out moment
I can honor the mysteries of my body

New #poetry on AIOTB by Adele Evershed!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/adele-eversh...
Adele Evershed: “loopy”
loopybefore clocksthere were stone circles,listing like a groupof middle-aged womengathered for a girls’ night out—a way to grasp timewhen everything was a mystery,a place to gather,walk in circles…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
"There is a subordinate hush beneath the silence"

New poetry on AIOTB by Lindsay McLeod!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/lindsay-mcle...

#poetry
Lindsay McLeod: “Sleeping Dogs”
Sleeping DogsThere is a subordinate hush beneath the silence like father’s anger here in the long quiet dark of this country road that seems suspect soft and warm as a lamb yet we both know f…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
she plays with the sound
in her mouth
tongues the note around
like a two-ton stone

New poetry by John Compton on AIOTB!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/john-compton...

#poetry
John Compton: “the musical of the bell jar”
the musical of the bell jarshe plays with the soundin her mouthtongues the note aroundlike a two-ton stonetrying to dislodgethe musicfrom her throat.a cricket hidits songunder a trapdoorwhere a tur…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
Mom had no time
to explain the alchemy
of bluing to a nine-year-old.

New #poetry by R.A. Allen on AIOTB!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/r-a-allen-bl...
R. A. Allen: “Bluing”
BluingSharing a spidery basementwith the furnace,our washing machinehad two cycles—hot & cold.I discovered my momhand-washingher “good” whitesin the kitchen sink,with some kind of blueliquid in…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
December 26, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
Our December Poetry Edition is live, featuring new work by R. A. Allen, James Benger, Bonnie Demerjian, Adele Evershed, Hedy Habra, Madison Woodle, and Robin Wright.

asitoughttobemagazine.com/2025/12/24/p...

#poetry
Poetry: December 2025
R. A. Allen: “Bluing” James Benger: “pep talk” Bonnie Demerjian: “A Lesson Not Taught in Supermarket School” Adele Evershed: “loopy” Hedy Habra: “Whatever Remains of What We Once Knew So Well?” Mad…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
December 24, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
Reposted by Chase Dimock
It is the white satin lining of the coffin lid.
This is the lid that closes every night upon our lids.

New #poetry by J.R. Solonche on AIOTB!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/j-r-solonche...
J.R. Solonche: “The Ceiling”
The CeilingIt is one sixty-fourth of a chessboard that isn’t there.I am the king of the white square the size of a room.It is a sky without birds, except for the ones I remember.It is a sky without…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
"Listen, and you’ll hear something being stripped away."

New #poetry by Joe Mills on AIOTB!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/joseph-mills...
Joseph Mills: “Retinue”
RetinueAt first, they’re happy to be part of the one hundredchosen to remain with King Lear in his retirement.The A-team. The posse. The ones who made the cut.Then the daughters begin to ask why 10…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
December 14, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
Sometimes
he still tries to kick
his missing back leg
when we find
that right there spot

New poetry on AIOTB by A.M. Hayden!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/a-m-hayden-g...

#poetry
A.M. Hayden: “Ghost Leg”
Ghost LegSometimeshe still tries to kickhis missing back legwhen we findthat right there spotscratch until we seeripples vibratejust beneath surfacerepeat messages activatedsent to nervesto spinal …
asitoughttobemagazine.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:54 AM
"... He stood back, gaze fixed
on the owl’s yellow eyes, the wary
way it watched him tremble, watched
him stare at the rat’s tail continuing
its descent into darkness, darkness."

New poetry on AIOTB by Jacob Butlett

asitoughttobemagazine.com/jacob-butlet...
Jacob Butlett: “Feeding Time at the Zoo”
Feeding Time at the ZooThe owl stretched its neck, glugged gluggedglugged the rat deeper down its throat,the tail drooping from the upturnedbeak like a second tongue. My youngerself, barely nine ye…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
December 7, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
Our November 2025 Poetry Edition is live, featuring new work by:

Ruth Bavetta, Jacob Butlett, John Compton, A.M. Hayden, Joshua Lillie, Joseph Mills, J.R. Solonche, and Alicia Wright.

asitoughttobemagazine.com/2025/11/29/p...

#poetry
Poetry: November 2025
Ruth Bavetta: “My Father’s Shirts” Jacob Butlett: “Feeding Time at the Zoo” John Compton: “the musical of the bell jar” A.M. Hayden: “Ghost Leg” Joshua Lillie: “What Becomes A Tumblewee…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
November 29, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
"running fingers over each tooth,
raggedness gone, transition
from one to the next like precise

words that keep the hard work
to themselves..."

New #poetry on AIOTB by Abner Oakes!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/abner-oakes-...
Abner Oakes: “Floating Teeth”
Floating TeethThis poem, shiny and straightat the start, soon a mouthful.I yank lines, grind awayat first words, milk teethof the draft. Uncle Bob floatedteeth, arriving at each barnwith his bucket…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
"you’ll feel the whirring of the cogs
as it settles quietly into a safe warm place"

New work by Paul Ilechko from the October Poetry Edition!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/paul-ilechko...

#poetry
Paul Ilechko: “Memories of a Memory”
Memories of a MemoryMemory is the easiest thing to rememberwhen once again there is somethingyou can’t quite bring in while utterlycertain that you knew it onceand if you stop trying quite so hardi…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
November 15, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
dusty instant
coffee greets us
on a cloudy
coastal morning. this gulf
smells sour after heavy rain.

New poetry by Madison Isbell on AIOTB!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/madison-isbe...

#poetry
Madison Isbell: “corpus christi, early march”
corpus christi, early marchdusty instantcoffee greets uson a cloudycoastal morning. this gulfsmells sour after heavy rain.i grew up collectingshells from a foamyshore further east—so we do ittogeth…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
last winter's coat opened
in Fall of the year
holds forgotten crumbs
of crushed amber leaves

New #poetry by Sam Culotta from our October Edition!

asitoughttobemagazine.com/sam-culotta-...
Sam Culotta: “A Winter Coat”
A Winter CoatEmbedded in the textureof the fading pastever present in the patternof the fabric, ever presentin the material of memoryin which I wrap myselfwhen the wind turns chillwhen the sunflowe…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
AIOTB is open for submissions! Check out our guidelines below:

asitoughttobemagazine.com/submit/
October 27, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
But no matter how the ink curls,
the pills still rattle in their plastic drum,
chalk dust lining the childproof lid
like it’s been counting the days, too.

New work by Jeremy Jusek from our September Poetry Edition!

#poetry

asitoughttobemagazine.com/jeremy-jusek...
Jeremy Jusek: “Prescriptions Written in Calligraphy”
Prescriptions Written in CalligraphyThe pharmacy across from the rec centerjust started doing it—flourished capitals,swans in the tails of the y’s,the refill date looped like a lasso.But no matter …
asitoughttobemagazine.com
October 3, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Reposted by Chase Dimock
Our September Poetry Edition is live! Check out new poems by:

Susan Cossette, Tony DeGenaro, John Grey, Jeremy Jusek, Cindy Rinne, and Patricia Russo

asitoughttobemagazine.com/2025/09/27/p...

#poetry
Poetry: September 2025
Susan Cossette: “Five Things I Will Do in Aegina” Tony DeGenaro: “Flight Path” John Grey: “On a Funeral Pyre” Jeremy Jusek: “Prescriptions Written in Calli…
asitoughttobemagazine.com
September 28, 2025 at 10:34 PM