“Sakoku”
by Stephen S. Power Laden with sunlight, the doug-firs have bent. Even your shadow gives off a bright scent. Noon is a bride; midnight, her dowry. Striped by the dusk, … Continue Reading “Sakoku”
“Call for Submission” and “What Pains Me the Most”
by Brendan Todt “Call for Submission” “What Pains Me the Most” Brendan Todt lives and teaches in Sioux City, Iowa. His most recent work has been featured in Pithead Chapel and The Ekphrastic … Continue Reading “Call for Submission” and “What Pains Me the Most”
“Probing Voyages” and “La Mosca”
by Ben Nardolilli “Probing Voyages” Making observations and gleaningData from the satellite life I am living,The years are secure in their orbits,And I pass through them withoutFinding enough gravity to … Continue Reading “Probing Voyages” and “La Mosca”
“Adult”
by Fatima Jafar after Rhiannon McGavinM brings home a thingold bottle of perfumeafter work: Spring in the Park. Sunbottled, the roomflowers. Burstsfecund and greenwith our late-night talk.Speak a daisy, a … Continue Reading “Adult”
“Corpse Flower”
by William Doreski Night rain curdles in the weeds.At three AM I’m readingFlannery O’Connor aloudto the cats. They deplorethe racial language but lovethe texture, dialogue, and useof local color. What … Continue Reading “Corpse Flower”
“Not Your Horoscope” and “Bethlehem”
by Morgan Boyer “Not Your Horoscope” Aries: You’ll splash your milk on the blouseyou were going to wear to your interview Taurus: You alarm went off, but didn’t hear it … Continue Reading “Not Your Horoscope” and “Bethlehem”
“September”
by Anoushka Chauhan Anoushka Chauhan is a law student from India, who sometimes writes poetry inspired by love, loss and personal experiences. Mostly, she likes owls, the color red, and … Continue Reading “September”
“Honeymoon” and “Moment of Silence”
by Turner Wilson “Honeymoon” Our omelets were stiff hotel pillowslaundered with creme fraiche. Wooddeck slats heated with the smellof lacquer. Her lungs: a treeshifting in the wind. There’s nothingon TV; … Continue Reading “Honeymoon” and “Moment of Silence”
“Snippets of You”
by Hafsa Mumtaz (Author’s Note: This poem is inspired by the painting Midnight (1979) by Pakistan’s most famous female artist, Zubeida Agha. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/zubeida-agha-midnight ) “Snippets of You” an excrescence of … Continue Reading “Snippets of You”
“Thunder Dream” and “Big Bang”
by Carolyn Adams “Thunder Dream” In her dreaming,she rides with the stars,their splinters in her hair.The slant path of some beaminterrupts the sacred blackof the interstellar.She cruises on.Cut moons, meteors, … Continue Reading “Thunder Dream” and “Big Bang”
“I remember it all now.”
by Daniela Lilly A left eye, twitchingSince the bread knife disappearedFrom the first kitchen drawer Knock, knock. Choking, on luke-warmwater from the neighbour’sMouth-wringing hose Who’s there? An unmistakably laden smellFrom … Continue Reading “I remember it all now.”
“Ode to Fudgie the Whale” and “Aquarium”
by Vivian Eyre “Ode to Fudgie the Whale” Oh, first loves always hold their power. When I saw you through that cellophane window of the Carvel box, my shadow vanished … Continue Reading “Ode to Fudgie the Whale” and “Aquarium”
“Job’s Children” and “Gender Unicorn”
by William Miller “Job’s Children” Below that blue-black sky, a goat-hair tent collapsed by a sudden desert storm, they died together. A faith test under Satan’s wings, planned to seem … Continue Reading “Job’s Children” and “Gender Unicorn”
“Firsts,” “Lasts,” and “Returning in November”
by Peggy Hammond “Firsts” I know I rode my tricycle, we named her Ginger, off the front porch. I have the scar. When training wheels were removed, I don’t remember … Continue Reading “Firsts,” “Lasts,” and “Returning in November”
“Gathering” and “night swim after matrimony”
by Dallas Raquel Klein “Gathering” “night swim after matrimony” for Richard Anderson and Christopher Ryan Shaver on their wedding day fireflies birth night light and I invite the river to … Continue Reading “Gathering” and “night swim after matrimony”
“The cure for most things,” “Pamplemousse,” and “Your Succulents And Other Reasons To Stay”
by Thanisha Santhosh “The cure for most things” While trying to find a cure for AIDS, scientists in the Mayo clinic created glow-in-the-dark cats -imagine a whole family made bioluminescent- mother … Continue Reading “The cure for most things,” “Pamplemousse,” and “Your Succulents And Other Reasons To Stay”