By John Marvin New Gas City That there is no time like the present has been noticed. Gas is in Dutch out of the blue … Continue Reading “New Gas City”, “Odd Jobs or The Eclectromagentic Spooktraum” and “Of the Essence”
By Jessamyn Rains Perklety and Kilsmaddeny They wore matching pink-and-blue sweaters and carried purple and silver Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers on the first day of seventh grade. They sat … Continue Reading “Perklety and Kilsmaddeny”
By A. G. Coletta Tanka: Shalom swirling emptinesspierced by starlight touching methrough the darkness wideinto the sunlight of painhere I am, born for shalom Tanka: Koi bright … Continue Reading “Shalom”, “Koi” and “Puzzle Me”
By Mark Belair SHERRY Sher-er-ry!I lip-synched from the center of the linoleum rolled out in my buddy’s backyardfor a neighborhood show and dance, my Four Seasons costumemy Confirmation suit. … Continue Reading “Sherry”, “The Stray”, “Matinee”, “Schoolboys” and “Idle Fun”
By Connie Woodring Appetizers We sat at a table facing the busy city street. We ordered appetizers (clams casino) and engaged in casual conversation. What would we get for … Continue Reading “Appetizers”
By Sophia Lee Snow, An Emptied Platter. your wrist is flipped open–palm sunny side up, and i can’t help noticinghow the light bangles the skin with a tenebrosityresembling snowmelt … Continue Reading “Snow, An Emptied Platter.”
By C. S. Crowe Paradise I found Paradise at the bottom of a bottle—An angel drinking Coors Light in a trailer park. He pawned his flaming sword to pay … Continue Reading “Paradise”, “The Pines”, “Ode to Firewood”, “Lightning in a Bottle” and “A Town of Many Roads – King Street”
By Louis Faber SEEING YOU AGAIN I saw you again yesterday, as I haveso often recently and once again thoughtof approaching you for there is muchI would like to … Continue Reading “SEEING YOU AGAIN”, “NEXT STOP”, “RIDING” and “TY NEWYDD”
By Laurence Lumsden Rebels Sprawled on the worn carpet in front of the telly, Bobby and I are best friends. We’re Starsky and Hutch, accents twanging, or we’re Bodie … Continue Reading “Rebels”
By Angela Patera Fear Sometimes, when I’m consumed by fear, devoured by anxiety, haunted by self-doubt, I like to picture my worry as a shiny glob of mercury breaking … Continue Reading “Fear”
By M. F. Charles Winner Takes All – a Haiku Racing and dodgingred fox and rabbit runeach one for life. First Light, Last Cuppa Its orange pekoe … Continue Reading “Winner Takes All”, “First Light, Last Cuppa”, “From Above”, “A Hot Iowa Afternoon”, and “Taking Himself for a Bit of Exercise”
By Kelly Erin Gray Date Night Jamie was rolling a lone meatball around her plate when another couple was seated nearby. “What do you think?” Jack asked, pointing with … Continue Reading “Date Night”
By Joan Mazza A Poet’s Home Oak floorboards speckled with leaf litter empty rooms echo with each step, wait for books, furniture, art. Walking on this wooded property, … Continue Reading “A Poet’s Home” and “What are you doing this evening?”
By Trapper Markelz When It Happens I watch for sharks,but it’s the swimming that could take them out beyond a double darewhere feet touch sand in flinching spray. … Continue Reading “When It Happens” and “Matriculating”
By Anna Heneise The 2002 comic series Jango Fett: Open Seasons contains everything a tragic backstory should— the murder of Jango’s family, his promising career as a child soldier, the … Continue Reading Framing Jango Fett: When A Backstory Is Not A Backstory