A Literary Magazine Sponsored by The University of Maine at Farmington
The River is a representation of the Sandy River itself, which runs alongside the university and what inspired the name of the journal. It is a constantly flowing, ebbing and surging, body of content filled with contemporary work. To submit to The River please visit our Submissions page to the left or e mail TheRiverEditors@gmail.com directly.
By Madeira Miller To Put the Gun Down The psychology book states to me that sex is more than intercourse. Of course, I say. Any poet will … Continue Reading “To Put the Gun Down”, “The God Poem”, “It Was Beautiful As It Was”, and “Pirate Ship”
By Audrey T. Carroll A Name Foreign We’re talking about naming practices in families, how four of five generations of Heffers had a Thomas straight down the line, how … Continue Reading “A Name Foreign”
By Corbett Buchly vision board when did they first replace the processed snacks in the break room vending machine with poems one miniature scroll costs a dollar … Continue Reading “vision board”, “the ghosts turned to flesh”, and “this body of water”
By Rina Palumbo Fallen Catholic I walked to the river’s edge when I was eleven years old. I can’t swim. So, on a late summer day when I was … Continue Reading “Fallen Catholic”
By Sylvia Foster Bath I lock the doorI shed a skinI see in layers—the door at the foot of the stairs,the front door,the bathroom door, me spinning but notluminous … Continue Reading “Bath” and “On Paying a Lot of Attention to Death and Not a Lot of Attention to Life”
By David Mampel Flutter of Wings Father’s Day chatter stops. A hummingbird hovers at the pond waterfall under a Japanese Maple. Not even mother crow softening bread … Continue Reading “Flutter of Wings”, “The Shrine”, and “The Stopping”
By Livio Farallo some cracking, everywhere I. the ether unsolved, heavy, sits at my feet near licking paws as the car door slams on the side of my … Continue Reading “some cracking, everywhere”, “particles”, “window out window in”, “a fistful of dollars”, and “endeavor”
By James Lowell The Barge of Empty Spirits Long after the great war ended, an optimistic crew of recruits descended to padlock the island’s observation bunkers. Without an … Continue Reading “The Barge of Empty Spirits” and “Whitman’s Meatloaf “
By Scott Waters Negative A ball of black floats in a bottomless sea of brightness sends out dark rays in 360 degree generosity and where they strike– fence … Continue Reading “Negative”, “I Never Meta Poet I Didn’t Like”, “View from a Corner Table”, “Intimations”, and “For Those Who Pass in Their Sleep”
By Jhilam Chattaraj Damodar Out of the sky-window I see sand ribbons — narrow and dry, holding the lush green hair of paddy fields — … Continue Reading “Damodar” and “Twilight on the Tungabhadra”
By Solape Adetutu Adeyemi Going shopping My shopping basket under my arm I go shopping again Second time in a row They said she must be quiet and … Continue Reading “Going shopping”, “In the heat of the moment”, and “Freebies”
By Jennifer M. Phillips Seed Potatoes In my lean days I picture the seed potatoes rotating in my Grandad’s work-seamed fingers the point of his knife deft … Continue Reading “Seed Potatoes”
By Joanne Holdridge EVENING COMES TO ROCKPORT a long slow darkening moving across the ocean’s surface softening to shadow the rocks of the breakwater edging out day as … Continue Reading “EVENING COMES TO ROCKPORT”, “WHEN LOVE IS A FACT IN YOUR LIFE”, “NO WAY BACK”, and “LET US ALL SAY AMEN”
By Fran Schumer The Art of Waiting My mother waits, watches the snow. She’s frail, 94, paralyzed with Parkinson’s. Until last year, she swam walked, cajoled, exhorted, ate … Continue Reading “The Art of Waiting”, “Light in August”, “Yizkor/Remember”, and “Dead Mothers”
By Ayòdéjì Israel What Disfigures This Poem is the Mention of Fire it was midnight. we dragged our feet … Continue Reading “What Disfigures This Poem is the Mention of Fire”, “Scatter My Sorrow”, and “Sweet Home”
By Frederick Wilbur Learners for Heather Sunday afternoon, my daughter, just fifteen and proud of an officially clean permit, drives ovals around the school parking lot. I … Continue Reading “Learners”, “Happen”, “Vessel”, and “Pocket Poems for a Pair of Jeans”