A Literary Magazine Sponsored by The University of Maine at Farmington
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”
By Arno Bohlmeijer Aheadindefinitely The clock with patience,counting my hours or days,has been to the creator’sfor ages, for repairs. Now the hand can even beturned back, which scares me,although … Continue Reading “Ahead indefinitely”, “Prelude”, and “The insight, learned by fright”
By Abbie Hart gardening habit allegory of garden.seditious tongue,when you askbuti am the gardeni am the thing rotting in itand i am a housebecause that is the only thing … Continue Reading “gardening habit” and “refuge”
It has come to our attention that the poems “Renovation,” “Fishing with Bill,” and “Dislocated,” published under the name John Kucera, were plagiarized. These poems were published through The River … Continue Reading In Regards to Plagiarism
By Madeline Pumphrey Ode to the Blue-Ringed Octopus Laying in the shimmering sandsA brooch buried beneath the rolling waves A striking gold lemonEncrusted with luminous rings of lapis Not quite … Continue Reading “Ode to the Blue-Ringed Octopus”, “Springtime” and Three Haikus
By Travis Park I stared out the window with dead eyes. Rabbits jump in the trees springing like dead leaves. The ocean is in the view of my rearview mirror. … Continue Reading Sunsets Over
By Red Morse Flickering mess of light,Swaying sharp with poise,Like a ballerina pirouetting through thorns. You bite the hands of thoseWho take hold of you;With bitter passion.I wish to dance … Continue Reading An Ode To Fire
By John Tustin The grass will not grow where we have stepped together. The flowers will not flower in the garden And the violin sits atilt in the corner of … Continue Reading I WANT TO DIE
by Thomas Elson “5th Avenue and South Second Street” One evening in this dying river town on the eastern part of the state – whose biggest exports are corn … Continue Reading “5th Avenue and South Second Street” and “Golden Years”
by Bruce Robinson “Henry’s Room” When the wind blows the door closedand shuts Henry inside the bathroom,he’s perhaps reminded of the mysteryof the shrewd proviso, or concerned aboutthe erstwhile inviolabilityof … Continue Reading “Henry’s Room” and “Birds on Parole”
by Gerard Sarnat “Redneck Tell No Lies” “You like tomato and I like tomahtoLet’s call the whole thing off” -Ira and George Gershwin Gerard Sarnat has been nominated for the … Continue Reading “Redneck Tell No Lies”
by Charles Weld “Home Manufactures” We could call the creek behind the school Sea Cook Creek because that’s where our black lab, dead years ago now, dove without warning into … Continue Reading “Home Manufactures,” “Acorns in a Mast Year,” “Moosehead Lake,” “Nature Did That,” and “American Bittern”
by Phil Huffy “Lake Death” The killer left few clues that might be found. The violence could not have lasted long. Right to the heart a mighty shock did pound, … Continue Reading “Lake Death” and “Natural Causes”
by Faerin Estrada Part One. The scars that trace down my skin,past my shoulders and down my backto my arms, to my arms, to my arms – They leave reflections … Continue Reading “Your flowers, my garden”
by Mark Jackley “NEW YEAR’S EVE” Upon inventing the puzzle, our forebears left the garden, searching for answers, oddly shaped pieces of the picture. Tonight, uncounted snowflakes land on cars, … Continue Reading “NEW YEAR’S EVE,” “BODY AND SOUL,” “JANUARY DREAM,” and “THE LAST HOUSE YOU LIVED IN”