by Juliette Sebock He hates cliché, so it makes sense that we’re anything but. No Romeo, no Juliet, a rose is just a rose and the violets stay purple, never blue. Then again, neither are we— blue, that is. How could I be blue when I’m standing with you? As a matter of fact, I’m happy as a clam. Your Read More
Author: Andre
Insist
“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Doctor.” “Anytime, Elysse, I’m here for you. Now, you said something about a troubling dream?” “Yes, I see it so vividly still… I haven’t wrapped my mind around it yet.” “Why don’t you walk me through it. I expect your concerns will emerge with the telling.” “Well, I’ve lost the beginning—” Read More
The quality of protecting
by Ray Ball, PhD The centertastes likecoconut,drunk as a delicacy.In the moonthe apocalypseof fruit.Inside it,the absence.They requirestrength.It seems incredible that they cancontain whateverI know.And that Iand theyare softin texture. Note from the author: This is a found poem. The original text is Jane E. Mangan’s critical edition of José de Acosta’s Natural and Moral History of the Indies. Ray Ball, Read More
Snake in a Bag
by Chris Milam He instantly hated the man eating a donut with a fork. Only affluent folks think fried dough is to be handled with elegance. Marcus wanted to step through the glass and teach him how to properly demolish a long john. Instead, he waited. When the man finally stepped outside, Marcus slipped on his desperation mask. “Sorry to Read More
i spy
by Marissa Glover fraidy cat, fraidy cat who’s been running home to mommy who’s been running fraidy, fraidy cat simon says you’ve been crying, simon says are those tears, cry baby baby, baby nanny nanny boo boo who’s been running who ring around the rosy pockets full of poesy stand still while we run Read More
Elephants Never Foretell – Groundhog
Okay, so maybe we’re feeling optimistic. Maybe whatever groundhog you worship brought you less positive news. Where we come from, hope springs eternal, and our groundhog has the mayor scared to visit. What hope does winter have?
Firm
by Agampreet Kalra They tell me To be an Elephant. “Elephants are graceful and quiet” They stride in a walk, Even when barks pin them – Lithesome even when them mutts follow. I look at them. They have darkness in the underskin of their eyes. Muggy, Torrid. Heads bowed. Resilient. They cry because they can’t shout. They have a reputation Read More
Homage to My Middle-Aged Black Body
by Christine Taylor Because most of the time I hate this body stiff hip flexors, cracking knees sore, cystic breasts rolls and stretch marks that appear in mirrored angles I marvel when on the sidewalk escorting at the women’s clinic I swell by how completely I love this body the brownness of it its animal-like awareness, its speed getting to Read More
Aurora
by Neil Clark When I cook for you, your face lights up. You ask me what my secret is, and because I love to tell you my secrets, I tell you. I tell you I hike north every night while you’re asleep. I rent a rickety plane and befriend a jaded pilot and bribe him with whisky to fly me Read More
Sex
by Marissa Glover Sex is a lonely word. Warning us we will not last, ex is part of the spelling. Ex-lovers, ex-friends, ex-together, sex is the punctuation at the end of our sentence – a question mark your exit answers, an exclamation point that shuts the book of our story. Sex should be misspelled. Marissa Glover is a teacher and Read More