by Jarvis Subia Click play below to hear Jarvis read ‘Ode to Cheese’ aloud. Born and raised in the San José Bay Area, Jarvis Subia‘s work delves into his relationship with his communities, sexuality, masculinity, national/global politics, lineage, race, gardening, mental health, personal growth, love, love, and love. Jarvis is San José’s 2018 Poetry Grand Slam Champion. He has been Read More
Author: Andre
Reflect
Rick eases onto a stool as the counter server sets down his mug. On the makeshift stage in the corner, Powell starts a new song. “Yeah, big guy, that’s the one!” Rick yells, mug halfway to his lips. Then more softly, “Mmm, good coffee. Zoning board must require proof of coffee quality if you call it a ‘diner’. Oh, and Read More
The Hemlocks Have No Doors
by Elisabeth Horan Something there is that wants to eat me – wants to eat me alive. He is the thing with yellow eyes and I’m never safe for there are no doors, There are no locks on hemlocks. Some get the pleasure of being eaten dead. Never feel his jaws crush their head – There is a thing called Read More
Your Arms Close Around Me
by J. Bradley Mitch asks mom what animal she’d want to be and I punch him in the arm for asking. The last thing mom needs right now is to think about being in a body other than her own. Mom answers though by shifting her body into a lime green raccoon. Why a raccoon, I ask. On our honeymoon, Read More
Lament
City elephants never lament. We gave it up when we moved off the savanna. For one thing, city code discourages open-air burials. And everything needs a permit, even public displays of mourning. It makes sense. Can you imagine if we did it the old way? Traffic remains snarled near Columbus Circle while fifteen pachyderms continue their vigil for a herd member who Read More
Elephants Never Let Their Loved Ones Die Alone
by Elisabeth Horan Elephants never let their loved ones Die alone Never let God come first for their tired, Broken bones But protect the soul from jackals, Hyenas Endeavor to prevent the cruel rape of her Ivory for profit Elephants enact their ceremony; Create a circle of love and protection For a friend, a loved one; A child, a mother. Read More
At the Memorial
by Leah Mueller Afraid to weep, my son carries his father’s ashes in a cardboard box. As water roils in the distance, he steps inside a crater filled with loose gravel, twists his ankle, crumples to the ground. We stand above, hands outstretched while he tosses in agony on the asphalt. On the shore, beachcombers climb dead tree branches, pick Read More
Three Facts and a Rhyme
by J. Douglas Johnson An elephant never bothers about the impossible obstacles. Their obstinacy in the face of hardship is practically world-famous. For this reason an elephant herd trouping through the desert is also sometimes called a persistence. Clearly this is not the “immovable object” kind of obstinacy, grumbly-grey and hard-headed as you might imagine the parched and cracked pachyderm. Read More
Trees?
While you ponder how pachyderms get into trees, take some time to read Linda M. Crate‘s poem, ‘the last laugh.’ Or peruse our recent trunkated tale about how elephants never outwit. (Do you notice a theme here?) And for some history behind the green-and-white joke card above, check out our brief discussion of ‘Elephant Jokes.’ Now, without further ado, Read More
While you ponder how pachyderms get into trees, take some time to read Linda M. Crate‘s poem, ‘the last laugh.’ Or peruse our recent trunkated tale about how elephants never outwit. (Do you notice a theme here?) And for some history behind the green-and-white joke card above, check out our brief discussion of ‘Elephant Jokes.’
Now, without further ado, you’ve earned an answer about the trees.
the last laugh
by Linda M. Crate i don’t languish in the fact that i met you, but i do regret that i couldn’t see through the gauzy fabric of your lies; but a starving heart is so hungry she’ll devour anything that she hears so it was with you— i fell so hard and fast that i could not stop my love Read More