Between Wakeful Stillness and Bothered Slumber

by Sophie Kearing “Hello?” I croak. “Oh… did I wake you? It’s nine a.m.” “I know, Mom. I had a rough night. Cara had another… episode.” A judgmental pause, and then: “An episode, Margaret?” I shift under my bedding, which seems to be imbued with the very essence of sleeplessness. I spent last night watching over my daughter, who’d suffered Read More

A Darker Place

by Kenneth L. A. Lineberger A blast of air hurled Kim to the ground. Sound and sand pelted her as she tucked her head. When the din quieted she rolled to her knees and brushed long, black hair out of her face. The collapsed cave entrance stood in ruins before her, rocks and boulders strewn in every direction. A large Read More

Until They Are Well Done

by Juliet Cook and j/j hastain Everyone decomposes in the end,so you might as well turn yourself into a tree with leaves that will dropin different directions. Skinny, malformedbranches that will break. One dark redleaf might transform into a wing. Then you can fly to heaven orsome other skyward plaza.You can grow an above ground gardenbrimming with skyrocketing beeswho don’t Read More

To the doe, rotting

by Tianna G. Hansen your ribs are bare on your chest cavitywhere I imagine your heart was homed is that what the vultures consumed first?the vital organ that once pumped blood  through your leaping body, long legs kickup in joy, in life. you must not have seen  that death machine hurtling toward youbefore it was too late, and you became  Read More

Relevant Elephant

by Pax Morrigan Picture yourself on a steppe cast in starlight withElephants gathering round the bone pitSaying goodbye to old matriarch Amba whoLed them courageously, brimming with grit Time repossesses her pachyderm carapaceTaking the ele and letting the phantOut of the bag to rove omnidirectionalHaunting all continents, ghost gallivant Waltzing through air on a jumbo safari sheArdently travels on slipstreams Read More