by George Freek The sparrow builds her nest,but the wren sleeps in it.The world’s a nasty place,even for the human race.Stars fade on a bleak night,Stars fade on a bleak night,and December windsnose through the streetslike hungry swine,searching for scraps to eat.The moon climbs the sky,like a curtain on a…
by Valerie Kinsey Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing Jay—the second Jay—is shorter and squatter than the first and has skin the color of hazelnut gelato and a layer of fat over his muscles. He tells me he spent hours in the gym bulking up when he got out…
by Tony Press First there were only six, and then a few more arrived before noon, but the room was far from full. Nils wasn’t shocked at the low turnout but he was disappointed and that surprised him. He had attended so many funerals in the past year, almost always…
by Margaret McNellis Rose’s elbows trembled. A drop of sweat splashed onto the red jigsaw mat beneath her face. She scrunched her eyes shut and tried to remember to breathe. She tried to remember that this was what she wanted. She tried to remember that she signed up for this,…
by Matthew Hamilton Terminal. It is such an incredibly idiotic word. It has a meaning, born only from whoever decides these things, these silly definitions, yet it does not do it justice. Sure, it’s a nice, neat, euphemistic way to sum up the issue at hand, but the designation doesn’t…
We are pleased to announce the publication of “The Penmen Review – Volume 1,” our very first anthology, which features poetry, essays, book and script excerpts, and short stories from various authors from around the world, including many SNHU students. The anthology is available for immediate download as an eBook…
By Sheree McDonald I was reaching for my last cigarette when I caught a glimpse of the flashing blue lights in my rearview mirror. Shit. With a heavy sigh, I let the unlit cigarette fall to the ashtray where remnants of my habit clustered. A few moments later, the rim…