Thickly Settled By Christy Bailes Sadness blows west with air so dry I taste bitter dust mixed with tumbleweed and golden brush. What I lost has reversed direction, as if it were the last moment before death. Kneeling to tree roots in rich, summer earth, I inhale New England one…
Two Toos By Michael Williams Freddy the frog flipped a fish- Breaded and boiled was his wish. He heaved and hoed in a hurry To get wet on the set of his movie. Tiny tassels of tinsel tweaked his head, It was a wondrous weaved wig he said. The delirious…
By Carolyn Wright Enshrouded by the black chasm of night, my spirit awaits. The crackling of the grandfather fire and its wood smoke, intoxicate and call me to a time I no longer know. The scent of pine mixed with cedar surrounds my body as it wafts up on its…
By Cameron Burry His breath lay thick in the air, pumping out rhythmically like the exhaust from an old pickup truck. Though it was well into the middle of spring, the chill of the winter winds had not yet given up their claim on the stretch of dilapidated farmland that…
By Andrea Warren The white color of innocence drips From my silky transcended span As the water ripples an outline Of my graceful refined body Tenderly I reach back to guide My precious little ones Anticipating our wild surroundings And their tendency to playfully wander Many hues dance about our…
By James Seals Someone suggested that I am the hyphen, that I am the dash that connects W.E.B. DuBois’s double-consciousness; DuBois’s beautiful concept that allows me to accurately describe my pain. I am the hyphen. Because I am neither Filipino nor American. I am the middle. I am the tick-mark;…
By Katie Appeldorn Thank you for applying to become a member of our team. You have successfully completed the personality portion of our online application process. We think of everyone here in our corporation as family. This is why we strenuously screen our applicants to ensure only the finest well-rounded…
By Jon Jackson “The boy ain’t nothing but bad,” he said. “Like his daddy.” Micah Mason dropped the hook into the water and the heavy rope snaked through his calloused hands. An unfiltered Camel hung from his lip and he squinted against the smoke. His blue Dickies were stuffed into…
By Jon Jackson “Soup or salvation?” she said. “Beg your pardon?” He glanced around the room. A few old men sipped coffee and scanned the local paper. Dust drifted through the sunlight escaping the aluminum blinds like glitter in a snow globe. Fluorescent lights buzzed sporadically and an ancient window…
By Joanne Eskreis I have to let you know how you look to me right now, holding and rocking you; you are so tiny. I watch you sleep peacefully, no movement other than sucking and the sudden jerks as you go deeper into sleep, while letting out a soft moan….