When saddled with sadness let it not whelm you. See it like a shipment: that is meant to move away. There is beauty in grief if one allows oneself to spot it. It contextualizes the concert. This soups it up. Gloom is good. It sanitizes the surroundings. A raft of seen and unseen... Continue Reading →
Poetry of the Body by Constance Bourg
The sun drops and its cooling light strains for groveling clouds a tree out front stands with hunched shoulders evening wind shuddering the leaves with the grief of the day a sad susurrus rustle, quieter than glacier mice migrating towards the brink as you trace my skin with a lighter hand than I thought possible... Continue Reading →
Mission San Juan Capistrano by Brian Glaser
Mission San Juan Capistrano —for Carolyn Porter One Solstice light came at me like a memory As I walked out through the chapel doors Away from the darkness of its gold Into the midmorning rich and silent air. There were no schoolchildren touring there But the problem still lay heavy on me ... Continue Reading →
Omnipresent by Aida Bode
God is in your closed eyes, when your mouth rests on mine. I taste his longing to escape, but all I can give him is my own prison. God is in the absence of your touch as your hand releases my shoulder leaving chills of a confused zephyr on my skin. God is... Continue Reading →
Lost Without You by Marius Alexandru
Lost, wandering the dark paths of my empty soul, Suspended between earth and paradise, With this sharp pain and dreams beyond my control, My thoughts of you like silent stars arise, The only light I see it’s in your eyes, The only sound I hear is from your laughter, and from the love’s arrow that... Continue Reading →
Expectations by Lynn White
I had never been to the seaside. I knew what to expect, though. I had a book about it. There were lots of pictures of rock pools and the strange creatures living there. My favourites were the hermit crabs. I was looking forward to those the most. I had a little bucket to collect them... Continue Reading →
You Can Call it a Monet by Mitch Worden
If we met back when we were kids, how much of this would have been reversed? How much of anything could have been changed instead of living in stasis? If I keep guessing with these “what-if’s,” will it change your mind? Take your time: waiting is a game we play for all our lives. I’ll... Continue Reading →
Ratio by Tobias Maxwell
The devastation that loss brings Shocks the stamina, unnerves the system. Pain is measured in miniscule increments Like the dissemination of a thousand cuts Layered on an inch of perilous skin. The call to action of our consciousness Elevates momentarily before retreating into stillness. The rallying cry will not happen any time soon. The... Continue Reading →
When You’re Gone by John Grey
Your ghost appears in my doorbell, just like Jacob Marley. It floats from the ceiling cobwebs, emerges out of the bare kitchen bulb. It has no eyes, just dark sockets with even deeper darkness behind. And its mouth opens wide, in a silent moan and groan. That’s when the phone rings and... Continue Reading →
I Apologize by Yash Seyedbagheri
I apologize for apologizing but my voice is too sharp and a flick of my arm too flippant and don’t forget my jokes are about hillbillies and royals and incest a train crash joke for good measure it’s the world, hopeful humor doesn’t fit anymore and if I don’t look like I’m paying attention... Continue Reading →