3 POEMS – John D Robinson

NIGHT GENTLE Stood in the doorway, framed in dim lighting, the night, gentle with Lester Young blowing like a stoned hummingbird, she stood, crying, quietly, not in sadness, she stood in the doorway and I wished that I was a painter or composer, she looked up, at me, her face wet with our kind of […]

CABLES – Martin Anastasovski

Cables Like diplomatic cables, the black strings are tangled. They relay electricity and information, a lot of which is tangled. Through the stained glass of the separation I can see people moving about. Looking inside, They can only see human heads: idle, like heads of cabbage in the field. The three recycling bins in the […]

GRANDPA’S MOOSE – JAMES LIMON

GRANDPA’S MOOSE the wind ripples the water in ways that make it resemble the mountains that surround it.the peak’s shadows overhang the low valleys we fish in.across the lake, green shrubbery hides the lurking moose, moving silently til he nears our ears.we are in his land, his home.we are merely invaders to the beast, invaders […]

this is a scientific lecture – Robin Wyatt Dunn

this is a scientific lecture this is a scientific lectureready em up on the bareven em out my qualificationsup my ass the subject of today’s lecture is masksas in, why aren’t you wearing one?and, why are you wearing a mask? if I put my ass very close to your faceyou’ll notice that it has two […]

LIGHT SMOKER – Peter Mladinic

Light Smoker A light smoker outside a luncheonette he stood, feathers of smoke coming up from the cigarette between his fingers, taking a break from taking carriages in to the Food Fair. Why not do it again? I asked. In a round-about way he said no. Do it meant get into the music business, being […]

GREAT-AUNT – ROSALIE HENDON

Great-Aunt She got drunk, had sex, and got pregnant for the first time on one thunderclap of a night. One night, and it all began unfolding like a dark flower or the division of cancer cells. The bastard husband. The divorce. The troubled kids, in and out of jail. The lonely future in an empty […]

THE REPRIEVE – TIM HILDEBRANDT

The Reprieve Well half past midnightabout a quarter to threea grey rat nibbleson a stale block of brieHe would prefer a slight smidgenof a fire braised pigeonbut according to his religionhe can only drink peeSo he pissed in a cupand drank it right upand knelt at the altaron one bended kneeHe asked for a pardonbefore […]

Excerpt from: WHEN I WALK THROUGH THAT DOOR, I AM – JIMMY SANTIAGO BACA

Excerpt from the epic poem WHEN I WALK THROUGH THAT DOOR, I AM …Ay Tonal, my despair is the saw-tooth chain that cuts through bone, its growl roars through my heart scattering bone-dust and what was once anger is reduced to a stump, cut down into sizes that fit my heart’s black-iron stove; I kneel […]

EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES – John Tustin

EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES It seems I am waking up every fifteen minutes. All night like this – I wake up thinking about the job. I look to the window to gauge the time And it always seems to be about 6 A.M. My alarm is set for 6:30. I need to be at work at […]

SHE HID IN THE TREES FROM THE NURSES – JAMES WRIGHT

SHE HID IN THE TREES FROM THE NURSES She stands between the trees and holdsOne hand in the other, still.Now far away the evening foldsAround the siloes and the hill. She sees, slowly, the gardenerReturn to check the gate beforeThe smoke begins to soften the airAnd June bugs try the open door. And through the […]

Cacti Fur

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