By Robert Beveridge World creaksto a haltsterile inhabitantssicken and dieno one leftto bury themlie in the streetsmummifiedlast cousinstoo weak to move Robert Beveridge (he/him) makes noise (xterminal.bandcamp.com) and writes poetry on unceded Mingo land (Akron, OH). He published his first poem in a non-vanity/non-school publication in November 1988, and it's been all downhill since. Recent/upcoming … Continue reading Not with a Bang
To Become Someone
By Alex Andy Phuong The human identity Truly is a sight to behold,And given the realityOf the heart and the soul,It is up to every individual To become purely whole,So dare to uncover the mysteryWithin a world filled with beauty,And marvel at the majestyOf the wonder of splendorWithin a home like no other,And there really … Continue reading To Become Someone
Ursa Minor and Low Tides
By Ben Macnair Ursa Minor Six months before his final heart attack,my Grandfather stopped to stareat the night sky.His fingers traced the shapes and the outlinesof the Big Dipper, and the Plough,joining the stars that made Orion’s Belt.Sometimes, when walking through the inky blacknessI stare at the stars,who haven’t aged a day,and think of him.Maybe … Continue reading Ursa Minor and Low Tides
My Visit to Brontë Country: A Walk Through Haworth Parsonage
By William Hardy “What I love shall come like a visitant of air.” - The Visionary, by Emily Brontë. CHAPTER I The Ground Floor. The Exterior I’m stood outside the Haworth Parsonage where I’m inhaling the fresh Yorkshire air with my eyes calmly shut. I can hear rain patter against the front steps, but the … Continue reading My Visit to Brontë Country: A Walk Through Haworth Parsonage
Between the Teeth
By Wu Yu Lilian wakes up in the stomach of night. Again. It is not even 5 am yet. The first lesson begins at eight, and she needs at least one hour getting dressed and wandering around the apartment purposelessly, trying to figure out what to do next. Minutes marching on, Lilian closes her eyes. … Continue reading Between the Teeth
Rattlesnake Mountain
By Bernard Martoia The drumming of rain against the Deer Head Inn’s windowpane stirred Waffle Print from sleep. After twelve straight days of sun in Pennsylvania, the weather changed, mirroring his challenging endeavor to cross New Jersey. Then, he remembered the crowded streets as he made a frantic trip to Manhattan to buy himself boots. … Continue reading Rattlesnake Mountain
Imitating Imperfection
By Laurie Nguyen Paul’s mother called him her “special little boy”, so special his teachers diagnosed him with an emotional disturbance disorder, autism, attention-hyperactivity-deficit disorder, and the occasional antisocial personal disorder without any medical knowledge whatsoever. His doctors disagreed. They were helpful, but his mother was always fiercely independent of the healthcare system; she hated … Continue reading Imitating Imperfection
Heart of the Order
By T.R. Healy With the assistance of a burly corrections officer, the two old teammates lifted the cream-colored steel casket into the back of the Ryder rental van. Then they secured the casket with a couple of ropes attached to the inside of the van and braced against it four bales of hay. Before he … Continue reading Heart of the Order
It’s A Great Life If You Don’t Weaken
By John RC Potter There are people one meets during one’s lifetime who are larger-than-life: the expression, ‘real characters’ comes to mind, the kind who could have sprung from the pages of a delightful book. I had the great fortune to meet an endearing ‘character’ decades ago, when I moved into a charming red-brick building … Continue reading It’s A Great Life If You Don’t Weaken
The Stolen Prince
By K.L. Crino Marin had thought she'd heard a baby's cooing last night. She realized now she shouldn't have ignored the sound– she should've listened to her gut as a good captain would. But so far, her gut had only led her team to become the worst pirate crew in all of Porto Sama. In … Continue reading The Stolen Prince
Academy of the Heart And Mind 