By Fred Klein Early in his law career, Abraham Lincoln had an unusual case in the backwoods of Illinois. A certain Mr. Jake Plummer was accused of stabbing a Mr. Wilson Black to death with a knife. There were three witnesses who said they saw Mr. Plummer kill Mr. Black. No one wanted to defend Mr. Plummer, but … Continue reading Lincoln in Court
Circus Sam
By Luke Beling I moved to a new school in the eighth grade. Dad thought we needed a fresh start after mom died. It took my classmates one week to devise a nickname for me—one week of observing my zinc-painted face. "You're just missing the green hair and juggling balls, Circus Sam!" The first day … Continue reading Circus Sam
The Big Embrace
By Karen Quickley After Christian Schloe’s digital artwork “Promise of Love” This morning, I came hereTo tell all that I’m settingMy soul-spirit free becauseThis life is no home for Her, because she sang herBeautiful, melodious songAnd it hasn’t been enoughTo gain her all that she wantsAnd needs. Instead, I’ve foundYou here. I find us. There’sNo … Continue reading The Big Embrace
The Yellow Dress
By Denise Diehl Lake Tekapo is known for its turquoise-blue waters, mountainous backdrop, and dark sky reserve—where one can view the stars in all their glory and ponder the mysteries of the universe. Truly a fantastic tourist attraction. It also has another little-known feature—inexplicable disappearances. One that Lucy Erb would soon discover. Had she been … Continue reading The Yellow Dress
The Critic
By John Tures The writer thanks his sister and his mother, and his family as well as Sharon Marchisello and Ann Michelle Harris for the great feedback. He would also like to thank an anonymous author and his family for helping provide the inspiration for the story. The writer stood before his toughest critic, shocked … Continue reading The Critic
The Thief
By Sarah Collins Standing before the school board, my stomach was tight as if I’d recently completed 100 sit-ups. I never thought something like this would happen to me. I wasn’t the girl to find trouble. My momma raised me to be honest and kind and to never tell a lie. The act of lying … Continue reading The Thief
Centipede Season
By Sristi Sengupta It is easier to listen to the cricketswith my eyes closed, but I knowyou just flew over the roof of the cottage,Ghost-man, why do we have to be in the same part of the forest right now?Oh, you are here to listen to the crickets tooOr maybe you have something else in … Continue reading Centipede Season
I Can Walk Through Walls of Words
By Jessica Ursell when red deer antlers poke through the hardwood floorthat’s a signal I can’t ignorereminding me I can walk through walls of words into a poem of Japanese cherry blossomsand emerald birdspink tufts of poufy fluff surrounds the soft grass strewnwith rich coffee groundsmingling scents sweet and hearty gazing across the verdant carpetI … Continue reading I Can Walk Through Walls of Words
An Abandoned Farmhouse on a Forest Trail
By John Grey Cramped rooms,small windows,grimy crumbling fireplaceand, in the attic,old mattresses for children’s beds –this wasn’t a houseof ease and comfort.Cupboards tinyin anticipationof limited provisions,a few rotted turnipsin a dank root cellarfields given up to snowand a barn tilted to one side –no great expectation anywhere,merely the signs of a limited survival.Here in the … Continue reading An Abandoned Farmhouse on a Forest Trail
The Man on the Flying Frontier
By Ken Gosse A flat-earth explorer had made his last pledgeto persist with his search from a great flying sledgetied beneath a balloonwhich he sailed to the Moon,but his boot was untiedso the first step he triedmeant one short trip for man sent him over the edge. Ken Gosse usually writes short, rhymed verse using whimsy and … Continue reading The Man on the Flying Frontier
Academy of the Heart And Mind 