By James Aitchison grey sentinelsrising from forgotten creek bedsspreading lovetwisted rootstussling the rockholding storiesremembering old stormspraying water will againthis way come James Aitchison is an Australian author and poet, whose work has appeared in Australian Poetry, Quadrant, Aesthetica Review (UK), Poetry for Mental Health (UK), Stray Branch, Literary Yard, Black Poppy Review, and many more. … Continue reading river red gums
A Rhyme about Summertime
By Alex Andy Phuong Comparing a fair maidenTo a glorious summer dayCan complement a complimentIn a very beautiful way,And offering praiseAnd admiration Can definitely raiseAnd improveWhile inspiringOthers to move,And while living underneath A celestial sphere,There could be timeTo make the mostOut of summertime,And dare to do so much moreThan simply compare,And demonstrate the willingness To … Continue reading A Rhyme about Summertime
Smarts
By John Sierpinski You had the smarts to finishall your homework duringstudy hall in high schoolmuch to your sister’s chagrin.(she had to bring her work home)Later, you aced drafting inthe community collegealthough you wanted to workwith your hands, tools, figure things out. You becamea cable guy technician untilthey thought you were havinga stroke, were diagnosed … Continue reading Smarts
5 a.m.
By Toko Hata The distant houses under the ice-blue skythe wisp of dawn fizzed and eroded until the sky, the townscapewas all oneI pressed the palmonto the radiatorthe tips crackledThe world on the other sideof the line was awakebut my town dreamt, still. Toko Hata is a university student in London. She is currently studying English … Continue reading 5 a.m.
Reflections on the Seasons
By Detlef Wieck I had not been sleeping well, and during the day, I found it hard to concentrate on writing. I seemed to have emptied my creative well. No stories or ideas found their way to the paper. It was as though, after the doctors’ diagnosis, there was an impediment, that was there, in … Continue reading Reflections on the Seasons
No Words
By Olumide Holloway (King Olulu) Lost,Not in a wilderness,Perhaps within elements.Danger lurkingyet safety guaranteed.Cliff climbing,Harness unused,Ropes un-needed,Eyelids shutYet stumbling not.Not touching,Yet feeling.Not saying,Yet heard.Not doing,Yet achieving.Floating,No strings,No limits,No barrier.Lightweight,Yet un-carry-able.So very heavy,Yet lighting comes second,makes the word “swift” incomplete.Missing parts,Yet whole,Complete;Needing and needed,making oxygen fight for attention.Words, not enough,but heartbeats are bursting eardrums.Dreams,Living,Breathing,Reality, now scripted.You … Continue reading No Words
What if Love finds you when you stop running?
By Priyanka Pathak In a city where ambition is stitched into every seam and dreams shimmer brighter than the runway lights, Lakshi walked with purpose, her sketches tucked beneath her arm and her heart guarded by years of self-reliance. Love, she believed, was an accessory—beautiful, but never essential. Yet fate, with its own sense of … Continue reading What if Love finds you when you stop running?
Darkest before Dawn
By William Hardy ELIZA MATTHEWS 18th May, 2008 — 26th October, 2050 In my wake, I hope we meet again like we did on Earth. “What will happen to us now?” Megan said, wiping her eyes on her brother’s bed blanket. “We’ll get by somehow, but you’ll eat, okay?” Jesse said, rubbing her back. “I … Continue reading Darkest before Dawn
The Silence, the Darkness
By Rutger Middelburg I can’t remember ever being really afraid of anything. There was never any reason to, I guess. Not to fear for my actual physical safety at least. I don’t come from a neighborhood where every time you step outside is essentially a gamble against the quite considerable odds of being shot or … Continue reading The Silence, the Darkness
Fire in Her Bones
By Okereke Emmanuel Chibuike The first time I saw my mother cry, I was seven.The world had thrown another weight on her back—a bill, a betrayal, something she didn’t name. But she wiped her tears, tied her headscarf tighter, and started dinner like the storm hadn’t touched her.She was a woman with fire—not just in … Continue reading Fire in Her Bones
Academy of the Heart And Mind 