By David R. Topper I was faced with the task of choosing a picture to put in her obituary. Where to begin? You see, at my age I read the obits every day. And I must say that I often look at some of the pictures and mumble under my breath, “Couldn’t they find a … Continue reading The Vignette
Splinter
By Lamont A. Turner I carry every slight in my soul like splinters, Perforating my being, diluting it with foreign and odious matter. Every insult imbues my core with shrapnel Like hot lead from the rifles of an enemy impervious to my feeble assaults. My God how this added mass weighs me down! Clanging about … Continue reading Splinter
The Fate of the Poem and Other Poems
By John Grey The Fate Of The Poem I let it go and the wind took it, or was that the mail. It had a thousand mile trek ahead of it through six states and who knows how much rain soaked it, how many dogs chewed it, which spotty teenage girl mistook it for a … Continue reading The Fate of the Poem and Other Poems
Sedimentary Rock and Other Poems
By Eva Schiffer Sedimentary Rock Ground up experiences, suspended as long as the water is moving, disturbing its longing to rest, to settle, grain into grain, carrying but an echo of the sense the old rock used to make, before it gave in to the water. Layer upon layer of matter and time. Sedimentary Rock. … Continue reading Sedimentary Rock and Other Poems
Things Fall Apart
By Tabassum Tahmina Shagufta Hussein Things fall apart When you don't know the people Once you used to know. Things fall apart When you don't know the people Stabbing you behind your back Things fall apart When you don't know What's happening behind the scenes Against you Things fall apart When you can clearly notice … Continue reading Things Fall Apart
Whose Time Is It, Anyway? and Other Poems
By Ken Gosse Whose Time Is It, Anyway? I stared at its face and I dared it to grace me an hour of time, either way; one before or one after, for sadness or laughter (as if time is under our sway). A move into the future means now would be past and an hour … Continue reading Whose Time Is It, Anyway? and Other Poems
Partially Still Here and Other Poems
By Akintoye Akinsola Partially Still Here It was on a quiet night And my jammed conscious state poured into a frozen canal Yes, we were told not to believe castles could be built in the sun But I wanted that to be untrue The speed boat flipped over, landing badly and my being was punctured … Continue reading Partially Still Here and Other Poems
Nitrogen
By Jim Bates Twenty years ago, during the spring of the 2020 lockdown, Mom announced, “We are planting a garden.” I was thirteen and my brother Jay was nine so, of course, we complained, me being the loudest, “Aw, Mom. No!” “What, you’d rather play video games?” Well, yeah, of course, but I couldn’t say … Continue reading Nitrogen
A Testimony to a Life and Other Poems
By Marchell Dyon A Testimony to a Life Now you can recognize your treasures from heaven Soaring with tattered wings; a guardian you have been. On this day, together let us sing. Let us speak of you with velvet voices. Harmoniously, praise your life of few choices. So many ways to be a woman form … Continue reading A Testimony to a Life and Other Poems
Lesson Learned
By Dawn DeBraal More and more, my body betrayed me. My voice faltered, and hair grew in places seen and unseen. I felt like a gorilla looking at my hairy legs that seemed to get apish overnight, and I questioned why this was happening at the least opportune time. Yes, we had the movie where … Continue reading Lesson Learned
Academy of the Heart And Mind 