By Michael Neville A Slippery Rope I feel inside there ain’t no hope… I’m holding on to a slippery rope… I write the words, I sing the song… Everything that can has gone wrong… Nothing that I’ve touched has turned to gold… Look at me now I’m just growing old… Look at me now take … Continue reading A Slippery Rope and Other Poems
Five Micro Poems
By Tabassum Tahmina Shagufta Hussein I. My tears evaporated Into the air. And follows you everywhere, As a Shadow companion. II. My wish is floating aimlessly, Like a kite, Without a destination, To be loved To be taken ground, On the the ground, But only to be lost In the limitless sky, Never to be … Continue reading Five Micro Poems
Little Dom’s
By Niles Reddick Christina and I got engaged at Griffith Observatory overlooking Los Angeles at sunset. We had done most pre-marriage necessities--met each other’s dysfunctional families, shared about previous relationships, and agreed on future goals. We paid the fee to park, walked to the edge of the cliff nearest the Hollywood sign, and stood breathing … Continue reading Little Dom’s
For Harmony
By A.L.F. Fagan My nursing shift at the hospital was finally ending. I’d lost track of time, and my boss, Karen Baker, had to inform me that it was almost time to go home. “Frank,” she says, “Tina just arrived to take over for you. Once you and her have completed the change-of-shift, you can … Continue reading For Harmony
Mourning / Morning and Petal’d Memories
By Mike Turner Mourning / Memories Sad in fits and starts Nursing broken hearts Gaping holes that will not soon be filled Lonely days and nights More wrong than is right Rivers of our tears that have been spilled Slowly we emerge From dark mourning and grief Warm in golden sunrise Sensing there’s relief In … Continue reading Mourning / Morning and Petal’d Memories
The Labouring Flower
By Anthony Ward Snowdrops droop Steeped in sentiment Like perched memories Appearing forlorn and frail Wearing winters fleece Blending with their harsh climate They could be so easily trampled Yet stand resilient Braced against brute force Slugging it against the odds Hardy and robust Modestly opposed to the bountiful beauty Of springs bloom Bearing just … Continue reading The Labouring Flower
A Haunting Voice and Other Poems
By Doug J. Lanzo A Haunting Voice Her face was clad in blue and yellow, with kobza played quite musically, her voice rang out across the courtyard, to tender ears of school-age children, all gathered round attentively, piercing their souls with haunting refrain: “All we are is dust in the wind…” It echoed through the … Continue reading A Haunting Voice and Other Poems
Surrender
By Caroline Reddy I want to see serenity in our eyes as we explore our souls so that I don’t have to retreat when the amber leaves fall… the Eastward wind is swift lifting up the hems of a purple bohemian skirt and I remembered all the losses the stairs and the smell of death— … Continue reading Surrender
Sydney’s Missing Eye
By Luke Beling Sydney had one eye. I used to ask him, when he’d drive me to school, what happened to the other one. He'd tell me a different story every day then laugh through a set of crooked, stained teeth. I marveled at how he'd reverse our big car down the steep driveway. It … Continue reading Sydney’s Missing Eye
Ajar & Of Love Poems
By Casey Shelley Ajar Entwined, a bond you cannot break: maternal. Together, she would say there’s always a way. There wasn’t. I knew, at nineteen, nothing but latex and IV’s. The smell of it: spreading. Appointed to watch while light decayed to dark. It happened and I held my life in a jar of ashes. … Continue reading Ajar & Of Love Poems
Academy of the Heart And Mind 