By Alex Andy Phuong Assignment Assignments might be dreadful But they can still be Educational Empowering And involving much more Than reading or writing Because as knowledge accumulates People can benefit From self-improvement And the life lessons To guide them navigate Their own lifelong narratives Nepotism Kinship Friendship Favoritism Rather than being picky Practice sheer … Continue reading Assignment and Other Poems
Hedge Your Bets
By Doug Dawson "Bless me Father, it's been ... three years since my last confession and these are my sins." "Just a minute, my son ... why so long?" "I've been very ... busy, Father." "Too busy to come to confession?" "I've been ... doing other things." "Have you … Continue reading Hedge Your Bets
Nellie: A Story About A Childhood Regular
By Maureen Barron Nellie was BIG. When she came to visit when I was small she blocked the light out in the doorway, I could see some sky above her head and some of the yard through her ankles. She would haul herself into the house by clutching either side of the door frame with … Continue reading Nellie: A Story About A Childhood Regular
Music Stillborn, or Just Interrupted and Other Poems
By Holly Day Music Stillborn, or Just Interrupted Strewn with the bones of sailors lured to its rocky shores By sirens singing songs of love and sometimes loneliness Arms outstretched to passing ships as if in joyous embrace. A broken heart floats on a cold, neurotic sea. The waters beat upon the beach in bone-crushing … Continue reading Music Stillborn, or Just Interrupted and Other Poems
Don’t Judge a Word By How It Sounds and Other Poems
By Alex Andy Phuong Don’t Judge a Word by How it Sounds “Clandestine” sounds nice Yet secrets obscure the truth It IS a big deal! Behind Scenic Fantasy Behind the glamour Of what many consider Beautiful is Fact Bedtime Lying in bed Implies laziness But sleep is essential To begin again And after the day … Continue reading Don’t Judge a Word By How It Sounds and Other Poems
Formal Request
By Allison Futterman For LMF You come to my dorm room holding your pants in your right hand. In your left is an iron, and a jacket is crisply folded and draped over your arm. I realize this is your ROTC dress uniform. You pull out a roll of iron-on fabric tape from your backpack … Continue reading Formal Request
The Practice
By Jim Woessner With great difficulty an old man climbs a creek bank carrying a large stone that looks as if it weighs twenty pounds. Although he walks slowly and bends at the waist, he appears relatively fit for someone in his eighties. His short white hair and stubby beard accentuate the deep lines in … Continue reading The Practice
Seeking the Color of the Shadows
By Chitra Gopalakrishnan I sit with old and young relatives in Coimbatore, in Tamil Nadu, in the south of India, in my aunt Radha’s home, or rather on her balmy thinnai, her long and wide red oxide porch, its polish alive and glistening at a level of perfection that can be achieved only by hundreds … Continue reading Seeking the Color of the Shadows
Heart
By I.G. It was in the heart of New York City where I lost my mind and, yet to find the contract I signed I have got the southern hospitality of a country land living closely with grace from dignity's hand Out in the distance I keep an eye on misery's demand for memories like … Continue reading Heart
Grate Garden
By Alex Andy Phuong A man stepped out into the sunlight. Dawn had just came about, and then this person felthis feet upon the grass. Unfortunately, there were many weeds scattered throughout the lawn.The man toiled the soil, yet remembered the beauty of the Earth. Through love and care, thisman felt connected to the land, … Continue reading Grate Garden
Academy of the Heart And Mind 