By Marianne Brems Previously published in Stepping Stones in May 2024 From lakes to vapor to clouds to raindrops to earth and lakes, the everyday cycle of transferand renewal, a circular path, until it breaks. When a deluge of raindrops loosens soil,fells trees,spills mud, clogs drains,pools water,when a deficit of raindrops drains lushness,releases turgor,shrivels leaves, … Continue reading A Circular Path
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
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
At First Frost
By Mary Bone At first frostpecans fell from trees.I filled up my pail.The leaves had fallenleaving a stark reminderthe harvest was over. Mary Bone's poetry has appeared at Academy of the Heart and Mind, Poetry Catalog Highland Park Poetry, Lothlorien Poetry Journal and other places.
The Naughty List
By Duane Anderson The state highway department posted the message:“Not wearing seat belts? I’m telling Santa,”but I tell them, go ahead, tell Santa,for Santa hasn’t visited me in ages.I was already on his naughty list,but since I was already wearing a seat belt,there was no reason to tell Santa that I was being good,so there … Continue reading The Naughty List
Retirement
By Anthony Ward My line of country’s now an island,Cut off from the mainland,As I watch them going about their lives Like clockwork,Thoughts ticking like a pendulum,Swinging one way- Then the other- In synch,Never having time to themselves.While I remain hereWith all the time in the world And nothing to do with it.Having worked towards … Continue reading Retirement
Soneto XIII de Via Lactea by Olavo Bilac
Translated from Portuguese by Bernardo Villela Translator's Note: “Sonnet XIII” by Olavo Bilac was originally published in 1888 is one of the best known and highly regarded poetical works in the Portuguese language. Olavo Bilac (December 16, 1865 – December 28, 1918) was a Brazilian Parnassian poet, journalist and translator. Alongside Alberto de Oliveira and … Continue reading Soneto XIII de Via Lactea by Olavo Bilac
Academy of the Heart And Mind 