academyoftheheartandmind Announcements, Fiction

13 Days of Halloween: Residents Unearthed by Bernardo Villela

I In the cold ground necrotic skin quavers,those lain in gravebeds sleep uneasylifespans end when light is snuffed outbut humanity’s undying fire can reignite the living dead.The afterlife’s cycles occur in light-time.The dead’s centennial reawakening is a needed respite for the long gone and reluctantly departedin local mausoleums and those wind-scattered.Resurfacing, a drowned man waltzes;reintegrating, … Continue reading 13 Days of Halloween: Residents Unearthed by Bernardo Villela

academyoftheheartandmind Fiction, Horror

13 Days of Halloween: Exit 53 by Laura Boatner

CW: Gore I grimace and blink rapidly, transfixed by the bright lights.  It’s frigid, bitter cold, and I wonder where my clothes are.  She’s lovely, petite, and with alabaster skin.  She has the shade of flaxen hair that doesn’t come from a bottle.  It’s pulled back loosely, but with a few curly strands that brush … Continue reading 13 Days of Halloween: Exit 53 by Laura Boatner

academyoftheheartandmind Announcements, Fiction, Poetry

13 Days of Halloween: November 1st 6:03 am by Laura Dennis

The night beforedancing with the darkdry ice smokeand heartbeat musicflashing lightsa haze of alcoholand drugsThe morning aftera car barely stopsat the cornerhis vampire make upsmudged and sadstruggling to get homebefore dawnsafe for another year Laura Dennis is inspired by people, moments and sunrises.  She has been published in various anthologies and online. 

academyoftheheartandmind Announcements, Fiction, Poetry

13 Days of Halloween: The Language Between by Carrie Farrar

I. Ursula, Who Heard Me DifferentlyYou didn’t flinch when I spoke in patternfingers drumming the table’s edge,the air shimmering between syllables.You heard the meaning inside the rhythm,not the mess of words around it.Your gaze was a small cathedralwhere my noise found room to breathe.Even silence widened for us,its wings brushing the walls of your patience.You … Continue reading 13 Days of Halloween: The Language Between by Carrie Farrar

academyoftheheartandmind Announcements, non-fiction

13 Days of Halloween: Mannequins in the Hobbit Barn by S.G. Benson

When I purchased the old Shepard Place—one hundred sixty acres in northern Nebraska—I felt as if I’d stepped back in time. In 1925, Old Man Shepard ordered a house kit from the Sears & Roebuck catalog. It came by rail, arriving at the depot in town, about twenty-five miles away. Mr. Shepard and his brother … Continue reading 13 Days of Halloween: Mannequins in the Hobbit Barn by S.G. Benson

academyoftheheartandmind Announcements, Fiction, Poetry

September Autumn Competition Poetry Co-Winner: “An Evening in the Park” by Carissa Coane

Like torches held aloft, a patchwork of copper and gold treesdapple the terrain. Merciless, a sudden gust sweeps through,stripping the boughs,sending a storm of color whirling to the ground. A lone jogger slows to a walk,bewitched by the dried leaves’ crunch beneath his every step.Children kick through mounds of fallen foliage —scarves trailing, breath visible,voices … Continue reading September Autumn Competition Poetry Co-Winner: “An Evening in the Park” by Carissa Coane

academyoftheheartandmind Announcements, Fiction, Poetry

September Autumn Competition Poetry Co-Winner: “Autumn Vibes” by Mary Bone

Autumn declares her glory withvibrant hues.The view is spectacular for a while.The trees are clothed for a time.The next season won’t be so gentle,when cold air blows in and stripsthe beauty away leaving a stark reality.Winter’s breath will soon arrive. Mary Bone has been writing poetry and short stories since childhood. Some of her poems … Continue reading September Autumn Competition Poetry Co-Winner: “Autumn Vibes” by Mary Bone

academyoftheheartandmind Announcements, Fiction

September Autumn Competition Poetry Co-Winner: “Autumnal Demise” by Emer McDermott

A soft hum came over autumn,beneath my feet patchwork was being complete. The wind rustled to knit the leaves together.Amber, gold, and green.The sky sighed out pristine clouds,soft velvet puffsagainst the cornflower blue.Tender September sung a symphony, and the morning mist danced, softening the distancebetween you and me. Rain ricocheted against my windscreenlike cathartic calligraphy, … Continue reading September Autumn Competition Poetry Co-Winner: “Autumnal Demise” by Emer McDermott