By Arundhati Rakshit The Flames And the anguished flames rise once more In revolt, In chorus, In rebellious crackles. For who dares so much as to Set on a journey, A journey betrothed to Forgetful wayfarers, A journey never-ending, And yet that seeks to Transcend into the Realms of a surreal cadenza? … Continue reading The Flames and Other Poems
Cats and Other Poems
By Alex Andy Phuong Cats Jellicle cats Classic musical Evolving via Biological evolution Along the passage of time Flying high on trapeze Blowing like a breeze Witness the story Unfold As T.S. Eliot’s cats Hope to defy aging Even though getting older Is normal Unlike the cats conceived by Painters, poets, and musical directors … Continue reading Cats and Other Poems
Droit du Seigneur
By Paul Siekor I’d spent my pocket money on a copy of Michener’s The Source. I loved the gleaming candelabrum on the cover. I admired the book’s Dickensian, Biblical length, its comforting heaviness in my hand. I anticipated taking it to bed for hours of reading, engrossed in its folds the smell of new-book print … Continue reading Droit du Seigneur
Water and Living Instead of Feeling Frozen
By Alex Andy Phuong Water A fundamental fact is that water provides life. It can cleanse the body and clean up messes. Water is essential because everyone is a filthy creature by default. Ironically, water can also cause death. That was why more than a thousand people perished when the Titanic sank in 1912. … Continue reading Water and Living Instead of Feeling Frozen
The Invisible Speaks and Other Poems by Erika Kamlert
The Invisible speaks You said you wanted to hear all of the grotesquely fascinating details and clichés Like the bright red inside of the earliest morning, so early it’s almost still night And the abysmal bed of wet and dirt, so dirty it’s almost hard and then her pure cunning, so bad it’s almost good … Continue reading The Invisible Speaks and Other Poems by Erika Kamlert
The Value of a Sidearm Pitcher
By John Affleck It began when I was sitting alone at the Twins-Mets game. No minder, no driver. I’d sent them off to lunch. He sat down next to me in the stands, and I mean right next to me. He recognizably walked up the stairs and down the row — did not shuffle, did … Continue reading The Value of a Sidearm Pitcher
Dinnertime Dogma
By Carol Glick The other night, Shankar Vedantam from NPR's Hidden Brain paddled down the iPhone-podcast stream and docked at my dining room table. I welcomed Mr. Vendantam. He demanded nothing of me other than an open mind and a listening ear. His digital presence removed the pressure to social distance. Best of all, the … Continue reading Dinnertime Dogma
Catechism Lesson
By John Affleck When Monsignor Sweeney visits our fifth-grade classroom, everybody gets geeked up, even more than when we’re in Sister Madeline’s English class. Usually, we get about 30 minutes notice, like an air raid, before Sweeney shows up. Our homeroom teacher, Sister Noreen, announces the visit in a formal tone — we’re lucky enough … Continue reading Catechism Lesson
Poems by Mark O. Decker
Always We Want More To hear, in the winds, the sounds of riches, is to begin wanting, aching, for more wealth, more riches; but, what are riches to a man who has everything that is important; They are nothing, mere specs of sand in the proverbial hourglass of time; Only the fool drops his real … Continue reading Poems by Mark O. Decker
Running to Find the Me in Me
By Elizabeth Sams I feel disconnected and dismayed/ on this roller coaster ride/ but you love roller coasters/ what I thought/ we were going to do today/ in my milky way of thought/ is not what you thought/ and that seems/ to happen so often now/ the disconnect/ the complexity/ the widening river running through/ the dissonance/ … Continue reading Running to Find the Me in Me
Academy of the Heart And Mind 