By Leslie Dianne At the butterfly exhibitmost of you dizzy dancewhirling in wonderfor the amazement of the crowdsome of you are shyand motionless hiding behind the canopy of your wings heads bowedlegs folded in public prayerall of you are vainyour million scales reflecting your scarlet, tan and indigo splendor, bodies contracting wings figure eighting and … Continue reading At a Butterfly Exhibit
At Pond’s Edge
By P.C. Scheponik The pond was empty today.No flock of Canadian geese floating gracefully across the waterslike feathered Spanish galleons.No bronze hulls of snapping turtlesbreaking the surface like emerging submarines.No dragonflies with Tiffany glass wingsdarting among the cattails and phragmites.Just the reflection of the sky mirrored inthe stilled waters of the pond.I sat upon a … Continue reading At Pond’s Edge
Sun Tzu and Entertainment: The Iron Giant’s Fall of Mansley
By Andrew Nickerson In military tactics/strategy, no name is more revered than Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese general/philosopher whose masterpiece, The Art of War, is considered the pinnacle of brilliance. Touching on virtually every aspect of conflict, it’s consistently won over entire generations of fans, not only for its no-nonsense approach, but for its unique … Continue reading Sun Tzu and Entertainment: The Iron Giant’s Fall of Mansley
Intuition
By Maleiah Ewert I walked past your room just like any other day.Making my path to the restroom just beyond your door.However, today I stopped for a minute staring into it.In that one short minute, thoughts consumed me.Everything seemed normal,But my gaze was locked on the pain medications lying upon your dresser.They’re usually stashed away … Continue reading Intuition
Coffee Run
By James Croal Jackson The rain is the rain, and everyone is ina mood as I clock in at nine P.M.for my twelve hour shift afterdowning a peanut butter mochafrom Yinz, where Camillehad a large order of tencoffees for the costumedepartment before me.It was the first timeI’d seen her at this job, even though we … Continue reading Coffee Run
From Zero to Infinity
By Alex Andy Phuong Beginning with nothingRight from the start,And choosing to have a soulWithin a world that is truly wholeReally does come from the heart,So strive to soar higherLike never beforeWhile never fearingWhat the future has in storeAll while trying to do so much moreThan one would ever dareWhile having an attitude of gratitude … Continue reading From Zero to Infinity
The Cellar
By John Ziegler Grandma sent me down the creaky wooden steps to fetch jars of dilly beans and pickled beets. Which aroused my anxiety because there was a monkey paw in the back corner.Not so menacing by daylightbut after dark, that’s when the thing came alive.It was a fuzzy hunk of brown insulationon a water … Continue reading The Cellar
Love’s Flickering Flame
By Jelizza G. Lupi Jelizza G. Lupi enjoys painting in her free time and aims to explore the complexities of human emotion. Based in Vancouver, WA, she draws inspiration from personal experiences and the dynamic of relationships. "Love's Flickering Flame" is a testament to her artistic vision, capturing the delicate balance of love's vulnerability in a world … Continue reading Love’s Flickering Flame
A Trip Down Slip Hill
By Reina Howard From the time Malcolm Sandoval was four and his mother warned him off the neighbors trampoline, he hated being told what to do. Which is why, against the strict instructions of his uncle, he was going to race his cousin Ben down Slip Hill. The forbidden hill lay to the east of … Continue reading A Trip Down Slip Hill
The Penance
By Aykut Tufekli After Jesus Christ was crucified, things started to change between good and evil. Satan took this as an opportunity and tried to distance people from Christianity and other religions at every opportunity. The archangel and his companions were the last servants of God. The peace in the world was not stable. Satan … Continue reading The Penance
Academy of the Heart And Mind 