By Timothy Resau Previously published in The Sparrow's Trombone on November 22, 2021 I am alone. I’m in a most unique hotel room. It’s very modern and sparsely furnished. I believe it’s a hotel room. I assume it’s a room. I assume it’s a hotel. It’s fun to assume. I’m watching a TV program. I … Continue reading Wabi-Sabi
The Glittery Concoction
By Manaly Talukdar The chemist assured me that the sachets of powders will work. I have heard that his unconventional ingredients have proven to be of great assistance. “His medicine has helped my son socialize better in school” A friend of mine spared her secret one evening when she visited for tea. The witchy chemist’s … Continue reading The Glittery Concoction
The Limp
By Leigh-Anne Burley John Henry looks up into his mother’s face as his plump fingers tug at her billowing skirt, pulling her towards the shoreline. She smiles at him and then turns a troubling gaze toward the ocean and the vastness beyond. While building sandcastles, she tells him his father was a hero fighting for … Continue reading The Limp
She Pretends Not to Speak
By Victoria Hewitt Her hair is grayed at the temples now. Her bones are more brittle and her voice cracks when she speaks to her cat. Her children live across the country with families of their own and her husband of 40 years passed away from the impact of the car that struck him while … Continue reading She Pretends Not to Speak
One Last Hurrah
By Rachel Tucker We stood side by side on the upper deck of the small passenger ferry. The November wind whipped my hair around and I shivered in the cold. He placed his hand over mine on the railing and, without turning, asked quietly, "Are you sure you wouldn't like to go downstairs where it's … Continue reading One Last Hurrah
Udder and Other Poems
By Januário Esteves Udder In the silky light where the day dawns Crimson horizons to the south stretch And all the beauty the world magnifies In the solitude of the communion they harbor And in that simple connection that emerges Becomes the solicitous and obedient lover Careless in amazement cries For that rapture you lack … Continue reading Udder and Other Poems
When Winter Whispered, “Wonder”
By Zeyneb Kaya Winter awakes from my window. Wires fall from my heart and coil through white sheets. A crimson-red wristband attests to my captivity, shackles to my freedom. My eyes are red-rimmed and swollen, salt on my cheeks. There are fears that spin around in chaos in my mind, of what I know and … Continue reading When Winter Whispered, “Wonder”
The Shot
By Laura Everly The high school gymnasium was packed wall to wall and yet it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. There was exactly one second left in the girls’ high school basketball regional finals and the Stallions were down 70-68. Freshman Maggie Reynolds was at the foul line. She took the … Continue reading The Shot
The Forbidden Home of the Ancestors
By Marzia Rahman Of all the people in the world, I least expected my brother to knock at my door. That too in the early hours of dawn. Why do I like dawn so much? I often ask myself. Is it because of the serenity? Or the quietness? The world has yet to wake up; … Continue reading The Forbidden Home of the Ancestors
1st Place Springtime Contest: “A Flash of Blue” by Mike Turner
A flash of blue Just a hint In my peripheral vision As I gaze across my yard What have I seen If anything at all? Cobalt sky laced with white clouds? No, ‘twas more ephemeral Indigo cats-paw ripples Dappled with golden sunlight On the surface of the backyard pool? Nay, ‘twas more elusive There, again … Continue reading 1st Place Springtime Contest: “A Flash of Blue” by Mike Turner
Academy of the Heart And Mind 