By Ken Gosse There once was a thought on my mind,but I soon found that I couldn’t findwhere it went when I pausedfor a moment, which causedme brief grief till my mind could unwind. Ken Gosse usually writes short, rhymed verse using whimsy and humor with traditional meters. First published in First Literary Review–East in … Continue reading Neverminding
Dead Leaf
By Md. Rakib Hossain Falling leaves and flown sands, I’m here to catch with unopened hands. You only asked for a hairclip, But I bought a dead emerald leaf. Your love’s stare is so intense, As far I can recall my name in sense.Why don’t you look at my eye’Until I die.Smile heals like a … Continue reading Dead Leaf
Abandon me, abandon you
By Nazia Kamar Abandoned the ship,Left the crew.I decked the halls,Burned my walls.yet I chose this cyclone with you.But who's gonna know you like me?And who's gonna love you,if not me?I broke the glass,lit the fuse.You watched the wreckage,said it’s no use.I wondered through the smoke,just to find you.I carved our fate in the tide … Continue reading Abandon me, abandon you
Dawn
By Katie Barnett Before sparrows singStillness settles in the evesTime lapses if stalled andHumans slumber in tranquilityBut I, I rejoiceIn the night sky’s resilience whereSilence curves around the edgesSlipping into my snug fitting robeWhere solace blanketsPeace lingers, ever present, abidingMy mind, devoid of clutterRevels in the intoxication of solitudeSacred hours melt into dawnAnd I, I … Continue reading Dawn
Washed Transparent
By Brenda Mox As rain beat bruisingly outsidethe earth’s dirty, beastly, unsavorydepths parted and rolled asunder.Rain blackened the round and vital earth.A soul washed transparent sat,motionless in physical abstraction,barely distinguishable from non-entity,where every parting means a meeting –elsewhere.Inevitable as the course of time,the serpent swallows itself with a sudden snort of astonished laughterand imbecile obstinacy. … Continue reading Washed Transparent
Capacious Capacity
By Alex Andy Phuong The ownership of a room of one’s ownInvolves so much moreThan just anything within a bedroom,Especially since there is true valueWith maintaining personal values,And since life itselfIs valuable as well,Then let the magic of being aliveCast an enchanting spell,For time will tellWhat the future shall bring,So be prepared for anything,And being … Continue reading Capacious Capacity
True Faith
By J.S. O’Keefe Missing in the murk;ambivalence boiling from the bog; the mind drifts through blurred ideas, chasing meaning and wondering if true faith remains. We were born in another town's shadow, shaped by the salt of hereabout tears; souls packed, pressed breathless, aching to burst free. We only count on ourselves; cheek by jowl, defiant, unyielding; no room for envy or hollow … Continue reading True Faith
Four Springtime Haiku
By James Bates Fresh lilacs bloomingLily-of-the-valley tooSpringtime scent so sweet. Springtime misting rainTender garden shoots reachingThirstily drinking.Deep woods forest pathLeafy green canopy aboveSleepy shade below.Late day setting sunLast light filters through the treesBlanket of soft warmth. Jim lives in a small town twenty miles west of Minneapolis, Minnesota. His stories have appeared online in CafeLit, The Writers' … Continue reading Four Springtime Haiku
Hive behind the left eye
By Jordan Corley Hive hums somewhere behind the left eye. Drip of gold down the neck —molten sugar rots in afternoon heat.Today reached 37 degrees A helmet of bees—no straps, just teeth.Frantic needles in a dance you didn’t learn.Buzz like loose wires chewing a lightbulb before the electric shockWaxface on backwards again.Chin too tight, lips … Continue reading Hive behind the left eye
Hurriyet
By Ritu Borah But I will pick up my eyes from the middle—or from where I left them— to see. Like a hydrant hot springtravelling deep indoors, something stirs and spills—to chill, to blend, to radiate. Little smokes outside,a wave rising from the shivering floor. Under their burn-belts, newly observant eyes—the sun, carrying its own … Continue reading Hurriyet
Academy of the Heart And Mind 