By Sheena Patel A poisoned mindlike a bad appleappearing shiny and newand taking up a seat at the table.Seemingly innocuous, butsecretly dressed in a stormits venom and toxinsseeping from its core.Sitting in the bowlwith all the other good applespretending to be something it’s not,something it will never be.Its seeds and stema virulent cocktaildisguised, incongruous so … Continue reading one rotten apple, Golden Delicious
One passing wasp
By Douglas J. Lanzo Based on the account of a close friend He stood atop a hillhe had been climbingwhen he felt chest painand panted just to breathe,staring blankly ahead,unsure of whether these were his last moments…A rabbit hopped closer —gazing up at his eyes,as its nose crinkled,sensing something was wrong.Time seemed to slow and … Continue reading One passing wasp
J
By Sweta Raghav I woke up late todayI woke to the sound of your voice.Sometimes, so it happens,Foreign fingers creep up to me,Uninvited,And do not let me breathe.My mind weaves dreams.It hides knives in them. Slow poison runs in the cracks of my skin,I am made prisoner within myself.But your voice was there today,Slowly loosening … Continue reading J
Spring Contest Poetry Co-Winner: “Jasmine Star” by Stephen Kingsnorth
I’m weary with this blanket wrapof fog or snow, ground war dead clogged,but then remember under feetthose sacrifices, autumn spread,the fallen as of golden youth,with winter hopes yet stratified’mongst mycorrhiza, worldwide web,while greys and browns are all around.Think aconite, hellebore,those lightning stars of yellow striketo break monotony of rimethat seals the prevalence of death.How dare … Continue reading Spring Contest Poetry Co-Winner: “Jasmine Star” by Stephen Kingsnorth
Spring Competition Poetry Co-Winner: “Spring’s Maestro” by Vanaja Malathy
On a pleasant spring daya little brown bird appearedfrom behind the green leafy screen reddish tail of rusty tone, brown chest and belly white-gray throat…the colors adding neither beauty nor glamor the unassuming bird perched unnoticed on the central branchthe bird spread its wings a littleclosed its eyes in meditationits throat swelled the deep breath … Continue reading Spring Competition Poetry Co-Winner: “Spring’s Maestro” by Vanaja Malathy
The Divine Comedy in Three Volumes
By Guillermo Bowie And Dante Alighieri only capturedThree levels within human fateAnd it isn’t exactly explainedWhere I was when the good senator exited this lifeThe senator of senatorsArchitect of the westernDirector of the peopleThe human eclipse Vicente FernandezHe was always capturing the people’s imaginationAnd he extended completely to the depthsJust as Dante Alighieri had handled … Continue reading The Divine Comedy in Three Volumes
Oh What A Tree
By Charles C Gaines The north wind blew hard and cold, screaming over the mountains, swirling through the hills outside Denver. Hardwoods and evergreenswalled the backyard of the farmhouse,sentinels lined against the frosty fence rails.Sworn allies, standing tall, no doubtthat together they could ever fail.Massive spruce, dusted by the first snow.Tall maples, bereft of leaves, … Continue reading Oh What A Tree
Distance
By Paul O. Jenkins In this photograph,Taken from a respectful distance,I see my sister kneelBeside the horse16 hands high,Now unable to riseFrom the pasture floorAnd I wonder at the love On displayAnd the steady handOf my brother-in-law,Centering the shot,And the knowledgeThat I will never so loveOr be so steady myself. Paul O. Jenkins aims to … Continue reading Distance
At a Butterfly Exhibit
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
Academy of the Heart And Mind 