By Stephen Kingsnorth First published by Poetry Potion 2020 It lies beneath her surface sheen,the real disturbance of disease, dementia spread, synapse collapse,while outwardly she knows the rules -the courtesies to strangers shown,as even dares to hold her hand,mutters sweet nothings to her lobe.He daily comes from swimming baths,stiff exercise for sinew strength,some lengths of … Continue reading Lengths for Width
Inspiration Beamed from Mars
By Douglas J. Lanzo Dedicated to those at NASA who introduced the world to the most beloved rover of all time Opportunity Rover —engineered for Mars — redefined our red neighboron our path to the stars.With its twin rover Spirittested by its side,NASA captured the windowfor its magical ride:Thrust by powerful rockets — six months … Continue reading Inspiration Beamed from Mars
Alone in the Water
By Danielle Nogales It’s Sunday morningand the church crowd entersthrough the front doorson a mission to orderthe ten dollar lunch combo. But it’s Sundayand the deal is only offeredMonday thru Friday.Everyone is upsetwhen I tell them this. I’m the only waitress opening the restaurantat least for the first half hour. It doesn’t seem too long,but … Continue reading Alone in the Water
Crystals
By Ediney Santana I was in the desert,I saw soulsof scorpions, snailsdrinking beers.I talked to a cactus,I kissed a stone.The desert has life.Lights, Snakes, Dreams.Have you ever diedto be reborn?You don't know what loneliness is.I was in the desert,a seahorse took me home. Ediney Santana is a poet, composer and literature teacher. He was born … Continue reading Crystals
Unfinished
By Asmi Mahajan Almost there, but never quite.Bridges half-built, doors left ajar.Chapters cut mid-sentence, ink drying before the thought is done.Dreams linger in rooms we never enter.Echoes of footfalls that never met the threshold,Fingers poised over piano keys, a song unheard.Ghosts do not haunt, they hover—Holding space for what remains undone.If only, if only—your favorite … Continue reading Unfinished
Falling Stars
By Dibyangana We burned like dying stars, too bright to last, too wild to stay.And the universe trembled, spilling stardust into our veins.But even the brightest constellations are destined to fade away.The black hole whispers, calling us home.Gravity pulls at our edges, unraveling us thread by thread.If only I could reach you, even beyond the … Continue reading Falling Stars
They Came
By Yucheng Tao Originally published in Cathexis Northwest Press Tuol Slenglike a poisonous flowerexhalinga piercing venom.The palm trees swayedbeneath the faltering shadow,a procession of bones —the dead—labeled as intellectuals.They camelike a gust of wind,They camelike a herd of wild beasts.They cameslaughter upon slaughter,cursing Tuol Sleng,damning its streets and rivers.They regarded themselves as fanatical idealists,But never, … Continue reading They Came
The Fly and the Behemoth
By Jacob Alexander Who can perceive a fly?A speck whose life flits away between blinksBut in that fly does not the knowledge of the beginning and the end exist?And if such magnitudes are contained in that microcosmThen what eternity lies inside the behemoths of the pastAnd the leviathans of tomorrow?In that regard we approach life … Continue reading The Fly and the Behemoth
Greasepaint
By David L Painter There is a certain mystique that lingers backstage,where roles become habitand characters are set free.Time hangs like a slow-motion waterfallas you memorize your lines-just words on paper, voices yet to be born,echoes not your own,mere reflections waiting to be accepted.Your entrance is made, stage left-time to be heard, time to astound.The … Continue reading Greasepaint
The Unfinished Sentence
By Dr. Deepak Dev I am ink that refuses to dry,a story that stutters mid-breath,a thought unraveling at the edge of language,too vast for the shape of words.Every beginning carries the weight of its ending,yet mine lingers—unfinished, unclaimed,a stanza missing its last line,a map with roads that never meet.Some call it hesitation,this reluctance to carve … Continue reading The Unfinished Sentence
Academy of the Heart And Mind 