By Victoria Crawford Milkweed branch suspended, wet wings uncurl to signal visible chant of cymbals beat with runes encrypted. Nuance baffles phonetic delivery. Delicate stretch under sun seasoning, salting vellum damp to parchment that cues message rhythms, cracks and curves, waved in wild calligraphy, blackletter skin engraved. Purposeful definition arises in wild words soaring beyond vision, … Continue reading Cocoon Emergent
Tsirk
By Thomas Page I am student teaching a senior level class in Washington, DC. They have to write some poems on these prompts. I decided to try all 30 of them. However, I will not say what the prompt was but what it number was. Prompt #16 People of the jury Says the prosecutor holding … Continue reading Tsirk
Just Another Night Of Country Dancing
By Dianne Moritz They come dressed like real dudes: faded Levis, tooled leather boots, silver concha belts, hair slicked back under cowboy hats, raring to Boot Scootin’ Boogie. They sashay over, heels clacking on the wax tongue-n-groove, offer out a callused hand, swing you through the rowdy crowd, singing “Achy, Breaky Heart,” confident they’ll … Continue reading Just Another Night Of Country Dancing
“Herr Bierstadt”
By Thomas Page I am student teaching a senior level class in Washington, DC. They have to write some poems on these prompts. I decided to try all 30 of them. However, I will not say what the prompt was but what it number was. Prompt #15 Forging the heavens out of pigments Of mountains … Continue reading “Herr Bierstadt”
Apartment 10 C
By Dianne Moritz Mosaic tiled bath, Oak mantle carved With twining vines, The warm fire, And my fear. Always My cloud of fear, dark And full of doubting. We wavered like children Wading near ocean shores. We shied from leases, From license. Who, I wonder Who couples Unafraid and unsure In our fire lit room? … Continue reading Apartment 10 C
Achieving Minimal Yardage
By Chad M. Horn unholy huddle spaghetti-armed Hail Mary arm cocked/ elbow locked fanciful face mask unintentional grounding T-shaped hand signal Monday Night Muse Wall bilateral time passage commercial breakage punted on first down: offsided ball bursting blitz drop-kicked to Friend Zone
Poems by J.J. Campbell
the lucky numbers never get chosen some wish for peace others for everlasting love money never comes the lucky numbers never get chosen for the powerball the most beautiful woman in the world sees you as nothing more than a tool meant to be used you wished for something different you should remember to be … Continue reading Poems by J.J. Campbell
“Dirt-Water”
By Thomas Page I am student teaching a senior level class in Washington, DC. They have to write some poems on these prompts. I decided to try all 30 of them. However, I will not say what the prompt was but what it number was. Prompt #14 The rain poured sideways against the grain of … Continue reading “Dirt-Water”
Two Poems by Guna Moran
Both poems are translated from the Assamese by Bibekananda Choudhury "The Third Day" She is sitting to partake a meal Pushing aside pangs of sorrow No one dies of sorrow Hunger remains Till one is alive Death gets dwarfed by hunger "Eye" Life would depart Leaving the body lying on earth Someone would cry … Continue reading Two Poems by Guna Moran
Poem Sun
By Guna Moran Translated from the Assamese by Bibekananda Choudhury I cry inconsolably after reading a poem I can’t stop myself from crying out After penning a poem The poems that I read Under such pencil of light It is a boon of a star That expired a hundred years ago A hundred years … Continue reading Poem Sun
Academy of the Heart And Mind 