Alan Semerdjian – The Good Light
The Good Light Our love cupped like water in palms, we search for the day’s first words. Paree looys, I whisper to my son, and then good light, the cart that follows the mare over hillside rake. In this early country of understanding, he thinks of what it means to be right first, and the […]
Karoline Schaufler – Pearls on a Branch
Pearls on a Branch I grew up moving in small forward bursts like an ornate squid. Rubbing my head on rough walls in an attempt to whittle it aerodynamic. Appearing to occasionally burble a word that means “equal,” or “inferior,” or “not me.” A broken string of puckered pearls in my left hand at all […]
Cliff Saunders – The Small Country
The Small Country We are pleased to announce that of course we follow the sun into its sea of remembrance. These days, we scale the depths of our presidents’ gardens but not our neighborhoods. Look how far we’ve wandered off while violent playthings grow. We are a small country with upside-down trees. All in all, […]
kerry rawlinson – Ghazal for Running Away from the Circus
Ghazal for Running Away from the Circus When truth rejects speech, flee. The sentence for mute belief is steep. Risk is highwires without nets, just like belief. It’s a bestiary with no feeding tent; a lament of clowns; a sham. I’m a flying trapeze of belief. The circus breaks you. Makes you ache to see […]
Stefan Lovasik – Primal
Primal we are prey to our oblivion you or me in a blast of phosphorous and orange orchids and birds fall as fire washes the green and we see skin burn to grimace stretch across black teeth and know that flame will always sing your fear and mine vein the leaves and grass as i […]
