Lynne Knight – Extravagance of Red
Extravagance of Red after Matisse She painted the room red. Not just the walls—the ceiling, the floor. Even the wood table, red. She felt unable to explain why. Something about wanting life to shout at her from every surface. Something about death and defiance. Was she happy in her red room? She bought red flowers […]
Tim Kahl – The Love Helmet
The Love Helmet The mosquitos came to greet us after World War II. But the DDT didn’t kill the falcons outright. It just thinned the shells of their eggs. They couldn’t support the weight, and there weren’t any chicks hatching in the wild. Enter the intrepid falconer who becomes the handler, raises the male from […]
Jerry Johnson – Gun
Gun you got a gun i got a gun everybody got a gun you angry i angry everybody angry you frustrated i frustrated everybody frustrated blood in the river blood in the street blood in the meadow blood in the dale blood in the ocean tide you got a gun i got a gun everybody […]
Rebecca Faulkner – I know the sea is deep
I know the sea is deep & the shoreline keens & punches. Above me cops trawl for clues. They find matchbooks at the cliff edge, beat up Converse jilted in the heather. Give em what they need, keep what you know. I know your height, your street, my fingers shake, you hated sports & liars […]
Francesca Bell – Lightning Coming Closer All the Time
Lightning Coming Closer All the Time I can’t tell from here if the Lord is a sniper or a drunk guy with a shotgun. Whether He’s poised with His scalpel and scrubs or just reaching into His pickup for a hacksaw. I see my neighbor, raising a girl my daughter’s age, check into the hospital […]
