“Soon” and other poems by Lisa Bain

  Soon “Let’s get together soon,” without setting a date is the tactic we always use to keep others on the line without actually giving of our time. You’ve made it clear you don’t have time for me, so why would I tell you my secret when everything would have to change? I’m torn. I’ll [...]

“Tracing Rivers” and other poems by Leo Kuhling

Ambiguous Loss She is a mortician. You see she doesn't move. No eyes open, only ragged breath. Flushed cheeks. Silence. She has prepared the body nearly a century. Not yet embalmed but ready. The lipstick is a light rose, it makes white face seem ghostly And glasses perch on a nose like mine if lids [...]

“Cloud Forest” and other poems by Ellen Chia

Cloud Forest On montane roofs, Veil-thin sojourners Serpentine through green Flightless birds — Myriad crowns perching One-legged, spreading Multi-tiered wings Plush with plumes now Dripping fresh With the gilded bath. In the plumage larders, The green birds set to Spin their sugary fares, While at it, Gazillions of their Tiny lungs Are humming the Three [...]

‘a song to rest the tired dead’ and other poems by Raine Geoghegan, MA

Romanichals in the 1950’s (i) covels packed chavies scrubbed clean me rackley’s bal washed with panni the grai grizhomed holled (ii) opre and gel on dikk the next atchin tan a fellow chal pookers kushti bokt Romani words: Romanichals – English Romanies; Covels – belongings; Chavies – children; rackley’s – girls; Grai – horses; Grizhomed [...]

“Considering Their Pale Faces” and other poems by Erin Wilson

Seed tōgarashi / omoikonasaji / mono no tane the red pepper / I do not belittle / seedlings ~ Bashō I keep a chestnut in the breast pocket of my secondhand leather jacket. When I picked it I thought of (I don't know why) my mother. The last time my first husband and I made [...]