“Nirvana on a Family Road Trip” by Emily Buchanan
Get a Guaranteed Offer On Your light, Progressive Family, And Yield To Oncoming Traffic. Don’t play chicken with it. At First Horizon, Proceed With Caution and Handle With Care. “It is what it is,” says the commentator on the public radio broadcast. Truer words have never been heard. Or maybe they have. Stop […]
“Reasons” by DeLois Goode
I write to laugh, I write to cry I write to make sense of all that has happened and to quiet the “whys” I write to deal with the future, I write to deal with the past I write to deal with the present and deal with the feelings I had last I write to […]
“Peanut Grace” by Tom Dow
In the shouts and shrieks of the high school hallway outside the cafeteria the bigger guy turns me into the wall and traps me with a hand on either side of my neck his face in mine speaks tense and low, breath full of peanut butter. I heard you’re asking questions about me. […]
“Sugaring” by Linda Blotzer
From the tradition of Indigenous peoples in early spring when the temperatures are right my great grandfather on his farm in New Hampshire collects sap from sugar maple trees filled with nutrients from the dark rich soil pours it into a metal vat on the sledge pulled by yoked oxen “Haw” he commands his […]
“In Early March” by Jane Rockwell
There are seven white daffodils below my kitchen window, a squirrel in the crook of the dogwood tree, the branches of the cypress wave like floaty fans, and there’s a war on TV. Children in bright coats hold their parents’ hands, cross a broken bridge to a crowd and a train. They […]
“The Curated Life” by A. Kissel
Everything everywhere uniquely them Carefully expensively sought and caught Pinterest perfect HGTV inspired Trending on something somewhere surely Furniture for looks over function crafted from exotic woods sustainably grown Busy bold and big art filling vast spans on their ultra-white walls Sleek spotless shiny kitchen toys and appliances specific […]
“Anything But Summer” by E.V. Noechel
I dread the weight of summer. Spring and I are on speaking terms but I know she’s hiding sweltering, sweaty days behind her back. Some years she can’t be bothered to show up at all and summer barges in, taking over the place, dropping his bags of thunderstorms and hot, dog-shit scented pavement by […]
“Living Alone” by gary phillips
My grandmother Lilly Grew up just light enough to pass But not to matter; married at 13 Made her life a torch of love and raised 8 babies on nothing But what they could scratch and raise and kill Buried a husband in her 60s Come live with us her children chimed, but she […]
“Peripaticity” by George Kauffman
I feel the earth’s spin more each day In an Infinitismal way, The press of birds moving south toward warmth and Fields drying where they lay. Green to tan and touched by gold Subdued and dry replace the bold, Though earth’s spin continues What once was new now is old. Til another year starts […]
“Rose Garden” by Sam Barbee
Arid days, you let me water herbs and beans. Leaf bellies and blooms wet and revealed. A laden vine shaken unnerved by muscled wind. Disallowed to reap: too soon; too late, or misjudge rot. Even when I spot danger, or limitless sour curling past dawn. A terrible victory, half-lies decided. If […]