Writing is an act of resistance
-
with risk to inhabit that whole
By Grover Wehman-Brown when asked to bring my ancestors into the room alongside those they would want to harm the answer is surely no. and i must. over the years my attempts to bring an orb of collectivity glowing into the rubble, or a lantern to the wounded cave has been met with dank…
-
Portfolio
By Christopher Woods The house stands at the end of the road, near a river. He stands in the night street appraising the house, the ghost glow, the promise, a hopeful omen. He gathers his bags with the tools of his trade and begins to climb the stairs when he hears the cry from…
-
One Nation, Indivisible
By Laura Grace Weldon Our daily walk is a simple necessary practice, especially now when each day’s news spirals us into tighter circles. Beyond birdsong and breezes we hear jeering laughter, see teens jumping on an elderly neighbor’s hay bales, hooting as their weight breaks his farm’s winter food into uselessness. They grew up…
-
Metamorphosis Points
By Yuan Changming I would paint my skin Into a colorless color, & I would dye my hair Wear two blue contacts, & I would even Go for plastic surgery, but if I really do I assure you, I will not remove my native village Accent while speaking this foreign tongue (I began To…
-
What I Learned When I Visited Adelanto
By Lisa Eve Cheby the high desert stretches hours west of airbnbs and selfie backdrops here Joshua Trees weep their ancient heads droop in sorrow warning warning: injustice ahead Adelanto means progress the land of unlimited promises promises can be a curse a trick like a traffic ticket that makes a…
-
Make a Difference
By D.R. James —a villanelle to commencement speakers everywhere Tonight, fatigue’s grim flower unfurls, but Gandhi, gunned down, had this to say: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Oh? Even when casting before swine my pearls, every action seems absurd, and all the day— and tonight—fatigue’s grim flower unfurls? Even…
-
Solstice
By Dotty LeMieux It’s delivery day at St. Vincent’s Dining Room men unloading trucks with bread, canned goods, day-old everything for the homeless and the not-yet homeless hanging on by the skin of their teeth, the ones who have teeth and the ones who only have the skin Scruffy off-white hair, long brown coat…
-
Cyber War Won
By Jim Hanson Attention Americans! War is now Peace. Connectivity is Security. The First World Cyber War to have the final virus and end all wars is won. As you read this news: You are selected for cyber security as a digitalized node on the Internet and consumer of infinite data clouds. You are…
-
I’m at the End of My Rope
By Wilda Morris (or This Vocabulary Is to Die For) When push comes to shove, I have to admit, we spend a lot of time shooting the breeze, kicking around ideas, pointing out the ones that—in our judgment—bombed, We want to give it a shot, take a stab at impressing everyone. We want folks…