Looking in the mirror, I see me and laugh with glee Grabbing the can from under the sink, I paint what every person wants to see. I only imitate. Walking on sunshine, I hum to the sound of the bees with happiness flowing through me. I can’t believe this is reality….
Category: Poetry
Crystalline by Jeffery Moser
Among Nature’s chief works, fresh fallen snow In color white, how draped she beams so bright, As the light in a Derby canvas. Oh, How the alchemist shines from yonder light! Even in less somber hues, the power Of a carpet basking in broad daylight Blinds, yet the barn owl sees a mole cower. This…
Where Light Begins by Tarynn Douglas
I woke where dawn first learned to sing Beneath the vow the bright ones bring Their breath was warm; their pulse was mine A kingdom forged in fire divine No night remains just morning gleam The rising of every dream They crowned me gold, they crowned me clear And broke the chains I used to…
Shadowed Sun By Tarynn Douglas
Shadowed sun When I was small, the light would sting, It cut too deep, too bright a thing. It burned my name; it made me fade— So, I sought shade for what it made. Beneath the bed, behind the door, I felt the dark begin to pour. It wrapped me close, it hummed so low,…
The Veil Between by Tarynn Douglas
No light can live without its shade, no dark endures where hearts are made. Between them breathes the silent thread not lost, not gone, but changed instead. For fire and veil, for dusk and dawn, the war has slept; the world moves on. And in their peace, the truth is seen. We are the breath,…
FOR JOHN SHAW TORRINGTON, GLASS COFFIN & ALL. FIRST EXPIRED, FIRST EXHUMED. FOUND ON BEECHEY ISLAND AUGUST 1984. by Amelie/A.T Banks
ON THE DAY WE DUG HIM UP TWENTY YEARS OLD STILL SMELLING OF COAL JOHN COUGHED UP CUBED ICE & CHRYSANTHEMUMS INTO HIS CUPPED & COTTON-WRAPPED HANDS & WE HELPED HIM UP FROM HIS MEAT-LOCKER CRYPT & STANDING IN STRIPES THE BLUE & THE WHITE HE ASKED FOR A LIFT & A LIT CIGARETTE SO…
The Love That Once Was by Diana Montelongo
There were good days and bad days, nothing out of the ordinary. A girl who helps with the chores around the house. The same routines, the same dysfunctional and unexpected but yet predictable regular days. A day out and about, surprisingly not too ordinary. You met, oh boy, you met. Days started having a different…
The Calling by Audriana Gutierrez
Everything and nothing, all at once I feel it lingering and staring, an overwhelming calling If I turn around there’s no telling what will happen next So, I keep forward, foot after the other My mind hexed by aimless passion, one after the another I will follow If not, to drown into sorrow Words, memories,…
Passage Through Grief by Josh Lopez
Autumnal Migration Summer aged elegantly into a colorful harvest The descent of fall leaves, aurulent and crimson, caressing The grace of humanity, animal, and churned earth Walking upon the vast enchantment of forest Facing the brilliance of cerulean sky spanning The journey of light upon us The promise of winter is subtle within the aria…
What We Once Were by Josh Lopez
I reminisce upon the first night I had you near me, drunk on wine, Intoxicated elation, the citrusy musk of your cologne The scent of your skin befuddling my being I linger upon secret seductive smiles and come hither Glances across the room, the indulgence of your kiss The embrace of your arms I wit-wander…
The Elegy of Us by Josh Lopez
And I, want to take the time to Acknowledge the loss And I, want to take this moment to denounce the time we spent Dreaming, loving, and lying to what we were The time we should’ve reclaimed Too soon, and not quickly enough The lingering pain of your hand upon mine The biting sting of…
Cages Don’t Cure by Zachary Bennet
They say deviance is a choice. But no one asks who taught me the rules before they punished me for breaking them. My childhood was not a chapter in a textbook. It was a crash course in survival. Norms were not values in my home. The only norm was crack smoke drifting down the hallway…
The Light We Claim by Joshua Molina
They speak of life’s swift, sudden spin, But this past year, the fight was deep within. No gentle curveball, thrown in jest, But the ultimate, fire-forged test. I saw an ending where a start had been, Lost the connection, lost the air, and then, Found a new ground, though the earth felt thin— The strength…
Eve is not into Adam by Marceline Skalicky
His pendulum of maleness sways from side to side. Disgusted. Made from his rib. Repulsed. He speaks. He flirts. He winks. Despised. He stares longingly. I adorn myself with leaves. Uncharmed. He says this is what God wants. Sickened. He attempts to fuck. Unwanted. I flee to the woods. Escaped. I can’t stop crying. Panicked….
Snowflake by Riley Morgenthal
As tinsel littered the floor Snowflakes coated the outdoors The wind was chill And the air quiet As the the sun slept The moon rose with grace The universe had a plan in place Low and behold An untold story Was destined to unfold Something beautiful Something precious A memory held tight My world changed…
Words by Audrey Reynolds
Words the most dangerous weapons to be held in reverence they can cut like knives and slice through skin or can carve through wood to make something new a blade made to create can just as easily be used to kill yet here you are with the knife held to your throat and unforgiveness in…
Bad dog by Audrey Reynolds
Sometimes I ponder and let my mind wander it often goes a bit farther than it should it drags me along like a disobedient dog would a dog running against the breeze racing through forests of memories going so far so fast and remembering that nothing really lasts realizing that I’m lost and that for…
The Peeling of a Pomegranate by Lee Clouston
The Peeling of a Pomegranate I’m not sure when it started. When I started to think about how little I knew of you. Pomegranate is my favorite fruit. I don’t eat it often; they are a mess to peel. But for you I would peel a hundred. I don’t even know if you like pomegranates….
Paths of Destruction by Amanda
Paths of destruction litter the road Leaves in the storm Swirling, spinning, surrounding me Blocking my view Paranoia, depression, and despair My only companions. Bloodstained knees from constant prayer Voice echoing in the empty air. Blank eyed vision clouded Silent voices shouted Listening to the words I cannot hear. Bravely feeling fear Wrapped in shadows…
Cold, -7 (a pantoum) by Jennifer Ridgeway
The stillness outside has brought silence inside. Both pile up against the rattling window. Our freezing spirits gather ‘round the non-existent flame, longing for the warmth that was. Both pile up against the rattling window. The popping of the windows, silk daggers on my skin, longing for the warmth that was. The frost creeps along….
Kynósoura by Jonathan Gonzalez Trejo
My mothers love can’t be seen by squinting at the measuring spoons My mothers love is an achoo away from blowing me to the moon My mothers love ain’t something you see on the road killed My mothers love is sacramental hair that don’t want to be cut away, so hold still My mothers love…
Rearview by Samuel Sandoval
Rolled the windows down. Voices, muffled through the wind spinning past. The lights cut across my chest, and the radio played songs I’d never choose. The moon seemed to know something I didn’t. It watched as I held my hand out the window, slicing it through the air. The crisp wind filled my ears and…
Always a Student by Samuel Sandoval
The smartest person I ever knew was also a student. They always dove head first into a pool of not knowing. They always asked more than they answered, and never answered what they didn’t know. A graceful pen, chugging along a narrow road, filling in what most don’t see. The smartest mind I ever met…
Organ Donor by Sofia Montanez-Trujillo
When I die, give my body to those who need it. Let them take my eyes, my skin, my liver, my heart, my bones, Let them have everything. Put flowers on my tombstone, say your prayers, weep your tears — but please, do not mourn me. Do not mourn the empty space that surrounds where…
Stillness with Teeth by Tesia Munoz
One side stays still. It follows the steps. Turns the key. Shuts the door. Chews the food. Nods at the noise. Fakes the pulse. Smiles at the right time. Stands in the right place. Waits for the feeling whatever it’s supposed to be that never arrives. The other side claws at the walls with teeth…
“No smoking” by Wilson Packham
The Mistress A “no smoking” sign like a disapproving parent I smoke anyway, Ash falls onto luxurious hotel sheets He’s an hour late. I sip the wine, bitter as my stare In the hotel mirror: Beautiful, Pissed, Used He’s two hours late. Legs netted in black lace, fold on the hotel chair one more cigarette…
Dumpling Sauce by Jonathan Gonzalez Trejo
Lately I’ve been feeling that I’m living in a time loop, No matter how much it repeats itself, it don’t feel like my mind grew, Dusty spirits yawn for attention in the high noon, Rising dead speak in my dreams thinking I’ll respond soon, Follicles plucked out until there’s no fine tune, Haunted radio waves…
No, Thank You…Yes by Jonathan Gonzalez Trejo
When I’m locked in, you don’t need to fetch the bolt cutters to get me out, Road running across scenes from the coyotes but I never took the petty route, Net worth stuck in between the rim and backboard, I still ain’t gotta get carried down, To get bounced to and announce swoosh inside of…
Empty Campsite by Miguel Itzman
Night is near, fireflies offer light. Their fire is warm, unforgiving embers. A trail they leave, he might go and see them take flight. Time to leave the empty campers. Night is near, fireflies offer light. The smell of old food fades as he loses sight. Where is everyone? It’s such a blur. A trail…
The Frozen Lake by Lindsay Ross
Still silence around the frozen lake. Branches hidden by thick frost. Chilled breaths combine in the cold air. Snowflakes fall as silence moves through the empty space. Branches hidden by thick frost. Our footprint trails in the fresh snow. Snowflakes fall as silence moves through the empty space. Laughter echoes through the trees breaking the…
The Dread Miser by John Quincy Thompson
A skittish financial advisorheld up his prescribed breathalyzer,with anxiety, he took a puff,but with weak nerves, it wasn’t enough,for before him was the Dread Miser. The master spoke, flashing incisors,glad that his guest was none the wiser,for tonight his meal was big enough:a skittish financial advisor. Grim Reaper, the great equalizerbroke skin and erupted a…
There is no such thing as Nothing by Matty Garrett
There is no such thing as nothing. Emptiness is a myth. The wind blows to remind us that what we see is less than what we are. The sun fills our eyes with light, feeds our skin. Yet we cannot see the rays, only their reflection. The light feeds our food, becomes what we are….
Arty Aardvark by Kyra Andersen
My name is Arty and I hangout at Aims. I am an Aardvark just counting the days. I’ve been here forever but I really can’t complain. I love seeing students, They all have crazy smart brains. My job is to have fun and give my school praise. School spirit is what I preach, It’s my…
A Pantoum About Losing a Friend When I Was 7 by Riley Plantt
Some dogs are big, some are small, and they do not know they are different sizes Tense and coiled they sleep restlessly in each person’s stomach There was no room inside my best friend for an animal you would notice Hers warned with a growl that was smothered in her sweatshirt Tense and coiled they…
(-2) by Jonathan Gonzalez Trejo
If I don’t know how to speak then who does? It can’t be the broom that snowballs the debt of this wooden floor that is an apoplectic zone for snowshoes Because if it were it would’ve already protested its purpose set by those lively things You know, the things that are whatchamacallit…their own tool, a…
Devano the Brave by John Thompson
This is a story of a knight, in his glory, who was known as “Devano the Brave.” With his incredible fame, he went by many a name, but all of his friends called him “Dave.” A king once professed: “Dave shall go on a quest”, so he equipped some greaves and a glaive; for past…
Little Blue House by Arden Kitchen
It began with three, in a little house for you, you and me. On 117 Middleview Drive, who would have thought this would be my life? Born the oldest of four, forced to grow without a care in the world. How strange it is, the things that shaped me to today. The past does not…
Ill fated by Mandy Young
Sometimes I wonder about reincarnation of my past selves the experiences that made them beg for my current iteration’s circumstances I can picture a woman whose beauty turned her into a target Skin once entirely her own now stained by stranger hands. And when face to face with Death she falls to her knees and…
A woman I know well… by Mason “Ace” Vargas
I’m thinking of a woman I know well today Her hair pitch black and brushed now twiceA gaze that twinkles like the night skiesCarrying their own imposing lies I get lost in thought as the clock ticks awayWishing.Wishing..Wishing… I’m missing a woman I know well todayHer stare can knock you down a sizeMeeting each with…
I’ll Grow a Garden in my Heart for You by Wilson Packham
Just here between hope and fear.I’ll plant your favorite flowers–Even though I’m not sure what they are.I’ll water them with the sound of your voice,Let your laugh soak deep into the soil.I’ll tend the garden under your smile,And let your memory bloom without asking it to stay.I’ll grow this garden just for youEven if you…