By Theresa A. Cancro

bruises

the color of amethyst —

he says he loves me

Theresa A. Cancro

By Susan Burch

a dirt canal

where the river

used to run

how long

did you think

I’d wait for you

Susan Burch

By Maya Daneva

family Bible

the names my dad entered

and those he did not

Maya Daneva

By Madeleine Vinluan

the moon glows

I look closely

it is crying

Madeleine Vinluan

By John J. Dunphy

inner city Fourth

firecrackers

then gunshots

John J. Dunphy

By Douglas J. Lanzo

Land of the Rising Sun

yellow iris

tinged by dawn

Douglas J. Lanzo

By Priti Khullar

women’s day

she chooses to yell

not whimper

Priti Khullar

By Deborah Karl-Brandt

laughter…

her imaginary friend

tells his best joke

Deborah Karl-Brandt

By Mike Gallagher

a few wisps

lightly drawn over

baldness
 

Mike Gallagher

By Sarah Davies

a life —notes scrawled in handwriting you no longer understand

Sarah Davies

By Amrutha Prabhu

a tree within a seed within a tree ... forest within 

Amrutha Prabhu

By Tim Murphy

being   

my own shaman  

winter light 

Tim Murphy

By Kyle Hemmings

slurring the names of my own demons

Kyle Hemmings

By Pippa Phillips

the opposite of redemption leaves don't fall up

Pippa Phillips

By Pat Geyer

July curtain call ~

my Hosta Applause reblooms

again and again

Pat Geyer

By Ingrid Baluchi

high noon

the shine

on his crown

Ingrid Baluchi

By Luke Levi

changing size

up and down the green hills

a vulture’s shadow

Luke Levi