A deadly thing to holdCreation in a crucible of flesh.It burns, cramps. Its greatest touches,Softest kisses poison to the bloodAnd we never stop prying those Jaws wider, goingDeeper into life’s hot, white howlingUntil we forget the way back,That there is any way back,And that we could ever wantTo know a way back. Our children cry to nothing,Clutch empty hands. Them!They know nothing of hungerIts needs, … Continue reading Boomer by Leslie Young
I never felt my loneliness so clearly.–Frédéric Chopin, letter to Jan Matuszyński, 26 December 1830 1. You go to the supermarket late at night, not to buy something, but only to be around people. 2. You spend all afternoon listening to voice messages on your phone you haven’t deleted, messages from as far back as ten years ago, some from ex-girlfriends, others from now deceased friends. 3. … Continue reading Twelve Signs Your Loneliness Has Gone Too Far by E. P. Kataratos
Days may be shortDays may be longSome are steeped in wine and songClouds we chased ‘round river’s bendChildish wishes childhood friends June July August SeptemberDaydreams we shall long rememberGreen green grass the yawning lawn Soon Summer ends and I’ll be gone How quickly regret fades into forget How the sun rises how the sun sets Golden yellow azure blueSky that floats through me and youStars that come … Continue reading Summer’s End by Antonia Alexandra Klimenko
Her head presents large as a cabbagewhen I pluck her from my garden—stony ground all but bare after harvest.She looks the way I want to remember her—a salad—tulle of lettuce leaves pale as the embrace of her pea-pod green eyes.She demurs with a wilting expression.I add three cups of arugula, julienned cucumber,a handful of basil leaves, slice an avocado in halfand prise out the pit to … Continue reading Green Goddess Dressing by Dale Champlin
At timesI get impatientwaiting for karmato do its thingI think we all do. I can’t see it, feel it or smell itbut there’s enough hanging in the airfor me to imaginethat she must be a woman.maybe like the kindI used to date. One with considerable wealth and tasteskin so softthat her sweat is pricelesscontaining just the right amount of bitchinesswith each bead. She likes her … Continue reading What Goes Around Comes Around by Justin Edse
In many ways, writing is the act of saying I, of imposing oneself upon other people, of saying listen to me, see it my way, change your mind. It’s an aggressive, even a hostile act. -Joan Didion While Tim Burton’s interpretation of Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) in, what else, Wednesday can be more than occasionally too mawkish for comfort, there is one thing he and … Continue reading Most Writers Can Relate to Wednesday’s Aversions to Being Edited
Dapping UpThe Corner.Homie In The Hood.Fixing Up His ShitWith Some Plastic Wood.StarbucksFor A Shower.Stay ThereFor An Hour.EverybodyNeeds ALittleIvory Tower.DialIt Up.SuperPower.Rock Tag.Nickel Bag.Zig Zag.It’s A Drag When You’re Busted By The Buyer.FortuneCookieYou’re ALiar.Check TheDate ThatYou Expire. Knee On Neck.Bounced Check.Pavement.Enslavement. Continue reading Bum Rap by Charlie Robert
Considering that very few news items generate an interest in literature, the ongoing conversation about whether or not an em dash is the ultimate telltale sign of AI-generated writing has been especially notable. Not just because it’s marked a clear line between those who are fans (a.k.a. devoted users) of the em dash and those who are not, but because, of all the telltale signs … Continue reading Do Not Come for My Em Dash
