A Wake-Up Call by Milton Ehrlich I woke up this morning with the sight and scent of bouquets of red roses assembled on my chest. My sleeping wife was gone. An indentation of her body, was all that remained in bed. I searched all the rooms in our house without ever opening a door— and […]
Coffee Shop Girl by Christopher Linforth She looks over my poem and tells me to replace slugabed with a word the common people will understand. I can’t tell her it’s part of my style—she knows I’m all surface, that I carry a DVD about a Michael Jackson impersonator in my messenger bag, that I pretend […]
First Winter After She Left by Yash Seyedbagheri First winter after Mother leaves, sister Nancy and I shovel unruly snow, hands weighed down by patches. Flakes fly, whirling seductresses. We clear faster. Flakes cover clearness. Nature gives. Takes. Gives people wanderlust, makes world cold. We try to make everything perfect. Keep clearing. We trip. Keep […]
My first and last cigarette by Virna Chessari Traces of cigarette on the table, In the shadows smoke around me Repugnant smell from the ashtray. I never could stand smoke But the magic moment of lighting a match, That mysterious small fire in the dark, A live coal in my brother’s hand used to light […]