It was more fun, helping each other to grow. And it brought us something unexpected: magic.
Magic
Ajike Kendrick Asegun
The first rule of magic is
don’t ask permission don’t tell
is the second if you have to ask
you’re already behind at a deficit
a definite loss of course you could
try and make up for it but
by then you’ve tipped your hand by
seeking consensus making
rational logical sense
when you could be taking shaping
shifting states working between worlds
Beneath tectonic plates
unfurling your will like the
whichever you are whatever
you call yourself
Within and Without
Mary Ellen Bratu
Ganesh
Kathy Karn
The Dark Sky of Your Knowing
Amanda Judd
Affirmation Cat
Marijke van Veldhoven
The Gift of Belonging
Sue Heatherington
We had become source-erors, wielding our craft on purpose. With purpose.
Fire
Joshua Abush
Chalcolithic
Jennifer Hole
I wanted to write a poem about a crucible,
a quiet vessel made of clay
that creates a space
that enables a reaction
that leads to transformation,
that witnessing fire is touched by flame
but is not the thing transformed
(or is it?)
While I learned a lot
about metallurgy and the Chalcolithic
(after the Neolithic and before Bronze),
from khalkós for copper and líthos for stone,
my metaphor soon ran into confusion.
Magical Math
Gail Boenning
Urban Sketch 1
Xiuming Liang
Gone Missing at the Airport
Alison Coates
Funnel Cakes
Renée Fishman
Pesach Morning
Aaron Wolfson
The alarm goes off
I am flattened in bed
And in need of thickening
Or perhaps some shortening
To mix in and congeal
And galvanize my individuation
Un-dividing me
Assimilating my seemingly disparate elements
Into a whole
Upon whence I will rise
I will be “done”
I need you to stick a fork in me
So I can take a left or a right
And stop plowing ahead
Clearing a path that was covered in snow for a reason
Midnight Snack
Beverly Delidow
Sometimes
Life demands
Sweetness,
Comfort supped
Directly
From a
Large spoon.
The one lighted eye of the
Kitchen window
Watches the rest of the world,
Asleep.The lush potted plant,
Already well fed,
Spills a green smile onto the counter,
Gives witness to care
Hard won and
Spent on others.
This moment is
Yours.
Taste
All
The joy.
Krzywy Domek Cushion
Anya Toomre
A Most Memorable Christmas Eve
Helena Roth
Christmas? I asked, only to hear my mom respond over the phone, without hesitation, No.
Ok, I replied, and that was that. Me and the kids, Benjamin at 16 and Alex at 21, at home for Christmas, unlike the normal Christmases, even though normal has never meant exactly the same every year. Venues have shifted, as have the number and constellation of family members. But often, Christmas has been spent at my mom’s place.
When I tell the kids, the idea that we don’t have to do, or eat, what we normally do on Christmas arises. Said and done, we decide to cook dinner together, a non-Christmasy dinner. Benjamin asks Do we have to watch Kalle Anka? meaning the Donald Duck/Disney-one-hour collection of cartoons that’s been broadcasted on Swedish TV at three pm every Christmas Eve since 1960. I say No, but I probably will.
New Fat Snow
Scott Gilbertson
The Pandemic Portrait Series
Jayashree Krishnan
Backseat Driver
Matthew Word Bain
Sweaty Car
Sleep
Patrick McNerthney
When I find myself completely overwhelmed and flying all over the place and acting grumpy and panicked and irrational I like to blame my son. Who is 12.
It’s because he puts a lot of pressure on me to set a good example, which makes my neurotic behavior worse. I can’t be expected to just walk around setting good examples all the time can I? I’m no Obama. Besides, I didn’t sign up for parenthood to be a good example. I signed up for the tax credit.
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Charlotte Cronquist
Nana
Zigalet
Connecting Humans and Machines
Rachel Uwa
What Is Water
Inma J. Lopez
How to describe it?
Her components? H20
As a substance? The most abundant on earth.
As an element, which is part
of life, and therefore me?
Finding Heart
Sana Fayyaz
Dailies at SmallWhisky.com
Tommy Gilboy
Me and the Ivory Girl
Laura Tucker