fall 2015
Table of Contents
Return to Home Pagea rose is a rose is a rose manhattan Nikki Reimer
The Insidious Susurration A Conversation Marie-Andree Auclair
what do you talk about desire derives pleasure aren't we missing every thing gary lundy
The Stale Cold Smell of Morning Angela Rebrec
In the Cyberspace Icicle Changming Yuan
Can't Stomach Mitchell Grabois
Why, And for What Purpose Is There Something Ace Bogess
A Monday The Devil Valentina Cano
Girl I Girl II Carolyn Supinka
(Ouverture) Garry Thomas Morse
the neighbors knew i divined water Hell is hot Allison DeLauer
Yellow Flowers The World Dream Ann Filemyr
The Story of Chitin Giri Zoe Dagneault
revenge/reincarnation annie ross
Brains Lost to the Earth Melissa Nelson
Darkening Over Still Water Richard King Perkins II
QED A Moth In Rain Christopher Patton
Word on the Street Henry Rappaport
A Fire Hydrant on Camino de la Amapola Good to See You Eleanor Kedney
The Day Everyone Realized Ron Riekki
Saturday Night Charles Springer
Fault Vodka / Blame Juice Jamie Sharpe
Alcohol Fast-slow Continuum Peycho Kanev
The Insidious Susurration of Mongrels
Before I refined fear’s fetters
into protective hands
and memory tightened my leash
there was the hell breath
of mongrels dogging me
fangs, nails in my ankles
to the edge of the cliff
—do not soar—
to the borderline
—do not cross—
—stay put, look no farther—
the shouts, the whispers.
Beware, you don’t know
what comes next.
Our warnings—
You’ll get hurt, maimed, shamed.
Stay safe.
What if you fail, what if
and then what?
And we stick to you
since you feed us.
Hesitation is our nectar
and shivers of recoil our lifeblood.
That sense of futility?
Our daily meat.
We barked doubts
at you
till you
tighten your own tethers
because
there is always the chance
you’ll abandon us
to our sooty smoke
and taste a bright sky.