Winter 2016: Poetry
October Walk with My Mother
by Ann Sinclair
Red gold yellow, even green
leaves relax their spines onto the sidewalk
over gray and grayer concrete,
open their veins to new hues.
Leaves relax their spines onto the sidewalk,
while the leaves that remain on trees
open their veins to even newer hues,
blaze sudden haloes when the light angles low.
Through the leaves that remain on trees
the autumn sun slants as I walk,
blazes haloes when the light angles low,
haloes that will soon be auras of dyed concrete.
A low autumn sun slants as I walk erect,
veins contracting, relaxing with each step
over haloes of leaves that will soon be auras of dyed concrete.
We once hiked together through autumn leaves,
our veins contracting, relaxing with each step
over the sun-warmed forest floor.
We hiked to gather autumn leaves
for you to preserve in glycerin, to wrap in clear plastic.
Remembering the sun-warmed forest floor,
you captured the leaves between pages of your favorite books,
preserved them in glycerin and wrapped them in clear plastic,
like iridescent beetles pinned and framed against white cotton.
They rested between pages of your favorite books
as, year by year, your spine crumbled and broke into chunks.
After you had at last been unpinned from your wheelchair and your pain
I found the leaves, unplasticked them.
Long after your spine had crumbled into broken chunks
of gray and grayer concrete,
I found the leaves, unplasticked them,
released them to swirl red gold yellow, even green.
|
Celebrating nature, home and the cycles of life – twenty poets light the winter night. |
Six stories use magic to explore loss, grief and healing. |
With imagery of flora and fauna, four artists animate the winter landscape. |
Five young women dig deep to each speak their individual truth . |
From emerging to established writers – meet the women behind our eighth issue’s voices and visions. |
LETTER FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR
POETRY Northwest Equinox by Kris Demien Gradations of Gray by Wendy Thompson With Gladness by Sara Graves Home by Leora Marialicia González For a Grade School Classmate by Joan Maiers Canning Factory Road by Elizabeth Stoessl To Make a Prairie by Carolyn Martin At Home by Suzy Harris Family Disagreement by Tricia Knoll The Bullfrogs by Katherine Boyer Cows by Rebecca Jamieson Lesson by Stacey Vallas Stardust by Erin Iwata Perspective by Carolyn Martin Lacrosse Season by Elizabeth Harlan-Ferlo The Tangled Path by Suzanne LaGrande Matched Set by Tanya Jarvik False Bus Stop by Elizabeth Harlan-Ferlo Last Visit by Erin Iwata October Walk with My Mother by Ann Sinclair First Rothko Exercise by Elizabeth McLagan Fractions by Susan Blackaby Tea by Melineh Yemenidjian Return by Stacey Vallas PROSE Scarab Man by Cynthia McGean Planetary Influences by Alida Thacher Bone of the Past by Burky Achilles Teachings: A Buddhist Ghost Story by Ann Sihler Wrangler by Desiree Wright A Nicaraguan Spring by Pamela Russell Bejerano FEATURED ART Into the Wonder by Annamieka Hopps Davidson Deep Blue Meditation by Annamieka Hopps Davidson Weave Me Into the Sea by Annamieka Hopps Davidson Crassula 2 by Alison Foshee Crassula 5 by Alison Foshee Crassula 6 by Alison Foshee Warm Autumn by Tamar Hammer Girl with Conch by Tamar Hammer With Her Dog by Tamar Hammer YOUNG VOICES Love Beyond Loss by Isabel Lickey Submerged by Raimy Khalife Hamdan Which Way? by Alli Rodenbaugh To Autumn by Sara Barkouli The Storm by Elie Doubleday CONTRIBUTORS |