Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Issue 6, September 2020 by Beyond Words Literary Magazine

A r t w or k : M ar th a Cl ar k son

s d r o W d n Beyo Issue6 S eptember 2020

Bey on d W or d s ? I n ter n ati on al L i ter ar y M agazi n e I ssu e 6, Sep tem ber 20 20 Ed i t or : Gal Sl on i m Read er : Tay a Boy l es Tay a Boy l es i s a 19- y ear - ol d Ju n i or atten d i n g V i r gi n i a Com m on w eal t h U n i ver si t y, i n p u r su i t of an I n ter d i sci p l i n ar y Stu d i es M ajor w h i ch com bi n es t h r ee m ajor s an d a m i n or i n cl u d i n g Sp an i sh an d Cr eati ve W r i t i n g as a p ar t i cu l ar i n t er est . Sh e h as f ou n d h u m bl e su ccess i n on l i n e an d p h y si cal l i t er ar y m agazi n es.

Cop y r i gh t ÂŠ Bey on d W or d s Pu bl i sh i n g H ou se, B er l i n , Ger m an y Fi r st p r i n ti n g, Sep tem ber 20 20 I SBN 978- 3- 948977- 16- 0

I n v i t at i o n L u cy H eu sch en H ow l on g i t i s Si n ce t h e f i r st t i m e I h el d m y br eat h f or

T h e gi l t - ed ged car d M y n am e en gr aved I n cop p er p l at e h an d

A bi r d l ess n est I ts p u r p ose voi d T h e m ai l box m ock s m e

N ever m i n d ? I

A r tw or k : L aw r en ce B r i d ges

W i l l i n v i t e m y sel f

T i m ek eep er K at e Cor n el l

T h e h an d qu i ver s sl i gh tly as i t ad v an ces. I t takes a secon d to catch i ts br eat h an d th en en joy s f i f ty - n i n e secon d s of p ar aly si s bef or e i t?s f r ee to m ove agai n . I t?s th e ch eap , p l asti c k i n d , y ou k n ow, t h e sor t th ey p u t i n cl assr oom s w i th ch u n k y n u m ber s an d ex agger ated m ovem en t . T h e sl en d er secon d h an d sh akes i t s w ay ar ou n d th e cl ock f ace, seem i n gly f r ee. N ever m i n d f u l of th e m om en t. N ot l i ke m e. T i ck . Tock . I f y ou w atch cl osely an d f or l on g en ou gh , y ou can d etect th at t h e t i ck i s d i sem bod i ed f r om th e m ovem en t of th e h an d s. T h er e?s n o cor r el at i on betw een th e sou n d an d th e m ovem en t . I t?s a f r au d u l en t cl ock , ju st goi n g th r ou gh th e m oti on s; sh ow i n g u s th e ti m e, bu t n ot actu al ly i n sy n c w i th i t. T h i s cl ock d oesn ?t tell th e ti m e, i t r ef l ects th e t i m e w e i m agi n e i t?s keep i n g. A bi t l i ke m e. ? tick?

t i m e. I ?ve car ved ou t a h ef t y d ep osi t box f or d at es w i t h M i a an d on ce t h i s i s al l over , I ?m n ot goi n g t o l et an y t h i n g st op m e f r om ask i n g h er ou t . N o m or e M r . Sh y Gu y. T i ck ! ? tock? I h ave a l ot of t i m e f or t h i s gen u i n e St an l ey cl ock ; h i s f ace sm i l es ou r com bi n ed n am es al l t h e t i m e: h e?s St an an d I ?m L ee. W e?ve been t h r ou gh a l ot t oget h er ; i t ?s a gi ve an d t ake r el at i on sh i p . I ?m a t i m e p i ggy ban k : ar ou n d t h e cl ock I w at ch as St an sp ew s ou t 8640 0 sh i n y secon d s an d i m agi n e t h e f l ash i n g l i gh t s an d t h e d i n g! d i n g! of t h e jack p ot bel l . M y ver y ow n Casi n o Roy al e. I ?m a T i m e M i l l i on ai r e h oar d i n g u p t h e secon d s, t i ck i n g of f t h e h ou r s, d ay s, w eek s I ?ve st ock p i l ed r ead y t o sp en d on ce h an d s, f ace an d bod y can m ove i n t i m e w i t h t h e t i ck t ock of a n ew cl ock . A gai n . ? tick?

W i th a sw oosh of th e cu r tai n , N u r se M i a en ter s th e stage w i th h er ti m esh eet . B an g on ti m e! I i m agi n e th e scen t of l aven d er . T i m e to p ay atten ti on , I h ave f r on t r ow seats. A n d ... ACT I O N ! * Bu on gi or n o Pr i n ci p essa!* I gr eet h er each m or n i n g, or at l east I t r y to r ef l ect th e gr eeti n g I h op e sh e i m agi n es I ?m gi v i n g h er . T h at l i n ger i n g sm i l e tel l s m e th at sh e k n ow s on e d ay soon th er e w i l l be a cor r el ati on bet w een w h at I ?m i m agi n i n g I ?m say i n g an d w h at I ?m actu al ly say i n g. I t?s ju st a m at t er of

* M u m ? W h at ar e y ou d oi n g h er e? I t ?s n ot t i m e, y ou d on ?t cl ock of f f or an ot h er 4248 secon d s!* N o su ch t h i n g as ?cl ock i n g of f ?t h ese d ay s. Pop s i n w h en sh e can . M u m sp eci al i zes i n p ed i at r i cs, bu t I gr ad u at ed f r om t h at w ar d l ast m on t h , or r at h er t h ey boot ed m e ou t . I cou l d t el l i t w as h ar d f or h er t o l et m e go; m an aged t o m ove t h e f l ash y ven t i l at or w i t h m e t h ou gh . H el p s t o h ave M u m ?s i n h i gh p l aces. A n d sh e?s of f ! * Cat ch y ou l at er !*

A r tw or k : Patr i ci a Bi n gh am 2

You ?ll l ove M u m , A K A D r . Kevl ar K i m . Ever y on e say s, ?D o an y th i n g, y ou r m oth er , sh e can p u sh d ow n tr ees!? For al l h er w or r y i n g, th e v i r u s avoi d s h er l i ke t h e p l agu e ? h a, see w h at I d i d th er e? T h ese d ay s, M u m l ook s l i ke a p an d a w i th th ose d ar k ci r cl es an d w h i te m ask ; f i gh ti n g t h e en em y on th e f r on t l i n es i s w i p i n g h er ou t . I k n ow th at w h en sh e gr asp s m y h an d s an d cl oses h er ey es sh e w i sh es sh e cou l d sw ap p l aces w i th m e.

A n ot h er sw i sh of t h e cu r t ai n an d M u m ?s cen t er st age agai n . A n d h er e?s D r . D ! H ou se p ar t y !

? tock?

N o w on d er t h er e?s a bu zz, I h i t t h e seven m i l l i on secon d s jack p ot w i t h m y ven t i l at or y est er d ay. W i n n er ! T w o m i l l i on m or e an d i t ?ll be t i m e t o w ave good by e.

I ?ve a caver n ou s ban k r eser ve i n m y br ai n w h er e I take m y ti m e an d stor e i t f or saf ekeep i n g. I t?s or gan i zed i n to a ser i es of t u n n el s; d on ?t i m agi n e an y th i n g d i n gy or I n d i an a Jon esi sh . T h ese tu n n el s bel on g i n a Bon d m ov i e an d ar e on ly accessi bl e by el ev ator , w i th i r i s r ecogn i ti on en t r y. T h ey ?r e w el l - l i t, w i th sl eek L ED sp ot s l ead i n g y ou to a ser i es of h eav y p ol i sh ed st eel d oor s, beh i n d w h i ch l i e ever y u se of t i m e I can i m agi n e: ti m e w i th f r i en d s an d f am i ly, ti m e m ak i n g a f am i ly of m y ow n , t i m e w r i ti n g d ow n th i s stor y, ti m e to l au gh an d l i ve an d l ove. A gai n . ? tick? N ot e to sel f : bu y M u m a p an d a ted d y w h en I get ou t of h er e; sh e l oves m y si ck sen se of h u m or . M y n eu r on s tap aw ay : a gr ey m at t er t y p ew r i ter tr an scr i bi n g m y th ou gh ts i n t o sy n ap ti c sen ten ces. For n ow, y ou ?ll h ave t o i m agi n e w h at I ?m th i n k i n g - tr i ck y as I d on ?t r ef l ect m y th ou gh ts. I m ay l ook t h ou gh tl ess, or r ath er w i th ou t th ou gh t s, bu t i n ti m e m y f ace an d h an d s w i l l m ove an d I w i l l tel l y ou m y stor y. I n t h e m ean ti m e, I gu ess I ?m a h ap p y f r au d , zon ed ou t i n th e zon e. ? tock?

* Cap t ai n m y Cap t ai n ! W h at t i m e d o y ou cal l t h i s? N op e, d ef i n i t i vely n ot t i m e t o t ou ch m y ven t i l at or . I t ?s d oi n g ju st f i n e, t h an k s. Keep s m e t i ck i n g!* M u m ?s goi n g t o bat t l e at t en t i on , can ?t com p l ai n .

agai n .

Ex t r a

* Keep p u l l i n g t h ose st r i n gs, M u m !*

* L et i t go, M u m . N o p oi n t get t i n g cau gh t u p i n f r i en d ly f i r e. Sen d t h em a sm i l e, St an !* I t w or ked ! Sh e?s act u al ly sl ow i n g d ow n , u n w i n d i n g f or on ce. M u st be t i m e t o br eak . H er h an d qu i ver s sl i gh t ly as sh e p l aces i t on m y ar m . Fu n n y h ow m y br ai n r u n s t o t h e r oom w h er e I h ou se m em or i es of t ou ch bu t f or get s i t ?s em p t y. M y gh ost f i n ger s w r ap ar ou n d h er s; t h e t h ou gh t of h ol d i n g h er h an d w i l l h ave t o d o u n t i l I can r et u r n t h ose h u gs. Soon . * Ch eer u p ! W e?r e soci al d i st an ce exem p t !* M i a?s i n a d aze t oo, on ly h er f ace r ef l ect s som et h i n g sh e?s t r y i n g t o t el l m e. * T i m e f or m or e h ap p y d r u gs? T h at ?s ok ay, M i a, t ake a m i n u t e t o cat ch y ou r br eat h . You ?ve got al l d ay t o l eave y ou r h an d on m i n e l i ke t h at . I ?ve got bags of t i m e!* O h , D r . D ?s back i n v i ew. ?W e?r e so sor r y, K i m . W e?ve r u n ou t of op t i on s. W e?ve si m p ly r u n ou t of ? ? * M u m ? W h y ar e y ou cr y i n g? I l ove y ou t oo. D on ?t t u r n t h e? i t ?s n ot m y? t i m e!* ?? ?

T h e K n el l M ar th a Bu f f k i n K an e I h ear on ly t h e r i n gi n g i n m y ear s. N o w or d s. I tr y to p u sh t h em f or t h . I t i s w or k th at I h ave n ever f i n i sh ed . I t i s th e n oi se of n ot h i n g th at I ?ve d on e. I t i s th e p ai n of ever y t h i n g. I h ear on ly t h e r i n gi n g of th e bel l . A f u n er al . I t i s th e on e I atten d i n bl ack , w om an of h on or , h ol d i n g on t o m y son s. I t i s th e sou n d of h ol l ow n ess an d m et al an d l on gi n g. I t i s th e sou n d of u n d on e.

M ask s J. R. Jam i son

I n t h e m i r r or above th e op aqu e- w h i te si n k , I scr u b aw ay each l ay er to f i n d y ou th er e. T h at l i ttl e cr i n k l e betw een m y ey ebr ow s . . . T h at?s y ou , th er e, st ar i n g back at m e. I n th e m or n i n g, w h en I go of f i n to th i s w or l d , I ?ll cover y ou u p agai n w i th m y an t i - w r i n k l e cr eam s an d ti n ted l ot i on s; bu t u n ti l th en , I ?ll l eave ex p osed th e n i gh t i n B oston . O u r f i n al good by e, I su p p osed . W e w al ked si d e by si d e th r ou gh th e st r eets, p ast Cop l ey Squ ar e al l th e w ay t o Fen w ay Par k . You th r ew a ston e i n t o th e Ch ar l es Ri ver an d tal ked abou t y ou r job. T h e on e th at took y ou f r om m e. T h e on e y ou h ated bu t d i d i t an y w ay f or th e m on ey. T h e st r eet l i gh ts d r op p ed sp ar k l es i n to y ou r ey es th at bou n ced to m i n e an d al l ow ed f or f or gi ven ess. A boat p assed by an d sou n d ed i ts h or n . W e f el l i n to l au gh ter . ?Com e w i th m e to M ai n e,? y ou sai d . W e d r ove i n to th e n i gh t u p I - 95. W i n d ow s d ow n , th e w ar m br eezes sh i f ted ou r h ai r an d ou r em oti on s. I n t h e d ay l i gh t, w e sat on r ock y cl i f f s an d tal ked abou t th e f u tu r e. H ow y ou ?d get a p r om oti on an d I ?d go on t o be som e f am ou s w r i ter . W e gi ggl ed at t h e i d eas, th e what ifs. W e sk i p p ed st on es i n to th e N or th Atl an ti c. I k n ew m y h ou r s w i th y ou w er e d w i n d l i n g, an d I cou l d sen se th e sp ace betw een

u s w i d en i n g w h en y ou sai d y ou h ad t o get back t o N ew Yor k . B ack t o n am es I d i d n ot k n ow. Peop l e w h o h ad f i l l ed sp aces i n y ou r h ear t w h er e I on ce r esi d ed . You st ood an d sk i p p ed on e m or e r ock i n t o t h e d ep t h s bef or e y ou w al ked aw ay. T h at n i gh t back i n B ost on w e w er e boy s. W e ju m p ed on bed s, t h r ew p i l l ow s i n t o t h e ai r , an d set u p r ef u ge on t h e f l oor w i t h a f or t of com f or t er s. O u r secr et s d i sap p ear ed w i t h t h e su n , r i si n g above t h e ci t y an d w ar m i n g u s aw ake. W e f ol d ed bl an ket s; sat on t h e ed ges of bed s an d sear ch ed f or w or d s. I cou l d n ?t h i d e t h en l i ke y ou w an t ed m e t o, an d even n ow t h at l i t t l e cr i n k l e t h er e, al l t h ese y ear s l at er , I can ?t m ake i t go aw ay. I can cover i t u p by d ay, bu t t h e m i n u t es an d h ou r s t h at l ead t o n i gh t ch i p aw ay t h e l ay er s an d l eave i t ex p osed ; f or ever sear ed bet w een m y ey ebr ow s. I p ou r a gl ass of w i n e an d see y ou on I n st agr am w i t h y ou r ar m s st r et ch ed t ow ar d t h e sk y ; a k i d f al l i n g y ou r w ay. I n t h e back gr ou n d , y ou r w i f e r each es f or y ou r sh ou l d er just in case. T h ose br i l l i an t , over - st r u ct u r ed su n beam s f i n d t h ei r w ay t h r ou gh t h e op en sp aces an d i l l u m i n at e t h e ed ges of y ou r f ace, an d I w on d er ? I s t h i s m ask y ou w ear t h e on e y ou ?ve alw ay s w an t ed ?

A r t w or k : Er i k a Tal - Sh i r

Pap er T h i n Er i n Cou r v i l l e I ?ve alw ay s f ou n d com f or t i n th e sof t em p t i n ess of th e bl an k p age i n th e d evel op ed f an tasi es of l on g f i cti on s i n th e si m p l e th i n sh eet th at can d r aw l i n es of r ed an d p eel ap ar t f r agi l e sk i n i f h an d l ed car el essly I ?ve alw ay s f ou n d com f or t as w e si t ar ou n d a cam p f i r e on w h i ch w e r oast m ar sh m al l ow s af t er d u sk an d w ar m h an d s w h en th e star s ar en ?t en ou gh f r om af ar , th e f l am es sw ay t o a r h y th m f r om af ar , th e f l i cker i n g en ch an t s I ?ve alw ay s f ou n d com f or t w atch i n g th e f i r e d w i n d l e d ow n to n oth i n g bu t ci n d er ash es ar e l ovely f r om a d i st an ce th ey d an ce on th e br eeze th at qu el l s i n su f f i ci en t f l am es f al l i n g over h ead , gen tly th r eat en i n g to con ti n u e bu r n i n g i f y ou l ook too cl osely

A r tw or k : L i zzy K i r by

to f i ll Ri l ey M ay es I th i n k I m i gh t d r ow n .

I t i s n ot easy t h i n g,

I t i s n ot th e

t o r egr ow ;

sl ow d escen t

h av i n g bu r n t aw ay

of ar m s bl oom i n g

t h e br i t t l e f i el d s of

w h i te

m y sel f ,

i n th e str an ge

I d i d n ot ex p ect

tr an sl u cen ce

t h e ch ar ge of i t s

of th e u n d er sea;

su ccessi on ,

n o,

t h e su d d en n ess

n ot th at k i n d of

of i t s l eaves br u sh i n g gr een f i n ger t i p s

d r ow n i n g.

acr oss t h e h or i zon .

I t i s th e f eel i n g, r ath er

I t i s of n o

of bei n g f i l l ed al l th e w ay u p ;

coi n ci d en ce t o m e,

ever y th i n g op en i n g

t h at drown an d grown

sp r i gs of

m ake m i r r or s

aster f l ow er s, h on ey su ck l e

of each ot h er . I n an y case,

sp r aw l i n g f r om

I an t i ci p at e

m y m ou th ; I am so f i l l ed

t h e i n ver se.

th e d el u ge of

In m y

su n l i gh t

bod y an d m ou t h sp ace

soak i n g vei n s

m y over - f i l l i n g h ear t ;

i n saf f r on , th e gl aze

t h ese f i el d s of r ed - gol d ,

of p ol l en , ear th ?s r u d i m en t ,

m y bar e f eet st an d .

f i l l i n g m y ch est

I am w aver i n g,

w i th th e tex tu r e

bu t n ot w i t h er i n g.

of h on ey.

A r tw or k : Jai n a Ci p r i an o

I Ref u se t h e Sp r i n g Cl ar i ce N gu y en - H u a A tu l i p i s a ti m e bom b t h e en d com es bef or e I can f i n i sh a beer . I am n ot y et r ead y f or becom i n g;

bl oom i n g can be sh atter i n g. I d r eam of al ter n ati ves, of d og teeth on m y br eath , eati n g f l ow er s bef or e th ey p eel .

A r tw or k : Ch el sea Br ow n 12

M o st W an t ed Gr eg Fr i ed m an n I ?ve gon e m i ssi n g

an d can n ot f i n d m e|

Su bject w as l ast seen en ter i n g a d ar ken i n g w ood ch asi n g an east er n k i n gbi r d w h o p er si st ed i n f l i tt i n g aw ay f r om m e ever y t i m e I d r ew n ear . H e f l i es al on e, h i s h i gh tr i l l i n g n otes bou n ci n g l i ke son ar of f th e tr ees as h e f l ees d eep er

d eep er

d r aw i n g m e f u r th er i n to h i s st or y, h i s t w i l i gh t . I n a box at h om e ar e th e ash es of m y f at h er . I h ave been tasked w i t h th ei r d i sp er sal am on g m y si bl i n gs. I d o n ot p l an t o d o t h i s. Su bject w as l ast seen w ear i n g a gr ay over coat , w h i te sw eat er an d scar f , d ar k cap , an d d eep bl ack ey es. No

th at w as th e k i n gbi r d

A r tw or k : Ju an Can al s

C o u r t sh i p D i l i an a St oy an ova

T h e gl or i ou s m u si c of th ei r bod i es, t h ei r sw eati n g, p an ti n g, u n stop p abl e ten si on r el eased i n a p er f ect son or i t y. T h e sl i m ten d on s str u m m i n g, t h e l u n gs r esou n d i n g, t h e p u l ses d r u m m i n g, t h e r h ap sod i cal son gs of th ei r m ovem en t , t h e t on es of sk i n h ar m on i cal ly sci n ti l l ati n g i n t h e su n , t h e r h y th m th ey beat f r om th ei r str on g h ear t s, t h r ou gh th e si n ew y m u scl es, t o t h e str i p ed br u i sed bal l , i n t o t h e ear th . T h ey d an ce, t h r ou gh an d ar ou n d each oth er , br u sh i n g an d bu m p i n g an d bou n ci n g an d col l i d i n g, f i n ger s tou ch i n g ch ests, sh ou l d er s agai n st sh ou l d er s, l ook i n g f or th at op en i n g, th at m om en t of h esi t at i on , t h e ch an ce to str etch , p ou n ce, r el ease. A n d br eath e. A n d r oar w i th tr i u m p h , th e bu zz- cu t an gl ed h ead s t h r ow n back over t i gh t t r ap ezi u s. I w an t to w atch th em an d be sw ep t i n th e v i ct or i ou s v i t al i t y. To st ay i n th at f r esh su n n y A p r i l af ter n oon , on t h e r attly ben ch n ex t to th e cou r t, t o cou n t th e d u st p ar ti cl es i n th e beam s th at bu r st t h r ou gh t h e l eaves an d cl ou d s. T h e l i gh t th at w i l l be a l i ttl e ol d er tom or r ow, a l i t t l e d i m m er , a l i ttl e ti r ed . For on e d ay, I w an t to be th e p h oton s th at br u sh agai n st t h ei r i m m or t al , i n d est r u ct i bl e ch est s. To be th e ear th th at absor bs th e r ever ber at i on of t h ei r f eet . I w an t to i n h al e th ei r br eath s an d th ei r y ou t h , t h e d r i ve, t h e st am i n a. To be com p l etely, p ow er f u l ly, beau ti f u l ly A l i ve.

A r t w or k : Ju d i t h O r n stei n 14

Yo u W i l l D o T h i s St even Si m on ci c

Sh e w i l l l ook ti r ed . H e w i l l l ook bor ed . T h ey w i l l si t on th e ed ge of th ei r bed , cl ose en ou gh to i n d i cate th ey ar e st i l l m ar r i ed , f ar en ou gh ap ar t to i n d i cat e h ow i t i s goi n g. T h ey w i l l h ave cal l ed y ou to th ei r bed r oom , w h i ch w i l l be i m m ed i ately w ei r d . You r p ar en ts n ever d o th at, an d y ou w i l l assu m e y ou ar e f u cked ? i n th e k i n d of tr ou bl e y ou w i l l n ot be abl e to tal k y ou r w ay ou t of , or t an tr u m y ou r w ay th r ou gh . W al k i n g d ow n th e h al lw ay, y ou ?ll tr y t o r em em ber w h er e y ou h i d y ou r Ju u l , w on d er i n g i f th ey f ou n d th e ti n y v i br ator L i n ea stol e f r om h er tot al bi tch step m om an d gave to y ou - - t h e on e y ou ?ve been too f r eaked ou t by t o t r y, an d p u t i n y ou r p an ty d r aw er , w h i ch i s both stu p i d an d obv i ou s. You w i l l be con v i n ced th ey h ave f ou n d i t , an d th at w h en y ou w al k i n , th ey w i l l p r esen t i t to y ou l i ke a d i r ty, sl u t t y, bu zzi n g Ch r i stm as gi f t. A s y ou w al k i n to th ei r bed r oom , y ou d eci d e y ou w i l l n ot sp eak f i r st. You w i l l h ave l ear n ed th i s f r om p r ev i ou s f am i ly m eeti n gs th at star ted w i th y ou sp eak i n g an d en d ed w i th y ou p i ck i n g at d ead sk i n on y ou r th u m b w h i l e th ey sp oke. ?Reggi e h i t a n u r se tod ay,? y ou r m om w i l l say. T h i s w i l l be a r el i ef . N o vap i n g, n o v i br ator s, n o y ou . T h i s w i l l al so n ot be

a su r p r i se. Reggi e sp en t t h i r t y y ear s at t h e Rou gh St eel A ssem bly p l an t w or k i n g w i t h gu y s w h o ju st got ou t of t h e m i l i t ar y or jai l . Sh e sw ear s m or e t h an ot h er gr an d m as d o, an d sm okes m or e t h an ot h er gr an d m as d o, an d i s m or e t h an cap abl e of h i t t i n g som eon e, i n cl u d i n g y ou r m om w h en sh e w as y ou r age. Bu t Reggi e i s al so f u n t o w at ch W h eel of For t u n e w i t h . Sh e?s r aw - f u n n y, br u t al ly h on est , an d d oesn ?t get i n t o y ou r sh i t . A n d u p u n t i l sh e w en t i n t o t h e h osp i t al , sh e w as around, an d od d ly, becam e y ou r best f r i en d si n ce y ou at e a bot t l e of D oxep i n l ast Fal l an d p eop l e st op p ed si t t i n g w i t h y ou at l u n ch , becau se n obod y l i kes a cl i n i cal ly d ep r essed bl ack gi r l . ?Sh e?s h i t t i n g t h e n u r ses n ow? so? ? You r m om w i l l sh ake h er h ead an d w ave h er h an d as sh e f i l l s t h e si l en ce w i t h n er vou s en er gy. ?A p r ogn osi s of t er m i n al bl ah , t h at w on ?t get bet t er even i f t h e n ew d r u g bl ah s? Reggi e w an t s t o com e h om e, bu t t h er e?s n o w ay sh e can bl ah f or h er sel f , an d sh e can ?t com e h er e, becau se w e can ?t t ake car e of som eon e w h o bl ah s i n h er ow n bl ah ...? A n d t h en , f i n al ly, ?M aggi e, sh e n eed s t o be i n a h om e. Sh e?ll l i st en t o y ou .? A n d i n t h i s m om en t , y ou w i l l k n ow.

A r t w or k : N i n a Kossm an

You w i l l k n ow th at Reggi e i s d y i n g, an d t h at y ou r p ar en ts h ave al r ead y d eci d ed where sh e w i l l d i e. You w i l l k n ow t h at t h er e?s n oth i n g y ou can d o abou t i t, ju st l i ke l ast Fal l , w h en th ey p u t you i n a h om e, an d th er e w as n oth i n g y ou cou l d d o abou t i t . A n d y ou w i l l k n ow th at even th ou gh y ou ar e bei n g u sed ; f or on e sm al l m om en t, th ei r f ear m akes y ou p ow er f u l . You w i l l be f i f teen y ear s- ol d , over w ei gh t f r om an ti d ep r essan ts, sl i gh tly h i gh i n y ou r p ar en t?s bed r oom ? an d f or on ce - - y ou w i l l be i n con tr ol . N ot of th e ou tcom e, bu t of th e p r ocess, an d af ter th e f ou r t een m on th s of state- ap p oi n ted th er ap y, y ou w i l l u n d er stan d th at p r ocess m atter s. So y ou d eci d e y ou w i l l d o th i s. T h e h osp i tal w i l l sm el l l i ke r u bbi n g al coh ol an d gr av y. You w i l l stop at t h e l obby gi f t sh op to bu y on e of t h e i m p ossi bly ch i p p er m y l ar bal l oon s th at say t h i n gs l i ke You D id I t! an d Oh Yeah! W h en y ou get to th e r oom , y ou ?ll h ear th e sou n d of som eon e bu y i n g a vow el on th e T V above Reggi e?s bed . Sh e w i l l l ook sm al l . Gen er i c. N o l i p sti ck . Rar e. H ai r u n d on e. N ever . You w al k to th e si d e of th e bed an d t i e th e bal l oon to h er w r i st, th e sam e w ay sh e u sed to d o f or y ou w h en y ou w en t t o t h e zoo. ?You d i d i t,? y ou w i l l say, r ead i n g t h e bal l oon . ?W h at?d I d o?? ?You h i t a n u r se.? N ot qu i te a l au gh . Bu t a sm i l e. A ti r ed l i t t l e cu r l on th e si d e of h er m ou th . T h e w h eel sp i n s. Peop l e ch eer . ?H ow ?s L i n ea?s ? ?H aven ?t tr i ed i t y et.? Sh e n od s.

l i ver f ai l u r e. Sh e l ay s w i t h h er ar m s acr oss h er abd om en l i ke a ch i l d w i t h a t u m m y ach e. Sh e m ot i on s f or y ou t o com e cl oser w i t h a h an d t h at i s bl ood i ed an d br u i sed f r om w eek s of I V ?s. You l ay al on gsi d e h er on t h e h osp i t al bed , y ou r h ead n est l ed i n t o h er sh ou l d er , t h e sam e w ay sh e l ai d w i t h y ou w h en sh e cal l ed 911 an d w ai t ed f or t h e EM T ?s t o ar r i ve. T h e w h eel sp i n s. Peop l e ch eer . ?Reggi e ? I t h i n k , m ay be - -? You f eel h er f r agi l e ar m squ eeze agai n st y ou r bod y, an d y ou st op . T h e t h i n gs y ou h ad p r ep ar ed t o say, w i l l go u n sai d . You w i l l n ot t el l h er it will be okay. A n d y ou w i l l n ot t el l h er t h at sh e m i gh t even like it in the home. B ecau se i t p r obably w on ?t , an d sh e p r obably w on ?t , an d y ou r esp ect h er t oo m u ch t o p r et en d ot h er w i se. ?I k n ow w h y y ou ?r e h er e, M aggi e,? sh e say s i n a l ow gr avel . ?A n d I ?m st i l l gl ad y ou cam e.? T h i s t i m e h er ey es sm i l e. Sh e d ozes of f f or a m i n u t e, an d t h en , ?I ?ll go. Ju st d on ?t t el l y ou r p ar en t s I w as so n i ce abou t i t .? O n e l ast squ eeze, an d t h en sh e r el axes. You w i l l f eel t h e t en si on sh e h as kep t i n h er bod y f or seven t y - si x y ear s r eced e i n t o r esi gn at i on , if n ot p eace. You r st at e- ap p oi n t ed t h er ap i st w ou l d say sh e h as r each ed acceptance of her outcome. N ei t h er of y ou w i l l m ove as t h e l u n ch t r ay i s d el i ver ed . L ay i n g t oget h er . I n si l en ce. Si d e by si d e. A bove h er bed , t h e p u zzl e i s solved . Peop l e ch eer . T h e con t est an t h u gs h i s ecst at i c w i f e an d p er f ect ch i l d r en . B eh i n d t h em , i n bi g bl ock l et t er s, on cu bes of br i gh t w h i t e l i gh t , ar e t h e w or d s H ere We Are. ?I ?m gl ad y ou d i d n ?t k i l l y ou r sel f , M aggi e,? sh e w h i sp er s. ?M e t oo, Reggi e.?

H er stom ach i s r ock h ar d , d i sten d ed f r om

A r t w or k : A n d r ea Jon es

T h e Pr of essor ?s D r eam A f ter H e D i ed A n d A L etter H i s Col l eagu e W r ote to T h ei r For m er Stu d en t A i d an Ston e I. For y ear s bef or e th at n i gh t w h en h e l ay i n bed , H e h ad been d r eam i n g of th e H ebr ew l et t er ?, as a t h i r st y m an d r eam s of w at er , t h e ch ar acter p r esen ti n g h er sel f to h i m I n gol d en jew el r y ; w h o h ad p oi n ted h er h an d t ow ar d s r ed em p t i on an d d el i ver an ce, n ow ex ten d ed l i ke an or ch ar d of p om egr an at es w i t h n o f r u i t . H e w al ked am on g th e tr ees l i ke a ch i l d , l ook i n g u p on br an ch es bar e. H e d i d n ot m i ss th e d ar k r ed seed s A n d w h atever cr av i n g h e h ad tasted i n l i f e Sou r u n d er h i s ton gu e w as n ow sated , each p an g of sw eet ju i ce t h at h ad been l ost an d f or gotten f l ow ed r em em ber ed i n r ed st r eam s, Cam e ou t abu n d an tly, gu sh es of f ear f i f t y y ear s p ar ch ed sp l ash ed d ow n scar l et . O u t of bei n g, com p el l ed by th e w i n k i n g ey e- bl i n k , I m p er f ectly u n r eal f r om h i m ti m e, i n t egr at ed w i t h t h at si x t h sen se t h e d r eam f ai l ed , d econ str u cti n g f r om th e al p h abet's p ast v i r t u es f u t u r e m ean i n gs l ess p al e as t h e d eat h , Cr escen d oed , bu t i n cr easi n gly Ph oen eci an as i t p r oceed ed , u n t i l t h e agon y San k i n to a sol i d san d of br ead s an d m en f r om t h e ar can e d esp ai r of d r i n k i n g bl ood , an d w ou n d d ow n Even l ow er to a con d i ti on al d esp ai r . A n d t h en t h e sy n ap ses Fai l i n g, th e Pr of essor an d th e D r eam joi n ed i n t o si n gu l ar i t y. L at er t h e d ead cel l s becam e i m m en sely i n ad equ ate, u n abl e to r ead , n ei t h er sen t en ce n or p ar agr ap h n or book , N o h u m an si gn . T h an atos an d Er os ar e i n st r u m en t s f or t h e l i v i n g: t h ese w on d er - w ou n d ed h ear er s by en tr op y an d r i gor m or t i s r ai si n g t h ei r f ad i n g voi ces ch an t i n g cop i ou s t h e i sl an d s bey on d By n o m ean s r ecogn i zed th e ol d w or d s: I t oo p ass f r om t h e n i gh t , I stay a w h i l e aw ay O n i gh t, bu t I r et u r n t o y ou agai n an d l ove y ou . Su ch ech oi n g sem an ti cs, i n th e l on g- su f f er i n g t er m s of t h e voi ce's i m age, w as i n com p l et e, A l th ou gh a p eace w as on h i m .

A r tw or k : Ju an Can al s 21

II. D ear Ted : M y cl ose f r i en d i n San Fr an ci sco, an I r i sh m an bor n i n A m er i ca, i s Ted . I h ave alw ay s h ad m i xed f eel i n gs abou t th e Pr of essor . W e w er e col l eagu es, bot h d oi n g ou r d i sser tati on s. I w as al so teach i n g f u l l - ti m e th i r ty m i n u t es aw ay. W e sh ar ed an of f i ce f or a w h i l e. W h en m y Restor ed N ew Test am en t cam e ou t , h e w r ote a gr eat r ev i ew. H e w as a w or l d cl ass f u cker . Pr ou d ly so. A bi g sl ob w i th a m agi c ton gu e. You cou l d n ?t get a Ph D w i th h i m u n l ess y ou sl ep t w i t h h i m . A f or m er col l eagu e of m i n e t ol d m e w h en I w as a v i si ti n g p r of essor ou t i n St or r s. Sh e w as n u m ber si x ty - seven , h e p r ou d ly tol d h er so. H i s book s w er e br i l l i an t an d bad . W or st w as w h en h e star t ed t h e w h ol e abstr acti on , th e K an t ver bosi t y r ath er th an H u m e or B er gson i an cl ar i t y. T h ey 'd star t of f f i n e, br i l l i an t ly f or a f ew p ages w i th al l gu n s bl asti n g an d t h en f ad e i n to r ep l eti on an d ban al i t y.

A r t w or k : D an i el Fol ey 22

H e n eed ed an ed i tor bad ly. H e w as gi f ted w i th a m em or y. H e k n ew Sh akesp ear e, Cr an e, W h i tm an , so m an y an d ot h er s by h ear t . H e h ad a B or gesean m em or y. Per son al ly w e got on f i n e. Cou l d go on . Ever y gr ad stu d en t h as h i s Jack st or y. A s a Jew, I w as gl ad h e w as a sm ar t Jew, an d h e u n d er stood an d w el com ed m y Gr eek tr an sl ati on of th e N ew Test am en t w i th p l easu r e. Too m u ch n ow i n a f ew w or d s an d m u st go back to B au d el ai r e (t r an sl at i n g h i s com p l ete p oetr y ), an d p r ep ar e f or a p i an o con cer t w e?r e goi n g t o t on i gh t . H e w as l u ck y to stay on teach i n g. I got i n to a con tr act w h i ch l ed m e to r eti r e too ear ly. T h ey l et m e keep m y of f i ce at l east an d I p u bl i sh ed an oth er tw en ty book s an d l i ved of f ad van ces to get m y th r ee k i d s d ebt - f r ee th r ou gh col l ege an d gr ad sch ool .A sĂŻ es l a v i d a. Su ch i s l i f e. A f ter B au d el ai r e, n o m or e h u ge tr an sl ati on p r ojects. Too m an y oth er th i n gs w ai ti n g. I n good h eal t h , soon to be n i n ety - tw o. A l l p eop l e l i ke m e w an t i s ti m e. T i m e an d a br ai n t h at st an d s u p . So f ar I d o m y p u sh u p s an d seem good . W el l , Ted , w h at can be sai d ? N ow t h at t h e col d i s gon e, I 'm f eel i n g back to n or m al . I take l on g w al k s w i th Sop h i a. H er book com es ou t D ecem ber . H ave y ou seen Par i s i n au tu m n ? I t i s br i n gi n g m e back t o m y y ou th . W h en I w as at th e Sor bon n e, a l i ttl e y ou n ger th an y ou ar e n ow, I w ou l d col l ect f al l en l eaves. Ad i os, H al .

A r t w or k : Paol a Tavol etti 24

U n i co r n T at t o o D on ovan H u f n agl e I w en t to sl eep , d r eam i n g of bei n g a u n i cor n an d w oke a u n i cor n , d r eam i n g of bei n g a l i t t l e gi r l . I w oke w i th n o gol d at t h e en d of t h e r ai n bow ; n o San ta Cl au se, East er Bu n n y, or Toot h f ai r y. I u sed to w an t to be a m agi ci an , a w i zar d th at cou l d ben d sp ace an d t i m e, l eap am on gst th e m ol ecu l es of f u t u r e an d p ast . I w en t to sl eep , d r eam i n g of f ly i n g, f l oat i n g d ow n a stai r case an d w oke w i t h car p et f i ber s betw een m y toes. I u sed to f eel f an tasi es bet w een p ages of book s, w i th i n w or d s. N ow, I sear ch an d sear ch en d l essly f or l ef tover f r agm en t s of m y ch i l d h ood , t h e br ead cr u m bs l i tter i n g th e f or est p at h . I u sed to w an t to be a u n i cor n . N ow, I ju st w an t to be tr eat ed l i ke on e.

A r tw or k : Valy n ti n a Gr en i er

W h en I D i e Jor d on M i l l er

W h en I d i e d o n ot p u t m e i n th e back of a h ear se an d p ar ad e m e th r ou gh th e com m u n i ty. D o n ot l ook som ber ly at th e h al t ed car s w h o ar e an n oy ed th at th ey m u st w ai t f or th e d ead .

I n stead , d an ce on th e gr ou n d y ou h ave p l an t ed m e: a r i ver , a f or est, a f i el d , a com m u n i ty gar d en . L et m e go to th e ear t h to gi ve h er th e l ast good bi t s of m e th at I h ave. A l l of m y n i t r ogen , car bon , an d joy. T h en y ou can say, ?t h ey h ave becom e h op ef u l agai n .?

A r tw or k : Geor ge Stei n

H ow C r ay o n s Get T h ei r C o l o r Em i ly M . M . Roger s

I w an t a w or d th at say s ?I bel i eve i n m i r acl es, bu t l et?s n ot get car r i ed aw ay ? an d a w or d th at d ef i n es h ow I f eel abou t m y si st er . I w an t a w or d d ed i cated to d ar k n ess. T h e bl i n d i n g bl ack n ess of y ou r bed r oom th at both l i ber ates y ou an d p ar aly zes y ou . I w an t a w or d th at d ef i n es h ow I f eel W h en I th i n k abou t th e r i n gs of Sat u r n or w h en I over h ear p h i l osop h i cal con ver sat i on s. T h at ?I - am - so- f u ck i n g- sm al l ? ty p e of f eel i n g th at m akes y ou w an t to l ay i n th e gr ass an d bel i eve i n God ? i f on ly f or a m om en t . I w an t a w or d f or w h en I h ave n o w or d s. A f r ee p ass of a w or d th at say s: ?I h ave n o i d ea w h at to say, Becau se I h ave n o i d ea w h at y ou ?r e f eel i n g.? O r p er h ap s, ?I h ave n o i d ea w h at I ?m f eel i n g, so I ?ll say th i s w or d i n stead .? I w an t a w or d th at d ef i n es h ow I f eel w h en I f i n d th e tw en ty m y f ath er h i d u n d er a book of p oetr y i n m y ap ar tm en t , an d a w or d th at cap tu r es h i s good by es. I w an t a w or d th at m ean s ?n ot to sou n d l i ke a bi tch , bu t? ? becau se th e w or d ?h on esty ? i s al r ead y t aken . I w an t a w or d th at ex p l ai n s w h y m y m om ?s m acar on i an d ch eese i s better th an m y d ad ?s an d a w or d f or w h at I l ook l i ke n aked . I w an t a w or d f or p r om i ses n ot m ean t t o be kep t , an d a w or d f or h ow y ou ?ll alw ay s f eel abou t y ou r f i r st l ove. I n eed a w or d f or r em ar k ably d ecen t i d eas th at com e at r em ar k ably i n con ven i en t t i m es an d a w or d th at say s ?I f or gi ve y ou , k i n d of , bu t th i n gs w i l l n ever be th e sam e.?

A r t w or k : Tor r i e Tatu m 30

C r o ssi n g L i n es, Pl ay i n g Ro l es Su san n ah Ei g- Gon zal ez 1. T h i s i s m y th i r d l i ve- str eam i n as m an y d ay s. M y ey es som eti m es l ose f ocu s, each l ean i n g i n , d i p p i n g, cr ossi n g t ow ar d s som e i n v i si bl e cen ter l i n e on th e br i d ge of m y n ose. 2. W h en I w as y ou n g? y ou n ger ? I u sed t o ask m y f at h er w h ose job i t w as t o p i ck u p t h at bi g y el l ow l i n e on th e f ootbal l f i el d an d m ove i t t o w h er e t h e p l ay er s squ ar ed of f . 3. At a d r am a sch ool au d i ti on ? i n N ew Yor k Ci t y ? t h e au d i t or ? a m an of f i f t y or so f r om L on d on ? asked m e to p er f or m m y p i ece agai n . ?D o i t i n t o t h e m i r r or t h i s t i m e, an d tr y n ot to r ai se y ou r ey ebr ow s so m u ch .? I m u st h ave l ooked l i ke I w as abou t to vom i t d ow n th e f r on t of m y d r ess becau se h e w en t on t o ex p l ai n h i s r equ est, ?T h e p r obl em i s I can ?t p u t y ou on cam er a? al l I see ar e f ou r t r ai n t r ack s r u n n i n g acr oss y ou r f or eh ead .? I d i d th e m on ol ogu e agai n . I t r i ed as best I cou l d t o keep m y f ace f r ozen , stoi c, sti l l . I w as w ai t l i st ed . 4. I on ce p er f or m ed th e p ar t of Ju l i et f or an en t i r e m on t h . T h e act or p l ay i n g Rom eo w as good ? boy i sh , m ood y, h ad sof t br ow n cu r l s? bu t cou l d n ?t keep h i s l i n es str ai gh t. I ?ve alw ay s been gr eat at m em or i zi n g l i n es? I ?m alw ay s of f book ear ly. I t w asn ?t u n ti l I w as p ack i n g u p m y scr i p t at t h e en d of t h e r u n t h at I n ot i ced I h ad been gi v i n g h i m th e w r on g cu e i n t h e bal con y scen e ever y n i gh t . 1. I f I ?m bei n g com p l etely h on est? an d I see n o r eason t o l i e t o y ou ? I d on ?t l i ke w at ch i n g th eatr e on l i n e. I n ev i tably I en d u p w on d er i n g w h at t h at p ost er i s i n t h e back gr ou n d , or w h y som e of th e actor s d r essed t h e p ar t an d som e d i d n ot . I f I cl ose m y ey es an d ju st l i sten , th i n gs becom e cl ear er . 2. T h at bi g y el l ow l i n e i sn ?t r eal ap p ar en t ly, bu t I ver y cl ear ly see i t on t h e scr een , so w h o?s to say w h at?s r eal ? 3. I n th e en d , I d i d n ?t go to th e d r am a sch ool . I t ol d ever y on e t h at bei n g i n r eh ear sal s u n ti l ei gh t at n i gh t an d on Sat u r d ay s d i d n ?t sou n d f u n . I w ou l d n ?t h ave t i m e to ex p l or e L on d on ! (T w o y ear s l at er ? at an aest h et i c d er m at ol ogi st ?s of f i ce i n M i am i ? I got m u scl e r el ax an t sh ot i n to m y f or eh ead .) 4. I h ate m em or i zi n g l i n es.

A r t w or k : Jon at h an H or ow i tz 32

Su m m er L i gh t Jan Z l ot n i k Sch m i d t

Su m m er l i gh t i l l u m i n es a d ar k tu n n el of m em or y, a ti m e bef or e. A n i n si sten t i n gath er i n g of f l ash es of l i gh t on th e r i ver , gl i n ts of cop p er w i n gs, m ap l e t w i sts f l oati n g to th e gr ou n d , su n l i gh t d ap p l i n g oak l eaves i n l ate af ter n oon . T h i s w as th e l i gh t bef or e. W h en y ou cou l d cou n t on w i n d d r i f ti n g th r ou gh br an ch es an d k n ow i t w ou l d r u stl e y ou r h ai r . K n ow y ou cou l d w al k cl ose to a f r i en d on a tr ai l an d m u r m u r abou t y ou r l ack of sl eep , or th e scr eech es an d y el p s of coy otes at n i gh t, an d n ot w or r y i f y ou r br eath w as cau gh t u p i n h er s, or i f t h er e w er e d r op l ets i n th e ai r l i ke d u st m otes. T h er e w as a k i n d of l i gh t th at sh ad ed y ou r d r eam s, or str eam ed a p ath on th e sea. O r w as l i ke th e sp ar k of su n l i gh t on a st on e sk i p p i n g acr oss a cr eek . I t w as a t i m e w h en y ou cou l d br u sh agai n st l i l acs an d sm el l th ei r f u l som e p er f u m e w i t h ou t a sen se of l oss. O r w h en y ou cou l d l ook at azal eas i n y ou r y ar d - bl oom i n g m agen ta an d w h i te as t h ey n ever h ad bef or e- an d n ot see th e i r on y. A n d y ou d on ?t w an t to be con tr ar y or joy l ess, bu t th e ear th i s ti l ti n g ben eath y ou r f eet. You r em em ber w h en y ou w er e a ch i l d sp i n n i n g an ol d gl obe w i th y ou r f ath er d ow n i n th e basem en t, i n t h e d u st, w h er e y ou h ad d ep osi ted i t becau se th e l i gh t d i d n ?t w or k an y m or e; t h e cou n tr i es w er en ?t i l l u m i n ated . T h e p ast el p i n k an d bl u e p atch es of con ti n en ts an d ocean s, th e bou n d ar i es bet w een cou n tr i es al m ost h ad f ad ed .

T h er e w er e n am es t h at h ave l on g d i sap p ear ed , Si am , Bu r m a, T he B el gi an Con go, Yu gosl av i a. A n d t h ose t h at h ave r em ai n ed , M or occo, Egy p t . You sp u n t h e gl obe w i t h h i m , as con t i n en t s t w i r l ed ben eat h y ou r f i n ger s, w h i l e h e n am ed cou n t r i es, cap i t al s, r i ver s, m ou n t ai n r an ges. Som e w i t h w ei r d w or d s? l i ke t h e Vol ga, t h e Cau cu su s or M an d el ay. H e m ap p ed ou t a w or l d f or y ou . Each p l ace an i m agi n at i ve t er r ai n . A w or l d n ow ex i st i n g i n d ar k n ess, cover ed i n a f i l m of f or got t en t i m e. You t h i n k h ow sp i r i t ed y ou w er e, h ow y ou r t h ou gh t s cou l d t r aver se t h e gl obe. T h e w or l d as y ou k n ew i t sp u n an d t h en st op p ed , st op p ed by y ou r p oi n t ed f i n ger s. You h ad t h at p ow er . W h en y ou th in k n ow of t h at i m agi n at i ve t er r ai n , t h e sp i n n i n g si lver t h r ead of h i s st or i es, y ou r eal i ze y ou r w or l d w as i l l u m i n at ed by w or d s, m u ch l i ke t h e w ay su n l i gh t sh ar p en s t h e gr een s on t h e m ead ow, or t h e w at er y r ef l ect i on s of u p si d e d ow n t r ees i n t h e r i ver ?s af t er n oon l i gh t . A n d y ou w on d er w h at w i l l su m m er l i gh t i l l u m i n at e i n y ear s t o com e. W h at m em or i es an d st or i es w i l l em er ge? W h at w or d s w i l l bl ot ou t al l ot h er s? You w i sh y ou st i l l cou l d f l i p on a sw i t ch an d see l an d m asses, t h e ocean s l i t u p f r om w i t h i n . You w i sh t h e gl obe h ad n ever d i m m ed . Su m m er l i gh t v an i sh i n g, d i st i l l ed t o a gl i m m er of l on gi n g.

A r t w or k : D y l an A l ber tson 34

O u t o f t h ese cr ack s Josep h Rod ger s

A Con n ecti cu ter on ce w on d er ed w h y I w asn ?t f u ssed A bou t th e l ack of star s h er e: I su p p ose m y gaze H as alw ay s been m or e gl u ed to bel ow t h an above, To th e r i d ge betw een r oad an d p avem en t W h i ch becom es a r i ver w h en i t r ai n s, i n w h i ch ou r r esi d u e Resi d es, ou r p l asti c soy - sau ce f i sh es, ou r l au gh i n g gas can n i st er s, A n d i n tu r n m or e gl u ed (f or w an t of a bet t er w or l d ) t o t h ose absu r d ly p i n k t r ees Bu r sti n g w i th bl ossom s w h i ch som eh ow occasi on al ly ar i se O u t of th e ver y sam e, coar se, tar m ac cr ack s. O y es, f ew th i n gs m ol l i f y m or e th an p assi n g u n d er t h em D ay af ter d ay on th e w ay to y ou . O n ce I ?ve r each ed You r p l ace, an d on ce y ou ?ve sp r u n g above m e O n th e m attr ess an d tr an sl ated an ot h er of y ou r f avou r i t e Poem s, I th i n k , th ose tr ees ar e to th e st r eet s w h at y ou ar e t o m e.

A r t w or k : L aw r en ce B r i d ges

B eau t y W i l l i am A ar n es B eau ty m ay be th e cou p l e? tw o w om en , l over s?? w h o h ave ju st been ser ved at th e tabl e n ear est ou r s. O n e of th em i s tr y i n g to r ead som eth i n g? a p oem ?? th e ot h er h as of f er ed h er . M ay be th ey ?r e n ot i n ti m at e, m ay be ju st l on g- ti m e m em ber s of a w or k sh op (sl i m vol u m es ju t f r om both p u r ses). T h e r ead er r er ead s th e p oem . Sh e l ook s u p , h al f sm i l i n g. B eau ty m ay be th e sl ow sh ake of h er h ead . T h e ot h er gr abs th e p oem an d f ol d s i t. Sh e i n si sts on som eth i n g an d h an d s th e p oem back . Sh e gl ar es. I n si sti n g agai n , sh e stan d s, sh ou l d er s h er p u r se. B eau ty m ay be th e h al f - m i n u te sh e h esi tates bef or e si tt i n g back d ow n .

A r tw or k : Ch r i sti n e L u n a 37

I n f est at i o n L ael Cassi d y B ecau se f or som e th e v u l n er abi l i ty of t h e h u m an bod y w as u n w an ted , m an y h u m an s gr ew h ar d casi n gs ar ou n d t h em , d evel op ed an i n ten sely p r ed ator y n at u r e, an d tr an sf or m ed i n to gi an t cock r oach es. A lw ay s th er e h ad been som e h u m an - tu r n ed p r ed ator s m i xed i n w i t h t h e r est of h u m an i ty, i n f esti n g v i l l ages an d cou n tr i es, f eed i n g on th i s or t h at u n f or tu n ate r ace of p eop l e. Bu t n ow, m on ster s w er e p r eval en t al l over t h e w or l d , th ei r m assi ve ar m or ed sh el l s cl atter i n g agai n st on e an oth er as t h ey gath er ed , f or m i n g a d eaf en i n g sen sel ess scr ap i n g, th e sti n k of u r i n e an d r ot em an ati n g f r om th em , f or m i n g a sm oke t h at p ou r ed i n to th e al r ead y br ow n - t i n ged sk y. T h ei r d y n am i te- sh ap ed bl ack f eces l i tter ed th e str eets an d cr aw l ed w i t h so m u ch d i sease th at th ose w h o d ar ed go ou t w or e gas m ask s an d ti m ed th ei r ex p osu r e t o n o m or e th an 10 m i n u tes. I t w asn 't saf e t o be on th e str eets an y w ay. N ei th er w as i t saf e i n p eop l e's h om es. T h e bi te m ar k s f ou n d i n th e m or n i n g, h ow ever ex p ected , cau sed h y ster i a. T h e w ou n d s w er e d an ger ou s, cou l d sw el l an d becom e i n f ected . Bu t th e n ear n ess of th e r oach es t h at ter r i f i ed , th e u n accep tabl e f act t h at t h ey cou l d n 't be kep t ou t. T h ey sn u ck i n on th ei r p oi n ty h ai r y f eet an d sp i t an esth esi a i n to th ei r v i cti m s, bef or e br i n gi n g ou t th ei r teeth to col l ect w h at t h ey th ou gh t of as th ei r r i gh tf u l d u e. H u m an i ty ow ed a d ebt to th em , t h ey bel i eved . H u m an s d i sgu sted th em , w er e bad , bu t tasted so ver y good . Con su m i n g h u m an i ty w as th ei r f avor i t e p asti m e, th ei r p r ef er r ed d i et bei n g t h e m or e acti ve h u m an . T h ey cr aved t h e m an u al l abor er f or h i s d el i ci ou s od or , h i s

A r t w or k : Valy n ti n a Gr en i er 39

sw eat a d el i cacy ak i n t o f i n e w i n e. Cen t u r i es of op p r essi on t en d ed t o i m p r ove t h e v i n t age, m ak i n g i t m or e p u n gen t , al i ve, v i br an t , t h e st r u ggl e br i n gi n g ou t m or e f l avor . I n d en sely p op u l at ed ar eas, t h e p ol i ce h ad joi n ed t h e cock r oach ar m y, an d t h er e t h ey cou l d f eed i n qu an t i t y, ex t r act i n g t h ese en t i ci n g f l avor s t o t h ei r i n sect h ear t 's con t en t . At t i m es t h e con su m p t i on w as l et h al . N ew s w ou l d com e of t h i s or t h at p er son t aken , w h ol e h ead su cked i n t o a r oach 's m ou t h an d sl i ced of f by i t s gu i l l ot i n e- l i ke m an d i bl e. M ost p eop l e h ad seen t h i s an d w er e h au n t ed w i t h t h e i m age of a h u m an h ead bei n g car r i ed of f st i l l w h ol e i n si d e t h e i n sect 's m aw. T h e sat i sf i ed i n sect w ou l d m ar ch u p t h e m i d d l e of t h e st r eet t o f i n d a com f y n est , n eed i n g t i m e t o r est an d r ecover . A f t er su ch at t ack s, f am i l i es gat h er ed ar ou n d t h e bod y p ar t s p i l ed i n bl ood i n t h ei r l i v i n g r oom s, t h e l u ggage of a st ol en l i f e l ef t beh i n d am on gst t h e en d l ess d ebr i s, t h e i r on sm el l over p ow er i n g, l eav i n g t h e st i n k of t h e op en w ou n d . T h ose h u m an s w h o h ad t h e r esou r ces t o d o so f l ed , m an y of t h em t u r n i n g i n t o p i l l bu gs, l ar ge an d sm al l . I n t h i s f or m t h ey w er e bet t er abl e t o d ef en d t h em selves, h av i n g t aken on t h ei r ow n ar m or , an d t h ey bu r r ow ed i n t o d ar k p l aces, becom i n g h ar d an d u n ap p et i zi n g, f l i n ch i n g at t h e l i gh t . T h e r est f ear ed i t w as on ly a m at t er of t i m e bef or e t h e sh ad ow of t h e beast s w ou l d f al l on t h em or t h ei r l oved on es, cr u sh i n g t h em i n t h ei r p at h . I t w as n ear ly i m p ossi bl e t o w i t h h ol d t h e t en d en cy t o h ar d en u p an d t ake on t h e f ace of t h e en em y.

Fam i l i ar Si l en ce M i ch ael Ch ap l eau I w as af r ai d to p i ck u p th e p h on e t h at

an d h u n g u p t h e p h on e af t er assu r i n g

n i gh t. A f r ai d of m y boss an d w h at h e

m e i t w as n ot a p r obl em . I sp en d t h e

m i gh t say w h en I tel l h i m I w ou l d n ot

r est of t h e n i gh t aw ake, st ar i n g at y ou r

be com i n g i n tom or r ow. I w as af r ai d of

col l ar , w ai t i n g t o h ear y ou scam p er i n t o

a l ot of th i n gs af ter y ou l ef t. I w as af r ai d

t h e r oom . O f cou r se, y ou n ever d i d .

of th e si l en ce i n m y ap ar tm en t. I t w as a si l en ce I h ad n ot h ear d f or seven t een y ear s; Seven teen l on g y ear s w i t h t h e p i tter p atter of f ou r f u r r y l egs an d t h e p i ck i n g sou n d y ou m ad e w h en y ou sh ar p en ed y ou r cl aw s on th e cor n er of th e sof a. Seven teen

y ear s of

bei n g

l on ely, bu t n ever al on e. Seven teen y ear s of h av i n g a f r i en d .

You w ou l d w ai t f or m e ever y d ay at t h e t op of t h e st ai r s. You w ai t ed f or m e t o f i n i sh sch ool , t o get back f r om a t r i p , t o get back f r om t h e st or e. I w i sh y ou k n ew t h at I alw ay s h u r r i ed h om e. I alw ay s h u r r i ed becau se I k n ew y ou w er e alw ay s w ai t i n g. I t w as n ot u n t i l y ou p assed t h at I r eal i zed I w as y ou r w h ol e l i f e. You sp en t t h e w h ol e t i m e w i t h m e,

I t f el t r eal f or th e f i r st ti m e w h en I p u t

bu t y ou w er e on ly h er e f or a sm al l p ar t

y ou r col l ar on th e w i n d ow si l l , l ay i n g i t

of m i n e. I ju st w i sh I cou l d h ave t ol d

p u r p osef u l ly, car ef u l ly i n a w i d e beam

y ou h ow bi g t h at sm al l p ar t w as.

of su n l i gh t so i t cou l d soak u p th e h eat of ever y l azy m or n i n g. I k n ow t h at 's w h at y ou w ou l d h ave w an ted . I cl ean ed y ou r bow l , too, bu t I p u t i t i n t h e t ot e box i n th e cl oset. Even i f i t sat th er e f or th e r est of ti m e, th er e w as n o w ay I cou l d tr u ly p ar t w i th i t.

M y p h on e r an g t h e f ol l ow i n g af t er n oon as I w as f or ci n g m y sel f ou t of bed t o get som et h i n g t o eat . M ay be som e d r y t oast or cr acker s. I h ad n o ap p et i t e, n ot f or f ood or an y t h i n g el se. I r ecogn i zed t h e n u m ber . H i s voi ce w as st at i ck y, I alw ay s h ad bad r ecep t i on i n t h e k i t ch en . H e

M y f i n ger s tr em bl ed w h en I tr i ed t o

d em an d ed I

d i al . I h ad to tr y a f ew ti m es to get t h e

?Fal si f y i n g

n u m ber

r i gh t, an d , u n f or tu n at ely, I

f i r eabl e of f en ce?, h e t ol d m e. I i n si st ed I

even tu al ly d i d . I t seem ed to r i n g f or ever

w as t el l i n g t h e t r u t h , bu t som eon e h ad

u n ti l f i n al ly th e r i n gi n g tu r n ed to a sof t

t ol d h i m w h at h ap p en ed . H e t ol d m e t o

stati c an d ?H el l o?? I ex p l ai n ed t h at a

em p t y m y of f i ce i n t h e m or n i n g. B ef or e

f am i ly m em ber p assed u n ex p ect ed ly

h e h u n g u p t h e p h on e, h e w as su r e t o

an d , r egr etf u l ly, I w ou l d n ot be abl e t o

r em i n d m e ?I t w as ju st a cat .?

m ake i t i n . H e of f er ed h i s con d ol en ces

A r t w or k : Ei l een B r i l l 40

see h i m

ber eavem en t

h i s of f i ce. l eave

Go o gy Ro u n d t h e W o r l d D an Rei l ly ?H ey Googy, h ow 's i t goi n ?? ?H ey

m an , good , good . You

st r ap p i n g h i m i n t o t h at zi p l i n e, sen d i n g gotta a

h i m acr oss t h e w at er . H e d oesn 't w an t t o go, l ook s l i ke a cat h an gi n ' f r om a cu r t ai n ,

ci gar ette??

bu t ?N o Goog. W h ad 'y a been d oi n '?? ?N ot

m u ch . T h i n k i n g abou t

t h en

h e's

p r ou d ,

l i ke

did

som et h i n g. goi n ' t o

el ect r on i cs sch ool .?

Yeah , so w e t al k t o Ji m m y af t er t h at . H e's got a bi g job n ow. M akes a l ot of m on ey.

?Ri gh t, I r em em ber th at.?

T r avel s ever y w h er e. Get h i m t o br i n g Googy, alw ay s

Googy t o Par i s. Cr azy, r i gh t ? Con v i n ce

bu m m i n g a sm oke, sk i n n y i n h i s baggy

Ji m m y h e's d oi n ' t h e r i gh t t h i n g. Get

coat . So sk i n n y, h e got r u n over by a

Goog ou t t a t h e r u t . Fi r st t i m e i n a p l an e.

t r u ck th at ti m e, an d n u th i n ' h ap p en ed .

O n e t oo m an y d r i n k s bu t t h ey m ake i t .

W e w er e al l d r u n k an d h i gh . Googy

Fan cy h ot el . T h er e's a p h ot o of h i m at

sl i p p ed of f th e sn ow ban k . I t w as d ar k , th e

t h e Ei f f el

r oad n ar r ow. Rear ti r es r an r i gh t over

bet w een w or k an ' keep i n ' t r ack of t h e

Googy, p u sh ed h i m d ow n i n to th e ban k .

Goog. T h ey t ake t h e t r ai n t o L on d on .

T r u ck kep t goi n ', d r i ver n ever k n ew. W e

Fi r st t i m e h e's on

p u l l ed Goog u p ou t of th e h ol e h e m ad e.

Bu ck i n gh am Pal ace, eat s f i sh ?n ? ch i p s,

H e w as f i n e.

w at ch es B i r m i n gh am p l ay H u d d er sf i el d .

N ot h i n g ch an ges w i th

Tow er . Ji m m y 's ex h au st ed ,

a t r ai n

t oo. Sees

A n ot h er f i r st , n o soccer i n ou r t ow n . Been goi n ' to el ectr on i cs sch ool , w h atever t h at i s, a l on g ti m e. B een goi n ', goi n ',

T h ey f ly f r om

L on d on . Googy n ever

m en t i on s el ect r on i cs sch ool .

n ever gon e. H an gi n ' ou t at Sm u ts on e n i gh t , cam e u p w i th th e i d ea of getti n '

W h at m ed s cou l d n 't d o, a t r i p r ou n d t h e

Goog ou t of tow n . M on tr eal 's d o- abl e.

w or l d f i xes. I i m agi n e Googy r i d i n ' t h at

T w o- h ou r d r i ve, n ot ex p en si ve i f w e sk i p

h or se f or t h e f i r st t i m e, an d i n t h e d eser t,

t h e str i p cl u bs. Sm oked m eat san d w i ch es,

Googy at t h e base of t h e gr eat p y r am i d ,

see a tal l m asted sh i p at th e p or t, take

an d

h i m to th e I m ax . H e's on ly been to th e

m i ssi n g, an d f ou n d agai n , bu t t h i s t i m e i n

l i t t l e th eater i n ou r tow n an d th at cl osed

t h e n ei gh bor 's back y ar d , f r ozen i n t h e

y ear s ago. See th e Rol l i n g Ston es con cer t

sn ow. Sou l s n eed sh el t er , sm al l d el i cat e

f i l m . ?Cool ,? Googy say s. Fu n n i est th i n g i s

t h i n gs, sou l s.

A r t w or k : Bon n i e M atth ew s B r ock

n ot

Googy

drunk

agai n ,

t h en

T h i st l e B eth Jacobs

A n af ter n oon w h en th e w i n d car r i ed p u r e h ot sor r ow i t p l u cked th i st l e p u f f seed s f r om a d r y bat ch an d sen t th em of f i n on es or tw os or f i ves i n th ei r d el i cat e r ad i al cu r t sy to asp h al t or v ast sk y or h ood s of car s or w h o k n ow s w h er e Seei n g th em t u m bl e h u m bly f or w ar d i n th ei r l i gh t an d sy m m et r i cal gr ace h ol d i n g h an d s or sol o n o or i en tati on n o d esti n ati on al l r each an d n o bear i n g I f eel th e tr u t h of l oss an d l ost an d th e salvat i on of m y r ol e as bl an k w i tn ess

A r tw or k : Cr i sti n a Q u er r er

ThePhoneCall! We invited you to take part in a phone call creative writing challenge. Two flash fiction works - by John Steckley (p. 48) and Vijay Varman (p.50) - were selected.

A r tw or k : Em i ly Bu d d 47

I 'l l b et y o u f o r go t Joh n St eck l ey

?H el l o, Bob sp eak i n g.?

i s, I w i l l h an g u p r i gh t aw ay.?

Sh or t p au se

Sh or t p au se.

?H el l o Bob, I ?ll bet y ou f or got abou t

?Com e on

th i s cal l .?

t u n ed m i n d of y ou r s. I k n ow t h at

?W h o i s th i s? W h at d o y ou m ean

B ob, u se t h at

f i n ely

y ou ar e n ot st u p i d , ju st f or get f u l .?

th at I w ou l d f or get abou t th i s cal l . I

?H ow d o y ou k n ow h ow m y m i n d

h ave

i s. I am gl ad t h at y ou d on ?t t h i n k

cal l

t h at I ?m st u p i d , becau se I am n ot.

tod ay. M ay be y ou ar e cal l i n g t h e

Bu t w h y d o y ou t h i n k t h at I am

w r on g Bob.?

f or get f u l ??

Sh or t p au se

Sh or t p au se.

n oth i n g

cal en d ar

?W h en

abou t

m ar ked

r ecei v i n g

began

d i al

y ou r

?Bob, I w an t y ou t o t h i n k back n ow,

n u m ber , I k n ew th at y ou w ou l d

t h i n k back 10 y ear s w h en y ou w er e

h ave l et th i s cal l sl i d e ou t of y ou r

w or k i n g as a p h on e t ech n i ci an , an d

sl i p p er y m i n d . I w ou l d h ave bet on

y ou h ad a l ot of t i m e t o d o y ou r

i t, bu t y ou k n ow th at n o on e cou l d

ow n ex p er i m en t i n g.?

w i n w i th su ch a bet betw een u s. D on ?t y ou ?? ?Cou l d y ou p l ease tel l m e w h at th i s

?W ai t, I t h i n k t h at I r em em ber t h at n ow. I t i s com i n g back t o m e.? Sh or t p au se.

i s abou t? Even th ou gh y ou sou n d f am i l i ar , I d on ?t k n ow w h o y ou ar e. I s th i s som e k i n d of cr an k cal l ? I f i t

?T h en y ou k n ow t h at t h i s i s y ou cal l i n g y ou f r om t h e p ast.?

A r t w or k : Tor r i e Tatu m

M i st ak en I d en t i t y V i jay Var m an

* Ri n g Ri n g*

Yes.

H el l o?

Of 26 Park Road?

1 million. Tonight. 8pm. At M urray Park near the broken slide. No Police.

N o, n o. I ?m M r Jam es Ed w ar d s of 26 Par k Aven u e.

W h at ?

Ah. I see. Apologies.

We have your son.

* Cl i ck *

I d on ?t h ave a son .

________________

Oh? Sorry. Wrong number.

* Ri n g Ri n g*

* Cl i ck *

H el l o?

________________

M r Edwards?

* Ri n g Ri n g*

Sp eak i n g.

H el l o?

D o you happen to know the James Edwards that lives at 26 Park Road?

1 million. Tonight. 8pm. At- Yeah , I sti l l th i n k y ou h ave th e w r on g n u m ber .

I d o. I t ?s ju st a cou p l e of r oad s aw ay. D o you have his number?

Shi- - Sorry.

I ?m af r ai d I d on ?t .

* Cl i ck *

Ummm? I ?ll call you back.

_________________

* Cl i ck *

* Ri n g Ri n g*

________________

H el l o?

* Ri n g Ri n g*

I s this M r. J. Edwards?

H el l o?

Sp eak i n g.

H i, M r Edwards.

We have your son. 1 mill ?

H el l o agai n .

I ju st tol d y ou I d on ?t h ave a son !

Could you do us a favour? Could you pass on a message to the James Edwards at 26 Park Road.

Are you sure? Yes! Okay? One minute. * Cl i ck * _________________

O f cou r se. W h at?s t h e m essage? Please let him know that we have his son hostage and we want 1 million pounds for his safe return.

H el l o?

N o p r obl em . By t h e w ay, i s t h i s m essage f or Jam es Ed w ar d s Sen i or or Ju n i or ? B ecau se t h ey bot h h ave son s.

I s this M r. J. Edwards?

Oh, for fuc- -

Sp eak i n g.

* Cl i ck *

* Ri n g Ri n g*

M r. James Edwards?

M i d n i gh t Ph o n e C o n v er sat i o n s Em i ly Steel e A s sy l l abl es sl i p t h r ou gh m y f i n ger s l i ke san d an d m y h ou r gl ass h an d cl ock s t h e si l en ce, th e f i n ger s I sen t of f t o scr abbl e f or cl au ses r etu r n em p t y of th e on ly w or d s l ef t to f i n d i n th e d ar k of th e p au ses: H er e i s m y h ear t ,

A r tw or k : M at ty H ei m gar t n er

p l ease be k i n d .

T h e Scu d M i ssi l e M el i ssa Si i g T h e sk y i s d ar k w h en I get back t o m y d or m r oom . I h ave ju st sh ow er ed an d am stan d i n g i n m y r obe i n f r on t of m y cl oset w on d er i n g w h at to w ear . I t ?s Fr i d ay an d a gr ou p of u s ar e p l an n i n g to bi ke i n to I sl a V i sta f or p i zza an d p i tch er s of beer at W ood st ock ?s bef or e goi n g to a h ou se p ar ty. A l th ou gh i t ?s Jan u ar y, I d r ess i n jean s an d a l i gh t jacket; i t?s San t a B ar bar a, af ter al l . Si x- t h ou san d m i l es aw ay, th e sk y i s d ar k above I sr ael too, al th ou gh i t ?s al r ead y th e n ex t m or n i n g. Fl ash es of l i gh t bu r st acr oss th e sk y, an d ai r r ai d si r en s bl ar e l i ke th ou san d s of w ou n d ed sh eep . M y f ath er an d A n at ar e star t l ed aw ake i n th ei r Jer u sal em ap ar t m en t , t h e gas m ask s th ey w i l l n eed si tt i n g on t h ei r bed si d e tabl es, l ook i n g l i ke d i sm em ber ed al i en h ead s. A s I ap p ly ey el i n er an d br u sh m y h ai r , th ey ar e r aci n g to th ei r ap ar tm en t?s mamad, a seal ed r oom w i t h r ei n f or ced w i n d ow s th at r ep l aced basem en t bom b sh el t er s i n 1990 . Bu t I d on ?t k n ow an y of th i s y et . I am ju st sl i p p i n g on a p ai r of sn eaker s w h en m y f r i en d L i n d a com es bu r st i n g i n to m y d or m r oom . L i n d a an d I h ave k n ow n each ot h er si n ce I m oved t o M ar i n i n f ou r t h gr ad e. M y d ad coach ed ou r soccer team w h en w e w er e i n m i d d l e sch ool . ?M el i ssa, com e qu i ck !? L i n d a sh ou t s, w av i n g h er h an d s w i l d ly i n th e ai r . ?I r aq ju st bom bed I sr ael ! W e?r e w at ch i n g i t on CN N i n th e l ou n ge.? W e r u n th r ou gh th e d or m l obby, m y w et h ai r str eam i n g beh i n d m e. Ever y th i n g w e p ass i s a bl u r ? t h e

A r t w or k : Ky l a Yager 52

p ost er s ad ver t i si n g Gr eek r u sh n i gh t , oth er s t h at say ?Go Gou ch os!? i n br i gh t, bu bbly h an d w r i ti n g. Fi n al ly w e r each t h e l ou n ge, w h i ch i s cr ow d ed w i t h stu d en t s, som e w at ch i n g t h e t el ev i si on set, oth er s t al k i n g i n sm al l gr ou p s or eat i n g. Sh el by, an oth er f r i en d f r om h i gh sch ool , m ot i on s m e t o si t n ex t t o h er on t h e st ai n ed cou ch . ?I t ?s bad , M el i ssa,? sh e say s, p at t i n g m y l eg. ?T h ey ?r e l au n ch i n g scu d m i ssi l es.? I w at ch t h e i m age on T V of a br i gh t w h i te l i gh t r u p t u r i n g t h e I r aqi n i gh t sk y, t r avel l i n g f r om t h e gr ou n d u p w ar d s l i ke a back w ar d s com et . T h e cam er a l ow er s t o t h e CN N r ep or t er stan d i n g ou tsi d e on t op of a con cr et e bu i l d i n g. T h e scen e gl ow s gr een , l i ke t h e Em er al d Ci t y, f r om t h e n i gh t v i si on cam er a, an d t h e r ep or t er ?s f ace ap p ear s eer i ly w h i te, h i s p u p i l s t w o w h i te d i scs of r ef l ect i ve l i gh t . A s each scu d m i ssi l e ex p l od es t h r ou gh t h e n i gh t, f ly i n g 540 m i l es t o r each i t s t ar get, t h e r ep or t er v i si bly f l i n ch es an d cr ou ch es l ow er , l i ke a f ootbal l p l ay er r ead y f or a p l ay. Si x m i n u t es l at er , t h e d am age i s d on e. T h e n ew s sw i t ch es t o a d i f f er en t scen e of a p l u m e of bl ack sm oke r i si n g f r om a d ar k ap ar t m en t bu i l d i n g i n Tel Av i v. T h e ci t y ?s l i gh t s gl i m m er i n t h e back gr ou n d . I bu r y m y f ace i n m y h an d s. ?I s y ou r d ad ok ay ?? Sh el by ask s gen t ly. ?I d on ?t k n ow,? I say, ben t over so n o on e can see t h e t ear s. ?I h ave been d r ead i n g t h i s m om en t .?

I t w asn ?t ju st th e f act th at Sad d am H u ssei n h ad been th r eat en i n g to at t ack I sr ael f or m on th s i f i t w as i n vad ed by th e U .S., n or th at O p er ati on D eser t Stor m h ad star ted y ester d ay. I t w as t h e con stan t f ear of m y f ath er l i v i n g i n a cou n tr y th at h as been i n som e stage of w ar si n ce i t w as car ved ou t of t h e Pal esti n i an Ter r i tor y by th e B r i ti sh i n 1948. I w or r i ed abou t m y f ath er bei n g i n th e w r on g p l ace at th e w r on g ti m e ? r i d i n g on a bu s, sh op p i n g at a m ar ket , eati n g i n a caf ĂŠ, w h en a bom b m i gh t go of f . O n e of m y ear l i est m em or i es of Jer u sal em is w al k i n g with my gr an d m ot h er an d r u n n i n g u p t o a cr u m p l ed p ap er bag on th e si d ew al k t o k i ck i t. Sh e gr abbed m e bef or e I cou l d r each i t. ?D on ?t ever tou ch an y th i n g y ou see on th e st r eet. I t cou l d h ave a bom b i n i t. Pu t th er e by th e Pal est i n i an s. T h ey h ate u s.?

an d steel an d r u bbl e t h at l ay t w i st ed an d h u l k i n g an d sm ok i n g, l i ke a p i l e of f r esh gar bage steam i n g i n t h e m or n i n g d ew. ?I h ave t o cal l m y d ad ,? I t el l Sh el by an d L i n d a. I r u n back t o m y d or m r oom . T h e d i al t on e beep s t h e d i stan t , f or ei gn - sou n d i n g bu sy si gn al . I l ook at t h e com f or t er on m y t op bu n k . I t s sof t p i n k s an d bl u es of M on et?s ?W at er L i l i es?, a sh ar p con t r ast t o t h e d ar k , p h osp h or escen t gr een of CN N ?s n i gh t cam er a, t h e gr ey of cr u m bl ed con cr ete, t h e bl ack sm oke of d est r u cti on , of w ar . T h e bu sy si gn al ech oes acr oss t h e p h on e l i n e. O f cou r se I can ?t get t h r ou gh . Ever y Jew i n A m er i ca an d t h ei r m oth er i s p r obably t r y i n g t o cal l I sr ael r i gh t n ow. I h an g u p t h e p h on e, cal l m y m ot h er i n M ar i n Cou n t y. ?I t al ked t o D ad d y,? sh e say s. ?H e?s f i n e. Ever y bod y i s saf e. Bu t y ou w on ?t bel i eve w h at h e sai d .?

I r em em ber ed w h at m y f ath er h ad sai d w h en I cal l ed h i m a f ew d ay s ear l i er t o see i f h e w as con cer n ed abou t t h e r ep or t s th at Sad d am h ad ch em i cal w eap on s.

?W h at ?? ?H e sai d h e m i gh t t r y an d r ejoi n h i s m i l i t ar y u n i t . To f i gh t .?

?D on ?t w or r y, M el i ssa,? h e sai d , sou n d i n g as casu al an d sel f - assu r ed as i f I h ad asked h i m i f h e h ad d on e h i s exer ci ses th at m or n i n g. ?I stood i n l i n e an d got m y gas m ask an d n er ve gas an t i d ote f r om th e gover n m en t. Bu t th ey w i l l n ever attack Jer u sal em . T h er e ar e t oo m an y M u sl i m h oly si tes. W e ar e saf e h er e.?

?At 44? W ou l d t h ey t ake h i m ?? ?I d ou bt i t ,? m y m om say s. ?H e h asn ?t ser ved i n t h e ar m y i n 20 y ear s.? I h an g u p w i t h m y m ot h er , k i ck of f m y sh oes, an d cl i m b u p t o m y bu n k . I d on ?t f eel l i ke goi n g ou t an y m or e. A qu esti on i s gn aw i n g at t h e back of m y br ai n . I n st ead of of f er i n g t o be a sol d i er agai n , w h y d oesn ?t m y f at h er m ove back t o t h e Stat es, w h er e h e w ou l d n ?t h ave t o w or r y abou t gas m ask s an d an t i d ot es an d bom bs h i d d en i n caf es?

I l ooked u p at th e tel ev i si on . Gon e w as th e gh ost- l i ke gr een gl ow of t h e n i gh t- v i si on cam er a. I t w as n ow m or n i n g i n I sr ael . CN N ?s f ootage sh ow ed a p ar ti al ly bom bed - ou t ap ar t m en t bu i l d i n g, a m ass of con cr et e

W h y d oesn ?t h e ch oose u s?

A r t w or k : K i m ber ly Jack son

T h r ee t h i n gs I saw t h at m ad e m e st ar e Jean n e W i l k i n son

A w om an w al k i n g d ow n th e st r eet r ead i n g a book . A n ovel by th e l ook of i t. A l i ter ar y w om an ?s n ovel , cer tai n ly. Sof t cover becau se of th e sl i gh t ben d an d bou n ce. A m an p aci n g th e bou l ev ar d , t en d i n g t o a bu r n i n g f l ar e N ex t to th e cu r b. A n am bu l an ce p u l l ed over si x f eet d ow n T h e str eet , i m p ai r ed , i n n eed of car e an d h eal i n g. A w om an stoop i n g on a ben ch , r ou n d - backed , h er h an d Ex t en d ed bu t I cou l d n ?t see w h at ?s i n i t . M ay be n oth i n g. Statu e- sti l l bu t f or th e br eeze r u f f l i n g h er h ead scar f , p i n k .

A r t w or k : Cr i st i n a Q u er r er 56

T h e C i r cu m st an ces L i n d a M cL ean

I t w as th e ci r cu m stan ce I f ou n d m y sel f

p er son al stor y. L on g bef or e I m et y ou .

i n . I t w as th e ci r cu m st an ce i n w h i ch I

Sam u el stood cl ose t o m e an d p i cked

f ou n d m y sel f . W al k i n g on th e tr am l i n e, th e m et al on e. H av i n g f al l en f r om m y p er ch on th e p l asti c ed ge. A n d I w as

u p m y cu p . ?Can I get y ou an oth er ?? h e sai d . I ?d f i n i sh ed t h i s on e f ar en ou gh aw ay t h at i t w as col d . I sh ook m y h ead .

w al k i n g w i t h ou t h el p , bal an ci n g r eal ly. W h i l e th e p eop l e on

?You can ?t ju st si t t h er e.?

th e p l at f or m

sh ou ted to m e, ?T r ai n . T r ai n .? A n d m e w av i n g. A s th e tw o gu y s l i f ted m e u p

?I can an d I w i l l , Sh el d r ake.? ?Sam u el .? H e ad ju st ed h i s n am e t ag t h at

i n to th e car , h oi sted , an d d r op p ed m e at ever y on e?s f eet an d p u l l ed th em selves back u p an d d u st ed of f th ei r p an t s an d

w as p i n n ed cr ooked an d h e sh ou l d k n ow i t w ou l d n ever si t st r ai gh t . I k n ew h e?d cor r ect m e. H e h ad t h at l ook of a

th i n gs an d l et m e cr aw l over to th e w al l .

p er son

w h ose

en t i r e

i d en t i t y

I tu r n ed an d l ean ed agai n st i t an d

w r ap p ed u p i n t h e job t h at som ebod y

p u l l ed m y k n ees u p i n to m y ch est an d

el se h as gi ven h i m . I w an t ed t o ex p l ai n

cu r l ed i n as ti gh t as I cou l d . A n d p eop l e

i t t o h i m , h ow h e w as r eal ly f r ee bu t

p el t ed m e w i t h coi n s u n ti l I h ad en ou gh

h ad n ?t r eal i zed i t y et . H ow t h e w h ol e

to get a tea an d si t h er e an d tel l y ou

h u m an

abou t i t.

m om en t of n ot bei n g af r ai d of d oi n g

W e al l h ave a stor y, i f on ly y ou ?r e

r ace i s f r ee an d i t t akes a

w h at ever y ou w an t t o r eal i ze i t .

w i l l i n g to l i st en . T h at?s w h at a f el l ow

A n d t h en t h e i n ev i tabl e qu esti on t h at

tou r i st on a beach i n Q u i n tan a Roo sai d

st op s m e f r om say i n g an y t h i n g, t w o

on e d ay, soon i n to ou r con ver sat i on

r eal ly, ?can a gu y l i ke Sam u el ever k n ow

m ostly abou t h i m . T h at w as l on g bef or e

h e?s f r ee?' an d ?w h at m akes m e t h i n k I

h ave t h e r i gh t t o t el l h i m w h at t o t h i n k ??

h ad

an y

p ar ti ci p at e

i d ea th at in

th e

tel l i n g

w an t ed of

on e?s

?A gu y l i ke w h o??

m ay be i t w as t h e w om an si t ti n g by t h e w i n d ow

Sam u el w as l ook i n g at m e w i t h a

w at ch i n g m y

ever y

m ove. I sh ook m y h ead at h er , h ear t

qu est i on i n h i s f or eh ead .

p ou n d i n g t oo h ar d gasp i n g f or ai r . ?W h at d i d I say ?? I ask h i m . Sam u el h ad h i s h an d ou t, t r i ed t o ?You sai d , ?a gu y l i ke h i m .?A n d t h en

gr ab m e. ?You r ch an ge, l ad y.?

oth er th i n gs. W er e y ou tel l i n g m e I stop p ed an d l et h i m p u t t h e coi n s

som eth i n g?"

i n m y p ocket . H i s m ou t h cam e I f el t m y f ace go h ot. H e?d f ou n d

cl ose t o m y ear . ?You st i n k , l ad y.?

m e ou t . I sh ook m y h ead an d d u g I t u r n ed m y f ace t o h i s, ?A m

i n to m y coat p ocket w h i l e I st ood

su p p osed t o k n ow y ou ?? I asked .

u p an d d r op p ed al l th e coi n s I ?d col l ect ed on th e tabl e an d h ead ed

Sh el d r ake sh r u gged , a boy n ow, a

to th e d oor .

l on ely f r i gh ten ed ch i l d . I cou l d t el l h e n eed ed m e. I k n ew h e n eed ed

?D on ?t go.? I th i n k th at ?s w h at h e

m e. A n d I w as r u n n i n g agai n .

sai d w h en I op en ed th e d oor . O r

A r t w or k : Geor ge Stei n

T h e Sl i d e Joh n D r u d ge

T h e d eath of f r eed om Feel s l i ke th i s I t m oves p assi vely W i t h ease I n to th e cr ook s A n d cr eases O f al l th at m att er s O u r d esi r es l ocked d ow n U n d er a sl ow sp r ead i n g O f r u l es M ech an i st i c m an agem en t O f th ou gh t Beh i n d th e stead y d r u m beat O f salv at i on

A r t w or k : Pau l a Cam ach o 59

WRITERS Lucy Heuschen (Twitter: @Rainbow_Poems) is a British-born poet living in the German countryside. She was a lawyer before severe illness changed her life. She is most likely to be found reading, writing, dog-walking or school-running. Lucy is the founder of two poetry initiatives: The Rainbow Poems and Sonnets for Shakespeare. You can find her work in Irisi Magazine, The Covid Narratives and Unlimited Lit Mag with forthcoming publications in FEED and Near Window. Kate Cornell’s love of teaching literature in England landed her in Washington DC, NYC, TX and CA before a gentler life in Canada beckoned - and she and her wife drove their 3 horses and 4 dogs 4200 miles to establish their hobby farm in Nova Scotia. Martha Buffkin Kane writes poetry in her home in Gilford, NH, USA, or wherever she happens to be. J.R. Jamison is a writer based in Indiana where he co-hosts The Facing Project Radio Show on NPR. His work has been featured in multiple outlets, including Beyond Words, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, and Pangyrus. He is a two-time graduate of Ball State University with a Master of Arts in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Cultural Geography and Creative Writing. He can be found on Twitter @JR_Jamison. Erin Courville is a student from Vermont, studying Biology and English at Williams College. She has worked as a poetry and fiction editor on multiple literary magazines, including "Parlor Tricks" at Williams College and "The Isis Magazine" at Oxford University, but has not published her own poetry since high school. Erin is beginning her final year at Williams in the fall and intends to pursue an MDPhD after graduation. Riley Mayes is a full-time student and an intern for a transnational feminist journal, currently residing in Maine. Riley is interested in explorations of nature and the self. Riley’s work has been published in several online and print publications, including Garfield Lake Review, DoveTales Literary Journal, Canvas Literary Journal, and Sudden Denouement Collective. Clarice Nguyen-Hua is a poet based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. A student of philosophy and linguistics, she explores concepts of time and interpretation, particularly the way words influence perception and understanding. Her personal site is thelemonadeaffair.com. Greg Friedmann has lived alongside a channel of the Potomac River in northern Virginia, USA, for the last 35 years. He often writes on riparian themes, as well as love and loss, secular, political, and spiritual epiphanies. His works have appeared in Cagibi, Panoplyzine, and regional publications in Virginia. Diliana Stoyanova is currently a PhD candidate in international law at the University of Helsinki, Finland. She was born and raised in Bulgaria. She did her undergraduate degree in Japan, and afterwards lived in Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Germany, and the US. Diliana has been doing spoken word since 2018. Steven Simoncic’s fiction and non-fiction work have appeared in Arts and Letters, Craft, Drift Magazine, Under The Gum Tree, New Millennium, Conclave, Ampersand, Hippocampus, and Spork Magazine among others. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, was a finalist for the Susan Atefat Fiction Prize, and his creative nonfiction story, I Like You, was included in the Best American Essays of 2016, edited by Robert Atwan. Aidan Stone is a teacher born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He currently serves as a Creative Fellow at FWD.us, a pro-immigration lobby group in the US. He hopes to moves to Ireland one day. Donovan Hufnagle is a father of three, a husband, and a professor of English and Humanities. He moved from Southern California to Prescott, Arizona to Fort Worth, Texas. His recent book, The Sunshine Special, published in 2018, is “part personal narrative, epic poem, and historical artifact,” and his recent writings have appeared in Wingless Dreamer, Subprimal Poetry Art, Americana Popular Culture Magazine, Shufpoetry, Kitty Litter Press, Carbon Culture, Amarillo Bay, Borderlands, Tattoo Highway, The New York Quarterly, Rougarou, and others. Jordon Miller is a non-binary therapist who grew up in rural Oklahoma but now lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Emily M. M. Rogers is a lover and teacher of literature, a resident of Canton, Ohio, and a selfproclaimed optimist. After spending 6 years studying literature and poetry, she hopes to make a contribution to the field that has shaped her life. In her spare time she travels, reads, writes, and spends days with those who make her happiest.

Susannah Eig-Gonzalez is a theatre artist and PhD candidate in Creativity. Her research mainly focuses on Shakespeare's polymorphic role in US communities. Her poetry is interested in the most human of qualities: contradiction. Jan Zlotnik Schmidt’s work has been published in many journals including The Alaska Quarterly Review, Cream City Review, and Kansas Quarterly. Her work also has been nominated for the Pushcart Press Prize. Two volumes of poetry were published by the Edwin Mellen Press (We Speak in Tongues, 1991; She had this memory, 2000) and another, Foraging for Light recently was published by Finishing Line Press (2019). Joseph Rodgers is a 24 year-old from North London, currently trying to establish himself as a poet and cultural reviewer after completing an MA in Contemporary English Literature. He has recently had writing published on Empty Mirror, and more of his work can be found on his personal blog, Opened Book. William Aarnes has published two collections with Ninety-Six Press—Learning to Dance (1991) and Predicaments (2001)—and a third collection, Do in Dour, from Aldrich Press (2016). His work has appeared in such magazines as Poetry, FIELD, and Burningword Literary Journal. Lael Cassidy has published 16 nonfiction children's books, written 2 young adult novels, and one adult novel, many short stories and poems. She holds a BA and MA from University of Pennsylvania and lives in Seattle. She has appeared on on Headline Poetry and Press and soon to appear on Silver Birch, and short fiction in the June issue of Beyond Words. Michael Chapleau is a writer, nature lover and former paramedic who currently spends his days helping maintain the nation's blood supply. He lives in eastern Canada with his wife and two cats. Dan Reilly lives with his wife Aggie in the Adirondacks where he had his first reading thanks to Maurice Kenny. Dan has worked in films and construction, bartended, driven truck and taxi, written for a newspaper, taught in prisons, owned a business, and lived in NYC and LA. His work has recently been published in Pif Magazine and BANG! Beth Jacobs is a lifetime writer, a psychologist and non-fiction author in the areas of Buddhist psychology and therapeutic uses of writing, and a transmitted lay teacher in the Soto Zen Buddhist tradition. She is the mother of two complex and lovely people and lives with a kind person and a beautiful gray cat. John Steckley is a retired college professor. He worked at the same school for over 30 years. Now he is the tribal linguist for the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma, and writes short stories. Vijay Varman is a London-based writer who enjoys writing for both the page and the screen. Vijay also spends his time working in the Genealogy industry and behind-the-scenes in London’s West End theatres. Visit him at vijayvarman.com or follow him on Twitter as @CircleofCine . Emily Steele is an embroiderer and stay-at-home mother from London, UK. She writes poetry in the very little spare time that she gets. Melissa Siig is an award-winning journalist and editor based in Tahoe City, Calif. Her articles have appeared in Nevada Magazine, ESPN.com, Alaska Airlines Magazine, the Reno-Gazette Journal, and SKIING. When not writing, she is busy wrangling her three children and large German Shepherd, and running a one-screen movie theater she owns with her husband. Jeanne Wilkinson is a writer and artist living in Brooklyn, NY and Madison, WI. From being a 'back-tothe-land' organic dairy farmer in Wisconsin, she ended up with an MFA in painting at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Her essays have been featured on WNYC’s 'Leonard Lopate Show,' NPR's 'Living on Earth' and 'Cleaning Up Glitter Literary Journal.' Her fiction and poetry have appeared in 'Columbia Journal,' 'Digging Through the Fat,' 'Fresh.Ink' and 'Prometheus Dreaming.' Linda McLean is an award-winning songwriter, musician, author, and arts professor. For decades she has toured the world, performing and promoting her songs and stories. She loves nothing more than connecting with an audience and has built a strong and loyal community of followers on multiple platforms from traditional media to online channels. She holds a Master’s in Education specializing in creativity, has a professional background as an actor and is a certified yoga practitioner. John Drudge is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology. He is the author of two books of poetry: “March” and “The Seasons of Us” (both published in 2019). His work has appeared widely in literary journals, magazines, and anthologies internationally. John is also a Pushcart Prize nominee and lives in Caledon, Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children.

VISUAL ARTISTS Cover art: Zagged by Martha Clarkson. Martha is a writer and photographer living in Kirkland, WA. She likes to look at the world through a neglected vantage and find the unique. Lawrence Bridges, Loneliness; Croatian Wall. Lawrence is best known for work in the film and literary world. His poetry has appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, and The Tampa Review. He has published three volumes of poetry: Horses on Drums, Flip Days, and Brownwood. As a filmmaker, he created a series of literary documentaries for the NEA’s “Big Read” initiative. Patricia Bingham, Dream of Lost Shoes. Pat is a self-taught artist. She is a native Chicagoan who moved to Idaho on a whim where she works in many media; photography, collage, and painting. Her images may seem straightforward, but on closer observation one will find metaphor and symbolism, visual puns and sometimes text. Matthew Gwathmey, Time Lapse of Night Sky, June 11, 2020. Matthew is currently working on his PhD at the University of New Brunswick. His first poetry collection, Our Latest in Folktales, was published by Brick Books in the spring of 2019. Erika Tal-Shir, Interfaceable. Erika is a Fine Art and Portrait photographer of Milady Photography and co-founder of Beam Collective. The camera gives her the perfect medium to create her own vision within her world of imagination, often rising from the need to keep innocence, faith, and beauty alive, as well as exploring those same aspects. She finds her inspiration in her Flemish background, her love for the Old Masters, and nineteenth Century history, mixed with fantasy elements. Lizzy Kirby, I Am Still Here. Lizzy sees color and texture as a way of telling her story and understanding her place as a body in the universe. Lizzy and her cat Gertrude are based in Portland OR, where she paints, writes, and performs as a musician. Jaina Cipriano, Growth. Jaina is creating visual metaphors for emotions she has trouble defining. Without the help of Photoshop, she builds physical environments that open her subjects up to become part of something bigger. Her work can be seen this summer at The Griffin Museum of Photography, and was recently published in GRLSQUASH, Gastronomica and The Boston Herald. Jaina has just wrapped on her first short film, "You Don't Have to Take Orders from The Moon," a magical realism story about darkness inside and outside us. Chelsea Brown, In the Light. Chelsea is an artist and poet based in Seattle, Washington. Her most recent artwork and poetry are inspired by her struggle with chronic illness and the feeling of being out of control of her body, herself, and her connection to others. She often depicts the female body in her work, and themes of vulnerability, fear, and empowerment. Juan Canals, Anime; Humanot. Juan was Born in Hospitalet de Lobregat in 1964. He lives and works in Barcelona. Visit him at www.artecanals.com. Judith Ornstein, Breaking Character. After getting her MFA from Yale University, Judith started showing at Willard Gallery in NYC and has been included in solo and group shows. Her work was on the cover of the Paris Review and she has been the recipient of several grants and awards. Judith is included in several museum collections, including the Albright Knox, Vassar College Museum and the Copper Hewitt. Using organic forms and a bright color pallet she seeks to distill blocks of emotion and complex experiences into the closely observed spacial fragments or small universes. Nina Kossman, Nothing Can Overcome Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow. Moscow born Nina Kossman is a painter, sculptor, bilingual writer, poet, and playwright. Her paintings and sculptures have been exhibited in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and Moscow. Among her published works are three books of poems, two volumes of translations of Tsvetaeva’s poems, two collections of short stories, an anthology published by Oxford University Press, and a novel. She lives in New York. Andrea Jones, Waiting for the clouds to pass. For the last nine years Andrea has worked as an Art teacher in prison. Her artwork has featured in Average Art Magazine, Pikchur Magazine, Wotisart Magazine, Thought Art Magazine, Candy Floss Magazine, Envision Arts Magazine, Art Hole Magazine and Beyond Words Literary Magazine. Daniel Foley, Impossible Assault. Daniel is a visual artist and writer based in Central Ohio. His work suggests narratives through abstraction; defying traditions and forcing glitches to inspire critical thinking. He is a proud member of the Navajo tribe.

Paola Tavoletti, Mediterraneo. Paola is an Italian artist-writer. Visit her at www.paolatavoletti.com. Valyntina Grenier, Our Mortal Earth; I Feel Love. An LGBTQIA+ multi-genre artist living in Tucson, Arizona, Valyntina's work has appeared in Sunspot Literary Journal, High Shelf Press, Lana Turner, JuxtaProse, and Bat City Review. Her tête-bêche chapbook Fever Dream / Take Heart, was published by Cathexis Northwest Press, January 2020. Find her at valyntinagrenier.com or Instagram @valyntinagrenier. George L. Stein, lips/cross/green; Exit West, Washington Square Park. George is a digital photographer in the NYC area seeking great juxtapositions and unique contrasts. His work has previouly been published in The Toho Journal, Fatal Flaw Lit, Nunum, and Beyond Words, among others. Torrie Tatum is a painter located in North Carolina. She studied oil painting in college and has been painting and drawing as long as she can remember. Jonathan Horowitz, Thang. Jonathan is a writer, painter, translator and muralist from Highland Park, New Jersey. In May 2020, he earned his MFA in Fiction with a joint course of study in Literary Translation, as he studies painting at the Art Students League in New York. Dylan Albertson, Agoraphobia. Dylan is a visual and performance artist based out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, whose works explore topics of identity, queerness, capitalism and technology, frequently set to a backdrop of science fiction. They have been drafting pieces about these topics in particular since 2016 - their visual art exists in traditional mediums and new media, and their performance work ranges from aerial arts to drag. Through their work, be it illustrative or performative, they seek to analyze the human condition, both on an interpersonal and introspective level. Christine Luna, Into the Wild Blue Yonder. Christine studied at Emily Carr College of Art & Design, Vancouver (Diploma Fine Arts) and she exhibited in Vancouver at Malaspina Printmakers, Six of One Gallery, the ECCAD Summer Show, solo printmaking shows at WECC Gallery and The Naam Café Gallery, and at Arts Whistler, B.C. Now living in Toronto, she is a recent member of the Don Valley Arts Club (DVAC) where she is exploring pastel and acrylic painting and has exhibited with the DVAC at Todmorden Mills Gallery, the Sunnybrook Hospital Art Foundation, Artusiasm Gallery, Art for Cancer Foundation, Oakwood Library & Arts Centre, and at the Gerrard Art Space Drawing Show. Eileen Brill, Flotation. Eileen is a sign language interpreter, writer and artist who tries to connect with people through our common emotions as human beings. Bonnie Matthews Brock, On the Edge. Bonnie is a Florida-based photographer, as well as a school psychologist. Her images have been published in Ibbetson Street Press, The Somerville Times, and Oddball Magazine. Cristina Querrer, Beauty in My Catastrophes; Composition of Air. Cristina’s works have appeared in various publications in print and online. She has two published books of poetry, “By Astrolabes & Constellations” and “The Art of Exporting”. You can view her book publications and artwork at cristinaquerrer.com. Listen to her art and literary podcast: www.yourartsygirlpodcast.com/episodes. Emily Budd, Well Hung Up. Cast aluminium, 2019. Emily is a lesbian artist specializing in time travel through mold-making. Drawing from her background in bronze-casting and paleontology, her sculptural explorations challenge the human perception of time and speculate on our own futurity and fossilization. Reformative monuments, artifacts and memorials become an act of queer place-making while contemplating human sustainability when facing imminent change. Matty Heimgartner, The Beat, watercolor and ink, 14” x 11”, 2019. Matty is a visual artist and writer based in San Jose, California. His visual art has roots in surrealism, expression, and illustration. The creation process is a therapeutic experience for him. Kyla Yager, Psychedrippy. Kyla is a Visual Artist from New Orleans. Art has always been a therapeutic getaway for her, especially in the abstract realm. Her style has shifted over the years and changes by her mood or feeling. Kimberly Jackson was born blind in Indiana, and continues today as Legally Blind, where her parents were advised to, “Put her in an asylum for the blind and move on with your life.” She graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts from Purdue University, and a BFA in Illustration and Animation from the Art Institute of Boston. She has been selling her work for three decades. Paula Camacho, Lost. Paula is a Colombian-born multi-disciplinary artist currently residing in Orlando, Florida. She graduated from the University of Central Florida in the Fall of 2019 with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and a Minor in Graphic Design. Paula takes a deep interest in exploring philosophical and psychological matters via her art practice.

Contents 0 1 I n v i tat i on L u cy H eu sch en 0 2 T i m ekeep er K ate Cor n el l 0 5 T h e K n el l M ar t h a Bu f f k i n K an e 0 6 M ask s J. R. Jam i son 0 8 Pap er T h i n Er i n Cou r v i l l e 10 to f i l l Ri l ey M ay es 12 I Ref u se th e Sp r i n g Cl ar i ce N gu y en - H u a 13 M ost W an ted Gr eg Fr i ed m an n 14 Cou r tsh i p D i l i an a St oy an ova 16 You W i l l D o T h i s St even Si m on ci c 21 T h e Pr of essor 's D r eam A f t er H e D i ed ... A i d an Ston e 26 U n i cor n Tat too D on ovan H u f n agl e 28 W h en I D i e Jor d on M i l l er 30 H ow Cr ay on s Get T h ei r Col or Em i ly M . M . Roger s 32 Cr ossi n g L i n es, Pl ay i n g Rol es Su san n ah Ei g- Gon zal ez 34 Su m m er L i gh t Jan Z l otn i k Sch m i d t 36 O u t of th ese cr ack s Josep h Rod ger s 37 Beau ty W i l l i am A ar n es 39 I n f estati on L ael Cassi d y 40 Fam i l i ar Si l en ce M i ch ael Ch ap l eau 42 Googy Rou n d th e W or l d D an Rei l ly 44 T h i stl e Beth Jacobs 46 T h e Ph on e Cal l Ch al l en ge i n cl u d i n g w or k s by Joh n Steck l ey an d V i jay Var m an 51 M i d n i gh t Ph on e Con ver sat i on s Em i ly Steel e 52 T h e Scu d M i ssi l e M el i ssa Si i g 56 T h r ee th i n gs I saw th at m ad e m e star e Jean n e W i l k i n son 57 T h e Ci r cu m st an ces L i n d a M cL ean

Beyond Words I nternational Literary M agazine

I SBN 9783948977160

59 T h e Sl i d e Joh n D r u d ge