Poem by Millicent Sharman Art by Monica Feng My mother hands me cong you bing and I learn to take the layers for granted. Half-hearted punch thrown at my playground bully and I panic to wonder if my back was ever forced against her door, Baseless threats on her breath and I’m smelling burnt sugar;
TagPoetry
because your grandfather is dying
Poetry by Stella Xia Art by Paula Mohar truthfully i am barely out the cradle myself i have no authority to speak on such things cleaving of spirit from flesh reclaiming of fire from man singularity to which everything eventually returns, damned by the sagging gravity of time instead i will tell you about the
Karen Magnussen, 1 Week Later
Poetry by Beckett Stanger Art by Margaret Xun I start going on walks in October. Fog covers the valley Night after night. It clears my head. I sit and talk with Friends. Songs calm me down. I tell them about you, Fighting off self-loathing. It is not working. The air is Ripe with decomposing leaves.
it was the cold
Poetry by Jeff Oro Art by Adri Marcano We’re tired tourists sitting around a dinner table drinking a slurry of orange juice and vodka. Easy on the OJ. You ask me for a sip of mine, even though you have yours. I watch your lips kiss the glass under the sheen of the chandelier light.
Sostén esto por mí (Hold this for me)
Poetry by Nicolás Serrano de la Paz Art by Alex Hoang Sostén esto por mí Antes te ofrecí un dedo.O unos varios.Pero ahora te ofrezco mis ojos.Para que no salgan lágrimasy no pueda ver tu sonrisaescondida o tus ojos escapados. Y te ofrezco mis manos(incluyendo mis dedos)Para que no me puedaaferrar a ti. Para queno
love poem
Poem by Stella Xia Art by J. Sassi x. epilogue / asshole, she scoffsno no mom i’ll still write him a love poemit is not a matter of merit you seebut of memory, or what remains after skinbecomes tissue paperand kneesa bird’scroaking under sterile sheets at least i was recklessearnestloudjust what he loathedjust what i
weaving
Poem by Vidushy Avasthi Art by J. Sassi I weave my memory of people from threads they leave behind. The gas station next to their bus stop, silent car rides after driving tests, rum and cokes and gin and tonics. All the little things, everything we ever laughed and fought about, tucked in a pattern
Bad Gateway
Poem by Spencer Lee Art by J. Sassi I’m malfunctioning at the pool with my kindergarten ex-girlfriend listening to the humdrum whir of the air conditioner. She has a brother I’ve seen on Grindr; she gets me, I’ve assumed. We’re discussing the merits of Uber fees over DUI charges and all the tall
This is not an apology it is a confession
Poem by Lorelei McEwen Art by Alex Hoang You were not divine. You were soft and brittle. You hurt gently.
The Trees on my Father’s Hands
Poem by Corrina Wang Art by Amy Ng Warning: The following poems contain topics on death. Disclaimer: I do not promote or support any self-harm, obsession, drugs, extremely strict parenting, or anything that will cause pain to people. Poems are taken from inspiration through historical texts, images, and random thinking. Please seek professional support if
Ode to a Recurring Nightmare
Poem by Zoe Shelton Art by Keeley Sieben waking up at regular intervals whether in my own bed or someone else’s— yours even. although it confuses me, when at one moment you are screaming at me for having forgotten to pack our moon shoes because we are leaving for mars within the half-hour, and the
Ultra Violet Outlook
Poem by Mark Cameron Art by Haley Cheng We are calling for halfmoon sunburns on the bare backs of teenagers with periods of Magnum bars at sundown. The Entertainer will play on repeat, Serving You Since 2011. Expect an increase in airborne predators. Russian dolls in flight, an iterative dining experience. Darkness will
The Woman’s Voyeur
Poem by Jenna Conradie Art by Amy Ng I am an atheist, yet I find myself Searching for right angles in the clouds Checking to see if that eyelash wish came true Bargaining to popcorn ceilings when I fall short I am an atheist, yet I find myself Preparing to be seen when there’s
Love in Saccharine
Poem by Czarain Laqui Art by Aiza Bragg Feet flat against a dusty floor: a layer of dead skin cells and dog fur — this is Home — but she is empty. Suffocation in all her trinkets whispering maudlin memories; Humid breath, Viscid lips. Kiss her goodbye before brushing your teeth and welcoming morning.
new endings.
Poem by Saffah Ibrahimi Art by Haley Cheng She’s sitting across from me, making paper planes out of old homework sheets. She tells me to join her, delicate fingers pressing against the ink of her last sociology final. Did you know we make our first impressions within one-tenth of a second? Did you know I