DUPLEX, by Elly Katz

Poetry by Elly Katz DUPLEX dark is darker than I remember was it a dream or a memory? rescue me from these shadows on the undersurface of spiral threads nude twists and turns mounting dismounting that called off glowing ground…

2023.32, by Bradley J. Fest

Poetry by Bradley J. Fest2023.32 Soaring amaranthis getting you down on the floor again? Diane Seuss’s long line’ll [1] set things right while hazarding the new kinds of loneliness. The body that is your body is and always has been…

ORIGIN STORY by Krista Puttler

Fiction by Krista Puttler ORIGIN STORY Mama, where do stories come from?  They come from a dog’s ear. No, they don’t! They come from your fingertips! You mean fingernails.  No, I don’t. Pens, pencils, keyboards…   Blood, pain, anticipation… What are…

THE BODY SHOP, by Jessica Klimesh

Flash by Jessica KlimeshTHE BODY SHOP I find a pair of arms in my size and put them on, then exchange my middle-aged ears for some keener ones since Lyle says I don’t listen, says it’s just one of my…

TRUE NORTH, by Herman Beavers

Poetry by Herman BeaversTRUE NORTH Sidereal & reassuring, lightattired in the color of plums.Aching with sap, the trees’throb of sweetness’s likea ghost vexing me.  Grass browningunder its pointed stare,a ground hog, back curved amongthe sycamore leaves, presses closeagainst the gravel,…

THE ARMAGEDDON SURF CLUB by Sinclair Cabocel

Fiction by Sinclair Cabocel THE ARMAGEDDON SURF CLUB When the trumpets sounded, Monica was propped up on her elbows, watching Mateo shred from the sandy shore. The other beachgoers swiveled their heads, as if they might find some passing band…

AI, THE END, by Anders Howerton

Poetry by Anders HowertonAI, THE END We had done it before with skylines,migrations, lasagna, and this too was alive, a chamber of neurons, layered like we are. Everyone ever known now looms before us.  It rose like a scaffold, part…

THE BLUE PEN by Alex Rost

Alex RostTHE BLUE PEN I’m writing this with a blue pen. Traditionally, and consistently, I’ve always been a black pen kind of guy. I think most of us are. You can say that about a lot of things. You can…

CATSUIT by Cameron MacKenzie

Cameron MacKenzieCATSUIT Every time Ally’s mom’s boyfriend fed his ball python, he played “Mouth for War,” by Pantera. My friend Tyler and I would squat beside the snake’s aquarium under the hot light and watch the little mouse as it…

PRECIOUS THINGS by A.L. Gordon

A.L. GordonPRECIOUS THINGS Winner of the 2024 Cleaver Emerging Artist Award “Precious Things” by A.L. Gordon was one of those submissions that wowed me by how unafraid and emotionally raw it is in its subject, while still being beautifully crafted…

REUNION by David L. Updike

David L. UpdikeREUNION My kindergarten class’s fiftieth reunion is underway. It’s being hosted by two of our classmates, Mike Finnegan and Linda Haupt, who ended up dating in high school and getting married shortly after graduation. They’re now grandparents and…

FIVE HEARTS by David Waters

David WatersFIVE HEARTS Physician Notes Patient Name: Barbara Fields Chief Complaint: chronic yearning History of Present Illness: This pleasant 38-year-old, well-developed, well-nourished woman—looking younger than her stated age—comes to the Emergency Department complaining of unrequited desire. She is oriented as…

ONO CHICKEN by Micah Grotegut

Micah GrotegutONO CHICKEN Scrolling through the news, I clicked on a video headlined “Historic Lahaina Burnt Down in Wildfire.” I listened to the reporter describe the ashy remains of once-standing homes and shells of vehicles strewn on apocalyptic roads, the…

SLAPPED by Hart Vetter

Hart Vetter SLAPPED “Just let it rise,” said Aaron. He’d had it. My son and I had schlepped over two dozen filled buckets out the basement up the steps to the front door and dumped them down the driveway, mercifully…

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