Two Pieces by Jim Hunter

Unitled

Time lost
Is tinsel tossed
Reflecting silver touches of sun.


Untitled II

Give a gander
To the oleander
A robust bush of delicate boughs
Of pink purple flowers
That grow high to hide a house
From hot high noon New Mexico hours

{Poetry by Jim Hunter}

Two Poems by Brian Newton

Running Water

Running down a stream
A Little Majestic Scene
Water, what a thing


Waiting Tables

A server, ready to wait on you
Working the late shifts
In a small old dusty diner
Cold soup and day old bread
To put money in his hand

{Poems by Brian Newton}

One Piece by Maranda Russell

Finally

Abandoned child,
you left me here
to walk upon the sky.

You thought I'd fall
and break my crown,
dashed hopes are all around.

Misfortune fell,
I let you down
and found my pair of wings.

Now I'm alone
and I can sigh
relief as you drift away.

Goodbye.
Goodbye.
Life's good as you go by.

{Poem by Maranda Russell}

One Piece by Ron Koppelberger

Yearning Delights

The fond with trust unto adventures in aching desire, in
Proposals of wagered warmth, in unruffled caprice
And ready wills of cause, the impermeable smile,
Nevertheless a compelling quality of flowing secret
Anticipation, in avenues of tender yield, the marvel of
Imbued attentions in exquisite amore, in form and sure devices
Of love. The rapture in adoring dreams and sleepy
Devotions, in yearning delights of bliss
And beauty.

{Poem by Ron Koppelberger}

One Poem by Saren Coughlin

Presentation of a Virgin at the Temple

Look at them
They bow their foolish heads
Raise their arms
In praise
As the girl ascends
The marble steps
Beaming with unmistakable glory
Idiots
But me?
I turn my back to her
Disgust
A man being jostled about
Amongst the other spectators
He too looks away
The others look down on us now
But when the day comes
And the little girl’s prophecy does not
They will see!
They will see…

{Poem by Saren Coughlin}

One Piece by Peter Lattu

Halloween

the Virginia Florist window
marks the seasons
now
black cats
emerge
from silver kisses
spiders mice and rats
crawl and creep around
ravens
recall Poe
evermore
pumpkins
spell “boo”
and napkins
urge “vote”
in the Virginia Florist window

{Poem by Peter Lattu}

Three Poems by Frank LeRose

From Profiles

My own,
others together
I’ve seen and learned;
it is better to want
then to have

-the kiss-

for then the cause
is never ruined.


A Tired Refrain

The natural pose
is lost on me,
with no one there to see it
a picture is missed.

With no chance to stale,
it’s another form
of nonexistence.


Avalon

Despair stole Eostre’s breath.

There is no sound this season,
only vacuum.

A mortal wound lives in Avalon.

{Poetry by Frank LeRose}

Two Poems by Ron Koppelberger

Arts of Lace

The confederate crème in sugary
Syrups and brazen balm, an
Appeasing affair in junctions of absolution,
Tentative consideration and passion in cause,
Dignity in divine dress and infant arrays of
Rainbow crystal, the applause in diamond
Sought arts of lace.


Hazy Asylum

Rare, wicked wonder and wishes that beggar reason
And vagrant enchantments insure,
In resource and fine-spun webs of
Illusion. A bidden existence in rivers
And sylvan wild, in blossoms and rare
Sparrow song. A wanton gospel in
Moments of hazy asylum.

{Poetry by Ron Koppelberger}

One Piece by Arthur E. Pichou

Do Not Be Afraid of Blind Travelers

Do not be afraid of blind travelers;
grab an arm; pull
in a fervor
to keep him from tumbling,
not knowing the jags beneath.
A boy had ripped off
red, tattered socks
and begged at a courthouse
for cloth-wraps; the
lawyers breathed judgement, sniffed
purity, poverty; police stood
leering statues,
honorable enough; there is no point,
judging them.

{Poem by Arthur E. Pichou}

One Poem by Kevin Cole

Another Shutdown Morning

Another shutdown morning
Factory layoff silent
A welder's shield sunless
Fifth of July

A corner deli
Jobless outpost
For the bored and holloweyed
Grouped in need support
Reading prophecies
In cheap stained cups
In dregs of listless coffee

Politician rescue
Will crawl around
Hardship added in bricklayers
Promoted in media repetition
As a demanding challenge added

{Poem by Kevin Cole}