by Ankush Banerjee

Praise the war that cannot
change course of rivers in this valley

by Naomi Dean

The fear of a closed casket,
the fear of an open one

by Lenora Rain-Lee Good

You wear a pair of camos, size small,
still too big for your slight frame

by Lily Jarman-Reisch

We celebrate in exile, freed
from shelling across the border,
safe for now.

by Gordon Kippola

I feel the time has come for us to chat, Willy; 
if you concur, keep barking.

by Gordon Kippola

It’s rarely wrong to be polite, so, sure: a nod
a smile-stained-sad, and my thank you in return

by Kyra Kyle

Clouds form road
maps overhead

by Leeor Margalit

Daisy is blonde in the way that sunshine is blonde.
I know that doesn’t make sense, but it does.

by Kari Martindale

I want you to dream. Dream big!
But don’t let your Girl Scout troop leader
write Keep on dreaming!

by Idman Omar

Past hungry, lips white,  
breath like death. 
Bro hugged me like decades had passed.

by Idman Omar

Thug mentality is to
stay up, pray for revenge

by Jonathan Pessant

There’s a technique in loving someone you know
you’ll be divorced from some day

by Mary Silwance

since rape
is a weapon
of war

by Mary Silwance

term to describe
people erased
for existing

by Meghan Sterling

The car was suddenly upside down and backwards,
all wheels and undercarriage rust and a young man
in tears on the sidewalk.

by Meghan Sterling

But not in New York. I come to New York in dreams
sometimes, the Empire State Building a monolith of steel

by Frances Wiedenhoeft

Never the soldier
with the flag
draped over my heart

by Frances Wiedenhoeft

Hunger is my friend.
the empty
hollo wness
of it