sprovence
-
J. Angela Edwins, The Poems
Jo Angela Edwins The Poems You Have Yet to Write sleep comfortably in tallevergreens beyond your line of sight.God-like, they are there, you know it,but you cannot touch them, do notalways trust them, often believethey are figments of your imagination,which, of course, they are. Most days,like death, they never cross your mind,but when they do,…
-
A. Lowe, Origami
Alice Lowe Origami We kvetch about the way men want to solve everything, offer solutions when all you want them to do is listen and get it, have your back. Linda and I walk and talk. I tell her about my writing hiatus. I’m stuck, I say, need to give myself a respite, clear my…
-
H. King, Proverbially
Hilary King Proverbially The apple doesn’t fall far from a thousand words.A bird in the hand is thicker than water.Beggars can’t keep the doctor away.Necessity begins with a single step.When in Rome, before they hatchbirds of a feather spoil.Time is mightier. Originally from the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, Hilary King is a poet now…
-
S. Coultrap-McQuin, The Ordinary Ones
Susan Coultrap-McQuin The Ordinary Ones Praise the Ditch Lilies’ existencethe optimistic orange onesalways reaching for sun, alwaysadding vibrance to their place.Praise their calm endurancedespite sneers by master gardeners being mowed by haughty townsin search of a fancier look.Praise their ordinary persistencegrowing wherever they cannot bothered by anonymityhappy to mix with leaves and grass.Yes, praise all…
-
S. Lang, Rescue
Susanna Lang Rescue A storm blew in as we arrived at our neighbors’ door—welcoming us, they forgot that they’d left their baby rabbit, caged, in the garden. They’d found her burrowed into their blanket during an outdoor concert. Now, a small handful of wet fur clinging to me, her head was silky between the small…
-
K. McDonald, Common Reed
Kindra McDonald Common Reed For a season, I spend every dayon phragmites control, carryinga 3-gallon pack of herbicide on my back.Sloshing through swamps in brutal heat, this physical, thankless workwith no instant gratification, a lesson.This is the most important labor—what crowds out beauty never truly goes away, all you can do is mitigate damage.Rhizomes produce…
-
H. Zheng, Why We’re Not Rushing
Huina Zheng Why We’re Not Rushing to Say “I Do” After Six Years Living Together Because both Yong’s and my income are unstable. Because he’s almost always on business trips, leaving us more apart than together. Because when he returns to our apartment at night, I’m engrossed in my Taobao live streams selling the latest…
-
T. Kranz, Tidal Spring Redux
Tova Kranz Tidal Spring Redux The sun is high already: the skycloudless blue with the crisscross contrails, the sun glints off passenger planes and C-130s.Garden, mound of woodchips, and palm trees glow. The moon is faint and shimmers overa live oak branch; over the pluff mud the moon is a shrinking wedge drawing water back…
-
A. Fee, Reprieve
Arvilla Fee Reprieve I sink into the sofa,letting my arms falllimply to each side.Head back,eyes closedI breathe in the stillness,allowing it to fill my lungs.Upon release,I feel the tension leavemy body,the pressing weightof children,today’s dinner menu,dishes—laundry.In that one moment,I let it all go—ease my shouldersdown,tell myself it’s OK to be still,to simply existin this tiny…
-
P. Valdata, Commuter
Pat Valdata Commuter Tardy sun gilds the silver queen while Tina singssoft and rough. I didn’t catch enough z’s, so Rise Up Coffee comes to my rescue. My spirits should rise upwith each sip, but I am not morning’s minion. I slip on oversize sunglasses against the morning’s glare. Sixteen ounces later, I still want…