Laure-Anne Bosselaar: The Garden
Because everything I learned from the stained
glass windows I was told to kneel under
still remains thorned & stained & torn,
& all the teachings I was told to believe, still
leave me dis-believing & I wish it were not so —
Linda Stern: At the Jetty
You climbed the jetty leading to the sea,
and I hung back to let you try your skill
at navigating life apart from me
though you were not so far I could not still
reach for you if you slipped and fell.
Timons Esaias: No Boat
There is no boat there
on Ararat’s strong shoulders.
Ignore the astronaut
and take my word.
There is no boat there
and no trees, either.
Amy Goodman, Murtaza Hussain: Jeffrey Epstein’s Ties to US and Israeli Intelligence
What was the role of Jeffrey Epstein in U.S. foreign policy?
Lao Yang: “Magnolia” by Michael Simms, translated into Chinese and recited 《玉兰》
Suppose you held what you love so tightly
you broke it
Suppose you let something slip away
Richard Krawiec: Facing it at the Halal Market
All the mothers and children, who were having such a hard time, the children, it wasn’t fair, who needed SNAP and how the store wanted to serve them too, but they hadn’t received approval yet.
Shadi Karamroudi: All the Time
Hearing that her teenage sister is planning to commit suicide, Toranj is in limbo, not knowing how to react.
Mantas Balakauskas: letter from Rome
I’d really like to tell you everything
but there in the cities we once fully trusted
white noise dominates
Tadeusz Dabrowski: Three Poems
One day the jars will break, and the memories will merge into a single oily puddle, which I shall enter, as into fire.
Video: Play Hard
Nate, a workaholic drummer, spends all his time practicing in pursuit of perfection. When he meets Yazmine, a like-minded, dedicated modern dancer, he realizes that the key to success isn’t just to work hard – sometimes it requires you to play hard.
Dion O’Reilly: Ringo Starr
You weren’t the one I loved. I must confess:
I didn’t have the depth yet. It was Paul, of course
his droopy eyes and putty lips,
babylike, unthreatening, despite the then-
brutal sexiness of the songs.
Beverly Gologorsky: Aging in a Trumpian World
We must loudly proclaim our right to feel safe, to be free from hunger and assured of our healthcare and shelter.
David Ades: So, This Is What It Is
I am like a child who has wandered off
and doesn’t know the way back,
or an old man, disoriented, not even alarm
crossing the blank canvas of his face.
Byron Hoot: On That Day
In a few days, it will be the anniversary
of my father’s death and I will have
to see if grief visits or stays away.
