Beached Whale

Beached Whale

Beached Whale by Scott T. Starbuck Illustration by Zyanya Cittalli Beached Whale wasn’t dead but sheriff feltbeyond savingso I sat near her eyeuntil life-light faded. Whale came backin my dreamslike stirred embersof driftwood fire. Dream-whale swaminto my dying...
Depot To Another Form of Existence

Depot To Another Form of Existence

Depot To Another Form of Existence by Tor Strand Photo by Annelie Turner Depot To Another Form of Existence When the cape trail ended and I couldn’t,I climbed from its edge— light formed oceanlike a story being read aloud— you lie in the crook of a lip-shaped treeand...
Red

Red

Red by Dzvinia Orlowsky Red In 2020, I would have believedthe red bird anchoring itself on the lowestbranch of the slumping lilac bushin early March came to show me that bright beauty exists where you least expect it, that I still had time to see, fear-free, a...
Emergence

Emergence

Emergence by Henry Hughes Photo by Henry Hughes Emergence         Ankeny Wildlife Refuge The Rail Trail’s shotgunned sign, squashed masks, and slick boardwalk are engagements of neglectthat don’t faze the song sparrow, the wrenriding out winter among the purple leaves...
Return

Return

Return by Penina Ava Taesali-Matthews Photo by John Lewis Matthews Return You are here. Use your good ear. Sense there, high at one-o-clock, on that dead snag, two adult bald eagles. One lifts its head chortling to the sun. Winter rains restore the marsh. We are good...