the storm
relentless—
you take my hand

snow
seeps in—
old shoes

Sam Sinkhorn (3)

bare branches
her hands laden
with wishes

Aubrie Cox (3)

sandwiched between
my boyfriend’s kid sisters
practicing motherhood

Melanie McLay (3)

Allen Wrench
screwed Lefty Lucy…
she bolted

Melanie McLay (7)

asleep in his chair
my grandfather
looks harmless

Debbie Myers (4)

diet food:
a small sliver
of cheesecake

arch rival school
balloon tumbles past
the headlights

a candle’s flame
flickers
wanting only more

Thanksgiving
on Atkins
I load up the potatoes

Mark Beanblossom (3)

the water
in my lava lamp
tastes terrible

Mark Beanblossom (5)

oscura selva
rusted barbed wire
tangled under leaves

forbidden fruit
the apple in his hand
in hers

Aubrie Cox (2)

brick wall
behind my eyes
made of pumpkings

watching the news
on thanksgiving day
unable to swallow

old sneakers
he starts to run
again

sock drawer
he finds
the ones with holes

Sam Sinkhorn (3)

Thanksgiving marathon:
seven more
assignments to complete

left field—
tightening the laces
of his father's glove

inlaws visit—
their dog pees
on the carpet

Debbie Myers (4)

Thanksgiving
with her hippie parents
Tofurkey

Mark Beanblossom (4)

baby's first snow
all bundled up
but crying all day

Wendy’s, 1 A.M.
I teach him
to write rengay

in the thunderstorm
the sprinkler
waters the sidewalk

Melanie McLay (3)

back-n-forth
porch swing
in the wind

Sam Sinkhorn (2)

cannibalism
my aunt eats another
piece of fruitcake

Aubrie Cox (5)

six hours
and three pots of tea
…four chapters read

walking back from class
the first snow
—in my moccasins!

Melanie McLay (2)

early morning sunrise
a single tire track
on the snowy road

dead flowers
around the stems—
a pink ribbon

electronic voting
more time reading the instructions
than the ballot

Christmas present
For a soldier’s wife
A government car

church bus trip
billboard after billboard:
ADULT SUPERSTORE

Melanie McLay (4)

purple frogs
stationary
on the paper

a fight between lovers
she left
for the last time

Sam Sinkhorn (2)

the same birthday candles
three years
in a row

Sam Sinkhorn (3)

tick tock
fixed again
Grandpa’s clock

birthday
exchanging Rowling
for Joyce

Aubrie Cox (4)

cold rainy morning
I coo like my mother
at the cat

clogged drain
I pull out
a roach

game day
crows circle
the football field

Aubrie Cox (5)

out of love and
washed up
Mom’s first new date

•

the homeless man
wails

the church service
suddenly silent

Amy Van Rheeden (3)