In this month of mischief, what better way to open the issue than with three poems from Suzanne Lummis and her new “hypnosis series”? David B. Prather follows, with his noir take on the spectacular orchid mantis, through the web of the garden spider and into the web of war. Sean Colletti keeps the reader/viewer slightly off-balance in “Keatonesque.” It all feels a little dangerous, beguiling, as in Mercedes Lawry‘s “Spinning.” Sarah Carey puts skin in the game. Three short poems by Jean L. Kreiling with an autumnal ache. Another of our favorite California wits, Ron Koertge, brings the monsters. Abigail Pak gave us three delights. Kathryn Petruccelli imagines a delicious memory—can you imagine a memory? We vote yes. Finally, a brief triptych of blessings from Betsy Fogelman Tighe. Thank you, poets.
We hope you enjoy reading through the issue. Thanks to all who sent poems for us to consider, including many excellent poems we couldn’t fit in this issue. As always, we welcome your submissions here. You can also email us proposals for essays or reviews here.
Suzanne Lummis
The Beginning Hypnotist Writes Her First Poem
The Beginning Hypnotist Takes Notes from the Lecture by the Master Hypnotist
and Makes a Little Poem at the End
The Beginning Hypnotist and Emerging Poet Tries the Mirror Technique
David B. Prather
Orchid Mantis
Garden Spider
After Vietnam, April 1975
Sean Colletti
Keatonesque
Mercedes Lawry
Spinning
Sarah Carey
The Rose Bush
Jean L. Kreiling
Home and Away
Waning Crescent
Thirst at Three P.M.
Ron Koertge
Silver Bullets
The Afterlife
Abigail Pak
If It Were Anything Else
February Fishbowl Garden
Tuesday
Kathryn Petruccelli
Salting the Soup
Betsy Fogelman Tighe
Triptych