Diane Sahms

no. 9 [state of affairs, america]

into the unknown, late one march afternoon
shuttered with concerns, you lean against a thought

sky littered or is it tethered by brilliant hopeful clouds:
lavender, rose with linings of supreme golden truths.

to press your ear to roots and seeds on a listening ground
wonder everyone’s wonder: where are we headed—

when justice undresses into brutality?
when communal morals are plowed-in, time and time again

and the silence of trees forecasts more injustices.
above wisdom’s brow, moon wrinkles in deep furrows.

city streets persist, insist on liberty.


Diane's YouTube reading of "no. 9 [state of affairs, america]"


Diane confesses: "This poem was triggered by the brutality of ICE agents in Minnesota and elsewhere in our country. I believe Americans are truly concerned about the direction of our country and are questioning the loss of truth and justice. However, 'city streets persist, insist on liberty,' as Americans will not be silenced."

DIANE SAHMS, a native Philadelphian, is the author of nine poetry collections, latest —of an octopus: an archite|x|tural awareness of words, Carbonation Press, 2026. Awarded first place in Judith Stark’s Poetry Contest and Partisan Press’s Working People’s Poetry Contest, she is the recipient of AEVentures Foundation’s Poetry Grant. Published in North American Review, Northern Virginia Review, Brushfire, Valley Voices, Sequestrum, Chiron Review, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania Literary Journal, The New Verse News, Ranger Magazine, Amsterdam Review and elsewhere, with poems forthcoming from Abstract Magazine: Contemporary Expressions. Poetry Editor at North of Oxford, she has worked as a Contract Specialist for the government and as a high school English teacher. https://dianesahmsguarnieri.wordpress.com and http://www.dianesahms-guarnieri.com/

G. Emil Reutter

SENSELESS ACTIONS OF A MAD MAN

Our ships are massed on the sea near Iran as
bombs and missiles drop by the thousands upon
the land, bad guys killed… more innocents in the
numbers in a war that no one can explain… or
can they.

Why?
Why?
Why?

Servicemen and women killed in the line of duty
for what?

What?
What?
What?

Oil... China... Epstein?

Or the senseless actions of a mad man!


g.'s YouTube reading of "Senseless Actions of a Mad Man"


g. confesses nothing.

G. EMIL REUTTER is a writer of stories and poems. He can be found at https://gereutter.wordpress.com/about/

Susan L. Pollet

FALLING FROM THE SKY

It was March of 2026
as they sat in bomb shelters with
their families, if they were lucky
enough to have that option,
in their respective countries,
captives of the leaders making
decisions once in power,
mostly without their say,
what rained from the sky competed
with nature’s most furious storm

To those below, it felt that they had
little control whether made by man
or made by the physical world, as
they smiled through clenched teeth,
prayed in different languages for
deliverance, and told themselves
they would get through this latest
assault on what was left of
the ‘dignity of man’


Gerald So's YouTube reading of "Falling from the Sky"


Susan confesses: "This poem was inspired by the tense global atmosphere of early 2026, when ordinary people in many countries felt trapped between powerful leaders and forces beyond their control. Images of families in shelters, fear falling from the sky, and fragile human dignity reflect anxiety about war, vulnerability, and the resilience people cling to during crisis."

SUSAN L. POLLET is a published author of books in multiple genres and a fine artist who is a member of the Arts Student’s League in New York City. Susan’s poetry and art have been published in multiple literary publications and in on-line shows.

Hana Kelly

BASAL CLEAVAGE OF A DRUGSTORE DOLLAR

there it stands:
hunger
open-mouthed and gaping.
a hole in the ground full
of glossy, shiny things like teeth
or fangs
or mica
ready to eat our youth

and there they go
into the deep darkness
of its throat
small bodies in an open maw
small hands prepped for extraction
into a maze of windpipes for
the earth to breathe;

and they breathe each other in,
dust and sweat and blood,
the children and the mines.
for one tiny moment
in the shadowy hollow
a constellation underground,
pressing in on them

but these stars bite, are rabid.
small hands fit better into
muzzles
grope in the grit-fogged gloom
for sharp, pretty sheets of mica

for handfuls of rupees,
for a short escape
from hunger,
the risk of collapse—
lung or wall or world.
for the shimmer of tears
from a bereft mother,
still hungry,
still with other small mouths to feed.

for the glitter and sparkle
of pretty maquillage
on a plump American face.
and only a few American dollars.
how small a price to pay.


Hana's YouTube reading of "Basal Cleavage of a Drugstore Dollar"


Hana confesses: "This poem is inspired by mica mining in India, where poverty is used to keep a system of unethical and child labor practices in place. Unchecked capitalism will always have a victim. Learn more: https://www.fairplanet.org/story/child-labour-in-mica-mines-the-beauty-industrys-dark-secret/"

HANA KELLY lives in Atlanta and recently graduated from Georgia State University with a B.A. in English. When she is not writing speculative or surreal fiction, she’s reading it. Catch up with her on Instagram @hanamkelly.