A Joyful Melody

Andrew Kalitka

The sun beamed down like a fresh summer’s day, From New York to Paris, To Tokyo, to Montego Bay, The moon shined its light as bright as a new sense of hope, From Canada to Spain, To India, to France’s slopes Everyone appreciated the beauty of the earth, They cherished the birds and the waves, And treasured everything from south to north

By the Words of Others

Markeith Hogan

After Childish Gambino’s Redbone

We rise to Daylight, submerged in the thick unloving thoughts of the world we wake up feeling life is scripted manifested the words of other’s ring in our hollow shells

Like our lives won’t play right, I used to know, hope-filled existences worth more than a dime Yet my mind gets persuaded, the words of others rattle within the deepening walls in my head, and that don’t feel right

We dedicate moon cycles to acknowledge our scrutinized skin, but It makes me put away my pride

Do we only mask ourselves and pretend?

One month a year to “embrace” our past, to forgive our foe to pay the long unfulfilled debts to our ancestors

So long you make us wait, so long You