northern lights vol.1 by northern lights zine

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northern'lights'' zine' ! vol.1! ! GODS,&DEITIES&and&MYTHS& ! ! ! ! december!2016!

TABLE!OF!CONTENTS! !

! a!girl!is!a!god!in!the!making!by&Cristina&Aurelian………………..……..1! pygmalion’s!cyborg!by&ella&standage……………………………….…….....2! To!Persephone!by&Maggie&McEvoy…………………………………….……..3! Callisto!by&Maggie&McEvoy……………………………………………...…….....4! Europa!by&Maggie&McEvoy…………………………………………………….....5! Ganymede!by&Maggie&McEvoy……………………………………………….....6! Io!by&Maggie&McEvoy………………………………………………………….……7! GOD!IN!COUNTERPOINT!by&Shirley&Wang………………………………...8! THE!DISQUIET!by&Shirley&Wang……………………………………………….9! instructions!for!the!new!deity!by&Catherine&Windham……………..10! A!discovery!of!my!own!disbeliefs!by&Victoria&Udnæs………………..11! Odin’s!Tear!by&Victoria&Udnæs………………………………………………..12! God!of!Text!in!Limestone!by&Victoria&Udnæs…………………………...13! Undertaker!by&AJ&Reed………………………………………...………………...14! Street!Smart!by&AJ&Reed…………………………………………………………15! i.!aletheia!by&Audrey&Jean……………………………………………………….16! ii.!nyx!by&Audrey&Jean…………………………………………………………….17! iii.!astraios!by&Audrey&Jean……………………………………………………..18! iv.!morpheus!by&Audrey&Jean………………………………………………….19! WORSHIP;!the!(not)!regrets!of!a!believer!by&chuchu&winters……20! Modern!Angels!by&Kate&Nezelek……………………………………………..21! Terrific!Persephone&by&Kate&Nezelek……………………………………...24! Fallen!Glory!by&Kate&Nezelek………………………………………………….26! Sustenance!Pt.!2!by&Joshua……………………………………………………..27! flesh!eaters!by&Hafza&Atti……………………………………………………….28! forgotten!empress!by&Hafza&Atti…………………………………………….30! avenging!icarus!by&Hafza&Atti………………………………………………...32! i.!Ballads!For!Sunswept!Mortals!by&Jupiter&Reed……………………...34! ii.!Comatose!by&Jupiter&Reed…………………………………………………...36!

iii.!Patroclus’!Guide!On!How!To!Love!(When!Love!Means!Death)! by&Jupiter&Reed………………………………………………………………………37! iv.!Where!Are!They!Now?:!Icarus!by&Jupiter&Reed……………………40! v.!The!Ghosts!of!Old!Gods!by&Jupiter&Reed……………………………….41! vi.!icarus:!1,!apollo:!0!by&Jupiter&Reed……………………………………...43! vii.!Sleepless!Angels!&!Red!Blood!Dreams!by&Jupiter&Reed……….45! Redeemer!by&Anika&R…………………………………………………………….47! Persephone!by&Alix&Bosley……………………………………………………...49! The!Norns!by&Alix&Bosley………………………………………………………..50! The!Children!of!Lir!by&Alix&Bosley…………………………………………...51! Nights!With!God!by&Cheyenne&Najee……………………………………….53! i!can’t!pronounce!his!heavenly!name!but!he!holds!my!soul!by& Cheyenne&Najee……………………………………………………………………..55! She!Was!Just!a!Witch!by&NiviaQNatalia&Frias……………………………57! too!close!by&marnie………………………………………………………………..60! The!Ghost!of!Patroclus!to!His!Love!by&Presmei………………………..61! ONE!TWO!THREE!FOUR!FIVE,!I!HAVE!NEVER!FELT!MORE!ALIVE& by&A.T……………………………………………………………………………………63! Mary!Magdalen!by&Katherine&Mills………………………………………….64! Gwenhwyfar!by&Katherine&Mills……………………………………………...65! Hero!by&Arthur&Solvang………………………………………………………….66! pantheism!and!you!by&fynn…………………………………………………….69! the!sin!of!an!angel!by&Daylen&P……………………………………………….70! to!you,!a!mortal!by&Daylen&P...………………………………………………...71! the!keep!away!by&Daylen&P...…………………………………………………..72! She!came!to!visit!today!by&Thamer&Linklater…………………………..73! The!defender!by&Thamer&Linklater…………………………………………74! Attica!by&Thamer&Linklater…………………………………………………….75! Erichthonius!by&Thamer&Linklater………………………………………….76! Hear!the!Cries!by&Thamer&Linklater………………………………………..77! NOTES!ON!CONTRIBUTORS…………………………………………………..78!

a"girl"is"a"god"in"the"making" ! by"Cristina"Aurelian" " " a"girl"is"a"god"in"the"making:" """her"words"command"the"masses"and" """they"listen." """fingers"accustomed"to"creation";"" """an"artist,"an"architect,"a"writer." """stardust"sluggishly"replaces" """paint"and"bricks"and"words:" """she"is"in"no"rush." " a"girl"is"a"god"in"the"making:" """already,"" """she"can"make"you"kneel." """you"no"longer"speak"to"her";"" """rather," """you"pray."she's"benevolent"in"her"handling"of"you;" """after"all,"you"too"have"now"become"one"of"her""""" """creations:" """who"would"you"be" """without"her?" " a"girl"is"a"god"in"the"making:" """do"not"mourn"her"when"she" """dies:" """she"is"not"gone;"rather" """she"has"returned."let"her"be;" """let"her"create"in"peace." """say"no"more,"now." 1"

pygmalion’s"cyborg" " by"ella"standage" " " there"is"no"magic"in"calcium"but"you"" find"love"within"the"stone."the"spell"lying"" dormant;"finest"marble,"she"echoes,"uncarved."" you"call"her"mountain,!sky-holder,!foundation,!(and"" do"not"mention"how"you"have"tired"of"clay,"and"the"way"it"" molds"to"fit"your"palms)."chipping"away"at"scabs"of"flint,"you"" " reveal"her"abalone"fingernails,"pyrite"perfection,"skin"healed" from"a"wound"that"never"was."already"she"exists"as"scar"" tissue"(but"that"does"not"stop"you"from"chiselling"" kisses"across"the"crook"of"an"elbow,"the"smirk"" that"plays"about"her"carnelian"lips)."there"" are"softer"truths"than"this,"resculpting"" " the"ghost"of"her"pulse."but"pygmalion—" when"will"you"learn"that"stone"is"stone"no"matter"" how"much"you"love"it?"she"was"never"yours"to"breathe"" life"into,"she"never"crossed"the"fragile"line"between"" fossil"and"bone."no"heartbeat"in"a"statue,"no"" spell,"no"smile—no"magic"in"calcium." " " " " " "

" 2"

To"Persephone" " by"Maggie"McEvoy" ! ! (They"told"me)"to"be"a"woman"I"must"be"soft." " Where"is"the"pain"of"being?"" Where"do"I"put"it"down?" " Not"in"the"pockets"they"forgot"to"sew"into"my"pants." " It"must"be"in"the"power"I"weave"like"a"spiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"web," invisible"until"you"find"yourself"caught."" " I"tend"to"May"flowers"while"deciding"the"fate"of"men." " They"will"want"to"hold"me,"they"will"want"to"hurt"me," they"will"claw"at"my"indifference"like"moss"over"the"rock." " Find"a"lover"who"will"weld"a"crown"of"lilies"for"you."" " When"I"go"out"I"always"leave"the"black"silk"dress"on,"" red"juices"running"from"my"mouth." " " " " " " " " 3"

Callisto" ! by"Maggie"McEvoy" " " Perhaps"it"was"my"fault"for"trusting"blood" to"teach"me"how"to"stand"straight." " In"my"dreams"I"see"my"white"stomach"rising"" like"a"moon,"quiet"in"its"growing"roundness." " A"child"with"skin"like"his"and"eyes"like"mine"" waits"behind"every"corner,"full"of"accusations."" " Sisters,"could"you"speak"like"deep"space?"" Out"here"I"mourn"silently"and"wait"for"guests" " dressed"in"red"to"appear"with"chairs"for"me" to"fall"upon,"white"laundry"on"the"clothesline." " So"quick"to"put"me"in"the"sky"without"my"little"bear" for"some"celestial"company,"love"and"approval"synonymous."" " Twisted"words"over"the"phone"make"secrets," for"if"my"mother"knew"all"the"stars"would"come"crashing"down." " Summer"weeks"wax"and"wane,"just"a"rapid"heart"beat" keeping"time."Suddenly"like"clocks"and"sweat,"I"feel"it"drip." " " " " 4"

Europa" "

by"Maggie"McEvoy"

" " " The"moon"likes"to"keep"things"clean." She"brushes"past"spilled"conversations"" " between"mother"and"sister"and"picks"up"" ancient"words"thrown"out"of"habit"rather" " than"sound"argument."Stabbing"at"chaos"" and"tossing"them"drunk,"into"hurricanes" " until"it"settles"down"into"organized"peace."" A"clean"white"bull,"whiter"than"her"face" " comes"and"plucks"her"out"of"this"mess," out"of"fragmented"concoctions"filled"with"" "" “You"never"loved"me,"I’m"not"the"favorite”"or" “You’ll"be"sorry"when"I’m"dead"in"the"ground”." " In"the"eye"of"my"doorknob"I"see"an"island" meant"just"for"me."Clean"beaches"brimming" " with"serious"sunlight"and"nothing"out"of"" place"except"my"existence"in"the"broad"peace."" " " " 5"

Ganymede" "

by"Maggie"McEvoy"

" " A"wine"glass"at"eleven"in"the"morning" keeps"the"moon’s"mother"company,"low"" murmuring"from"the"couch"sends"the" daughter"to"the"basement"for"another"bottle." " She"is"the"only"one"of"her"children"willing"" to"bear"her"cup,"willing"to"give"her"mother" some"comfort."What"is"a"maroon"speckled"" floor"compared"to"some"peace"in"this"house?" " Shining"brightly"at"night"they"both"are"owls" watching"each"other"with"blood"shot"eyes," pulling"at"conversation"like"family"photos—" it’s"all"come"up"before."Rotations"around"" " the"earth"are"made"of"repeated"promises." The"moon"slips"away"to"bed,"whispering"" words"with"sharp"edges"that"she"learned"" from"a"mother"she"swears"she’s"nothing"like."" " " " " " " " " 6"

Io" "

by"Maggie"McEvoy"

" " I"never"change"my"face." Just"a"few"holes"to"make"my"mother"cry" but"they"always"know"Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m"me," third"biggest"from"my"father." " Lately,"people"are"talking"about"" my"cheek;bones"and"what"" they"would"like"to"do"to"them."" Sharpened"over"two"years,"" " they"cut"through"the"idea"that"I" am"not"well,"because"I"am"all"" angles."Sometimes"it"seems" worth"it"when"I"pass"a"mirror."" " I"keep"the"same"side"facing"them;" if"volcanoes"erupt"they"are"oblivious." Birds"to"an"acid"rain,"" deer"to"the"hidden"hunter." " I"am"one"very"thin"line" drawn"between"hystericsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;" laughing"or"crying" and"most"active"at"night."" " " " 7"

GOD"IN"COUNTERPOINT" " by"Shirley"Wang" " " god"sounds"easy"" when"it’s"coming"from"your"mouth." sweet"peach"nectar"and"honeyed"bread" good"and"thick"on"your"tongue."" i"know"better."god"is"elusive" and"god"is"exclusive."" vip"club"for"the"holier"than"thou."" fuck,"i’ll"carve"crosses"into" the"supermarket"floor"with"" a"pucker;pink"pocket"knife"" if"it"means"i"can"buy"my"redemption." " god"sounds"stiff" when"it’s"coming"from"my"mouth." sticks"to"the"roof"of"it,"sticks"to"the" steeple."sopping"wet"hair"and"lukewarm"" holy"water"in"a"beer"bottle."" i"dare"him"to"remake"me"from"the"inside"out."" i"dare"him"to"take"one"of"his"own"ribs"into" his"fist"and"make"me."make"me."make"me." head"first,"a"rebirth." i"teeter"towards"the"light,"saturated"in"sin." it"blinds"me."i"know"better."i"know" the"dark"is"warmer"than"any"divine"embrace."" " " " 8"

THE"DISQUIET" "

by"Shirley"Wang"

" " there"isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"enough"holiness"to"" go"around"in"this"place."the"only" source"of"light"is"the"churning"vent" beneath"my"feet,"top"slit"open"like" the"can"of"peaches"i"ate"last"summer" holed"up"in"the"trunk"of"a"dying"tree" dark"and"rot;wet"and"hiving"with"ants." heat"slops"out"onto"my"scalp," sluggish"as"an"omen"during"dusk." gives"me"a"feeling"like"the"plastic"drip" of"plant"matter,"like"scuppering"back"" into"the"suburbs,"like"pinching"the"skin" of"my"elbow"to"see"if"it"hurts."a"feeling" like"a"lack"of."a"feeling"like"dread." " " " " " " " " " " " " " 9"

instructions"for"the"new"deity" "

by"Catherine"Windham"

" " leave"your"shoes"on"in"the"sacred"place,"bow"to"no"one." destroy"and"climb"atop"what"stands"in"your"path." watch"the"desperate"drop"at"your"feet"after"you"make"the"sky"fall," enthralled"with"the"prospect"of"you." you"are"elegance,"you"are"royalty." you"are"cold." you"are"engulfed"in"bitterness;"it"radiates"out"of"you"and" resonates"within." even"god"hides"from"you"in"fear," and"that"kind"of"power"has"no"room"to"be"anything"but" untouched"and"unbreakable." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 10"

A"discovery"of"my"own"disbeliefs" " by"Victoria"Udnæs" " " The"buildings"were"of"some"kind"of"Gold" not"gold"from"Midgard,"but"from"the"Golden"Ways,"in"their"own" Spheres." Valhalla"was"such"a"place"of"many"memories,"many"thought" patterns"and"feelings." Of"course"it"was"magnificent,"but"maybe"not"as"magnificent"as" humans"believed."" And"one"or"two"other"creatures"as"well"–"to"be"honest."" These"were"ordinary"people,"with"some"powers"to"control." Nothing"more."" Thor"with"his"thunder"–"his"hammer."Wouldn’t"you"be"tired"of" this"responsibility?" Odin"could"see"everything,"with"his"two"ravens"Hugin"and"Munin." But"then"also"only"with"one"eye."" It"must"be"very"lonely."All"that"wisdom.""" All"that"cheating,"lying"and"manipulating."Even"though"they"were" and"are"Gods,"they"do"all"that."" Maybe"the"norse"mythology"doesn’t"have"anything"to"do"with"my" interpretation," maybe"it"has"something"to"do"with"my"own"hallways"of"disbeliefs" and"dark"corners,"" and"that,"if"I"read"it"that"way,"I"still"have"a"lot"to"learn?" Maybe"those"myths"are"there"to"make"us"rise"above"ourselves" and"our"old,"inherited"thought"patterns." Maybe"their"actions"are"a"mirage"of"our"own"inner"beings." " " 11"

Odin’s"Tear" "

by"Victoria"Udnæs"

" " Hugin,"Munin,"prize"of"Mimir" know"of"Midgards"every"corner" Mimir’s"wisdom,"deal"with"Odin" Ravens"witness"World"of"Men." Sleipnir"Holy"Horse"of"Odin" carries"him"to"World"of"Matter" Eight"of"legs"can"travel"fast" through"land"of"earth"and"air." Odin"comes"to"Midgard’s"land," for"disappointment"rides"the"air" but"Odin"knows,"and"Odin"stands" and"gives"us"from"his"Wisdoms"Tear." So"that"we"may"try"again." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 12"

God"of"Text"in"Limestone" "

by"Victoria"UdnĂŚs"

" " The"God"of"Writing" knows"everything" writes"of"humanity" noticing,"scribbling"" discovers"new"ways" to"write,"new"symbols" for"humans"are"such" strange"beings," but"Thoth"never"judges" just"writes"on"his" tablets"" of"Emerald" or"limestone." " " " " " " " " " " " " 13"

Undertaker" " by"AJ"Reed" " " Anup"takes"his"coffee"black,"almost"to"the"point"of"boiling." he"exhales"steam"and"straightens"his"tie,"as"dark"as"the"crypts"he" once"tended"to."judgement"begs"formalities." so"gold"dust"settles"on"his"eyelids,"shimmering"under"the"delicate" touch"of"a"make;up"brush,"contrasting"charcoal"irises." " " (how"does"your"heart"weigh?)" " in"a"modern"age,"even"the"gods"must"adapt," and"the"local"cemetery"remains"a"sanctuary"for"the"blessed"dead." he"ghosts"through"existence,"cleaning"off"headstones,"just"a" shadow"at"the"edge"of"the"peripheral."he"likes"it"that"way."" balanced"between"life"and"death,"he"smiles"divine,"teeth" skeleton;white," holding"your"fate"cupped"in"his"hands." " (your"heart"is"heavy,"isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"it?)" " (weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll"find"out)" " " " " " " " " 14"

Street"Smart" " by"AJ"Reed" " " Bast stares into the mirror through slitted pupils and finishes applying her lipstick. red outlines a carnivore mouth, teeth wicked sharp. she wears a leather jacket with high heels, eye liner sharp enough to kill, and carries a 9 mm pistol in her purse, right next to vanilla-scented perfume. prowling the streets, her gaze pierces the darkness, taking up a role of protector to those who fall vulnerable to the night. (have you learned your lesson?) god forbid you end up on her bad side, because goddesses arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afraid to bleed, and Bast of all will eat your heart out, then use your blood to color her lips. she beats her knuckles in on the jawbones of anyone who dares do harm to innocents within her line of sight. she is fierce and relentless, with a voice that carries like a gunshot. sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motherly instincts armed with brass knuckles and a devil-maycare attitude. (have you learned your lesson yet?) (god, i hope so) " " " " 15"

i."aletheia" " by"Audrey"Jean" " " " " " " " " " " " "

" " " " " " " " " " " " " "

metallic"defects"of"teal"desperation" for"hands"bleached,"itching"still" quietly"tearing"sentience"in"two"

16"

ii."nyx" " by"Audrey"Jean" " " " " " " " " " " "

" " " " " " " " " " " " " "

" sentinel"of"the"void"sleepless"in"bed" enjoying"the"vega;rise,"early" reminiscing"of"a"daring"daguerreotype"

17"

iii."astraios" " by"Audrey"Jean" " " " " " "

" " " " " " " " " " " " " "

" " " " " " circumstellar"dust"disk"made"divine" by"halo"thus"spoken"good"thoughts," good"words,"good"deeds"

18"

iv."morpheus" " by"Audrey"Jean" " " " " " " " " " " " "

" " " " " " " " " " " " " "

pilgrimage"penny;parsec"long"aboard" hastily"borrowed"pirate"ships"to" astral"fields,"black"hole"crop;circled"

19"

WORSHIP;"the"(not)"regrets"of"a"believer" " by"chuchu"winters" " " oh"dear,"oh"me,"oh"my." was"i"wrong"in"choosing"to"worship"you?" (and"then"i"remember"how"soft"your"skin"felt"as"i"caressed"you." how"warm"you"were"that"i"thought"you"were"about"to"combust" and"i"thought"I"was"going"to"meltâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you"were"not"going"to" combust,"iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve"realized"you"are"of"the"sun,"from"the"sun,"and" blessed"by"the"sun." aphrodite"has"cursed"my"heart,"i"do"not"know"how"to"regret" worshipping"you)" oh"dear,"oh"me,"oh"my." you"are"both"a"blessing"and"a"curse." i"did"not"regret"worshipping"you,"" not"even"in"the"slightest" and" most"certainly" not"when"you"ascended"into"heaven." " " " " " " " " " " " 20"

Modern"Angels" " by"Kate"Nezelek" " " This"is"the"skeleton" of"a"different"poem." This"is"the"fallen,"breaking" ourselves"over" like"the"wooden"sticks" we"once"worried"into"crosses" so"long"ago." " """""tragedy" " abandon" " """""hellfire" We"will"swallow"it"all" " smile,"mouth"full"of"razors" This"is"gallows"humor." " Watch"as"we"try" to"drown" our"sins"in"bottles" of"altar"wine." Intertwine"our"empty" hands,"shred"our" fists"through"stained"glass." Our"palms"havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"opened" for"the"spines"of" Bibles"in"so"long." We"smoke"our"insides"black" and"laugh,"spitting"blasphemy." 21"

It"rolls"so"much"more"easily" off"our"tongues" than"a"promise"of"God." " Slink"the"streets," " slink" the"wings" behind"our"backs" " a"secret" tucked"beneath"each" grimy"feather." The"anatomy"of" our"albatross"leaves"us" shaking" " change"into"the"hands" of"another"refugee,"give" what"we"can." we"are"both"living" ruins"of"some"past"valor." " Ours"is"the"unmaking," the"ashes"of" """""a"phoenix"rising," " a"forgotten"cigarette." The"tremble" of"any"broken"thing." " Oh"Hero,"Oh"Glory" take"warning:"this" is"the"final"Vision." We"are"the"story" 22"

unfolded"" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 23"

Terrific"Persephone" "

by"Kate"Nezelek"

" " They"say" She"looks"like"her"mother;" Hair"arm"as"summer"and" Eyes"full"of"kindness.""The"same" Chiseled"granite"hidden" Beneath"blush"cheeks." Velvet"and"steel,"they"say" She"must"pick,"but" " Here"she"is:" Soft"as"gold,"playing" Hide"and"seek"between"the"trees," Singing"harmonica"laughter," Counting"the"time"by"the"hours"of"the"Sun." Light"reflected"through"insect"wings." Toes"pushed"into"rich"soil,"overgrown" Gardens"thrive"under"her"touch." Dirt"sticks"under"fingernails." Roses"bud"from"skinned"knees." " Here"she"is:" Hard"as"diamond.""Cutthroat"divinity" On"a"throne"of"ice.""Tongue"sharp" As"a"blade.""Whiplash"gaze." Grinding"pomegranate"seeds," Whittling"bones"between"her"teeth," And"licking"scarlet"from"her"fingertips." 24"

The"Underworld"does"not"warm" In"her"presence." Lungs"fill"with"smoke." Kingdoms"fall"without"recompense." " Yes,"she"is"velvet"and"steel:" A"symbol"of"girlhood." She"does"not"choose"between"them." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 25"

Fallen"Glory" " by"Kate"Nezelek" " " The"Morningstar"enters"" like"a"white"flag." Heads"up,"donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"look." He"is"too"much"" holiness"undone." His"once"golden"wings"drag" across"the"barroom,"limp"" feathers"scatter" like"tensile,"shining" far"brighter"than"his"smile," if"you"could"call"it"that" rather"than"a"simple" show"of"teeth."" Spit"at"his"feet,"never"think" to"pray"for"the"greatest"" sinner"of"all." His"existence"is"admittance" that"there"are"some"things" not"even"God"can"save." " " " " " " " " 26"

Sustenance"Pt."2" " by"Joshua" " " A"gift"of"bread" is"a"gift"of"upper"Paleolithic"struggle" and"bradshaw"rock"figurativism" (displaying"the"infinite)" " John"6:50" (only"half"of"the"half"of"the"truth)" " Down"from"Heaven." Up"from"Hell." " What"will"the"gift"grip" on"the"inside"of"your"mouth?" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 27"

flesh"eaters" " by"Hafza"Atti" " " we"praise"the"GODS" in"the"deep"woods" of"lonesomeness"" surrounded" by"the"" flickering"dark" that"binds"" nature"&"being" " the"sound"of"the"leaves" yelling"corpses"at"our"feet" " still"we"KNEEL"in"the"dirt" kissing"with"lips"turned"blue" the"roots"of"the"disease" " we"cut"ourselves" the"bathtub"" MARBLE"white" bone"like"altar" in"which"we"lay" cold"limp"&"sacrificed"" " we"call"THEM"by"their"names" somehow"always" begging"for"reprieve" the"further"we"stand" 28"

from"their"GRACE" " GODS"" they"are"" the"first"hunters" and"itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"our"bodies" youthful"trinkets"" of"meat" we"keep"offering"" at"the"GATES" the"closed"gates" "of"Healing" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 29"

forgotten"empress" "

by"Hafza"Atti"

" " mother"medea" sly"python"of"the"abyss" do"you"live"victorious"still" or"do"you"weep" can"your"fury"be"tamed" and"the"song"of"blood" finally"cease" or"must"the"drums" of"bitter"rage" weather"all"eternity"" ! ! ! ! where!no!heart!stain" ! ! ! ! can!ever!vanish" I"can"still"hear"your"pulse" when"I"dissociate" or"bite"my"skin"bloody" despite"the"yellow"ribs" where"you"cage"it" " mother"medea" saddest"of"women" are"there"wounds"" on"your"leather"chest" do"you"bleed"" like"me" " or"did"you"make"a"throne"of"infamy" roaming"in"the"disquiet"" 30"

with"repelling"company" sprouting"from"chewed"limbs" " they"call"you"martyr"or"murderer" they"call"you"treacherous"nymph" " you"are"all" you"are"none" and"it"doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"matter" ! ! ! I!love!thee!true" ! ! ! always" ! ! ! oh!my!mother." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 31"

avenging"icarus" "

by"Hafza"Atti"

" " " icarus"is"not"yet"a"man" smudged"glitter"on"his"eyes" he"shivers"in"the"cold" the"neon"lights"are"as"close" to"the"sun"he"shall"ever"get" " they!still!burn!though!" " heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"so"thin" but"so"hungry!""!!" his"bones"showing" he"says"they"are" feathered"wings" growing!!!!"""""""""" " he"smiles" but"he"can"barely"walk" """""""" his"hands"shake" glasses"he"tries"to"hold" they"keep"breaking" shattering"in"small"pieces" " the!floor!of!his!flat!glistens" " holes"in"his"coat" 32"

and"blue"flowers" on"his"back" forgets;me"not" drawn"with"veins" as"pencils!""""""""""" " heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"going"to"die" no"angels"in"this"dark" he"lies"but"he"sees" the"edge" " heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll!jump!anyway" """ heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"seeking"true"sunlight" holy"child" hollow"shell" with"just"enough" strength"left"" to"look"up"to"" the"heavens"" when"day"is"nigh" and"humbly"ask" "for"kinder"stars" " " " " " " " " " 33"

i."Ballads"For"Sunswept"Mortals" " by"Jupiter"Reed" " " Icarus"is"twelve"and"he"makes"twinkling"adventures"of"his"own" veins,"embodies"the"wildfire"rising"in"through"the"soulless" windows"of"blurry"routine."Icarus"is"twelve"and"the"world"is"his" to"feast"on." Icarus"is"fourteen"and"he"fashions"castles"for"the"birds"and" coronets"for"his"mother"out"of"wax"and"clay,"sometimes"when" he’s"watching"the"emotionless"sun,"it"seems"to"be"watching"him" back."Icarus"is"fourteen"and"he"is"a"pioneer"of"whimsicalities,"a" light;shifting"meteor."Icarus"is"fourteen"and"he"can"be"anything" that"he"wants"to"be."" Icarus"is"sixteen"and"everything"is"void,"momma’s"coughing"up" sawdust"and"he’s"burying"ashes"like"Rome"after"the"war,"the" crickets"caper"atop"the"dark"petals"of"his"eyelids"as"he"falls" asleep,"he"picks"the"knives"out"of"oak"branches"&"tries"to"leech" the"blood"out"of"the"summer"wind."Icarus"is"sixteen"and"he"is" forging"tear;tracks"all"the"way"up"to"the"rose;printed"sky." Icarus"is"eighteen"and"the"sun"is"so,"so"very"bright,"he"wakes"up" to"ichor"stains"on"his"skin"and"light"burning"holes"through"his" topsy"turvy"vision,"the"nights"always"feel"so"empty,"endless" ghosts"with"shapeless"arms"that"latch"themselves"around"his" neck,"Icarus"is"eighteen"and"the"moon"never"did"anything"for" him."Icarus"is"eighteen"and"he"wishes"to"wrap"his"arms"around"

34"

an"immortal"star,"one"that"burns"anything"that"attempts"to"claim" it"to"black." Icarus"is"twenty"and"he"dreams"up"the"impossible,"the"night" crashes"beneath"his"feet,"star"shards"and"cloud;rust,"momma"told" him"he"could"do"anything,"be"anything,"so"he"crafts"himself"a" miracle"out"of"wax"and"pretends"for"one"graven"moment"that" wingless"beings"too,"can"fly."Icarus"is"twenty"and"the"last"sight"he" sees"is"his"beloved"sun,"smiling"upon"his"failing"body,"shielding" him"in"his"brazen"warmth."Icarus"is"dying"and"he"is"everything" that"he"ever"wanted"to"be." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 35"

ii."Comatose" "

by"Jupiter"Reed"

" " I"live"in"states"of"rosewater"gloom"and"" nights"like"tangles"of"white"oleander,"" I"am"the"dreamer,"estranged"with"a" vacancy"for"bloom."I"unearth"the"lies"" beneath"sapphire"pools"alongside"this"sky" of"pulsating"dusks"&"puncture"wounds." Maybe"the"night"would"be"more"gentle"to" the"bird"who"traded"her"feathers"for"her" motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"jewels,"or"for"the"man"who"fell"to" the"bloodthirsty"sea"for"a"simple"glimpse"" of"the"sun."I"am"not"your"girl"by"the"" shallows,"a"summering"beneath"the"" whimpering"cosmos."I"am"a"fever."I"sleep" in"the"unhinged"jaws"of"men"like"a"esurient" nightingale."I"crunch"sporadic"stars"under"" my"webbed"feet."I"feel"it"all"in"my"veins,"" the"gentle"gardens"mourning,"the"massacre" at"swan"lake,"the"curtains"of"their"eyes"drawn" and"withering."Even"Cleopatra"got"her"" comeuppance."And"Joan"of"Arc"burned"for"the"" gods"who"gleamed"her."I"am"the"witch"of"the" fall,"now"I"wonder,"do"I"still"sting"like"a"" fresh"burn?"Do"I"chisel"the"hearts"that"curl"" at"my"feet"into"katanas?" " "

36"

iii."Patroclus'"Guide"On"How"To"Love"{When"Love"Means" Death}" " by"Jupiter"Reed" " " 1."Accept"that"you"are"mortal,"that"you"do"not"have"ichor" strumming"inside"your"veins."Cut"your"hands"on"a"mistake"as"all" mortals"are"destined"to."Watch"the"blood"pour"out"of"a"skull"like" rancid"wine,"watch"it"mingle"with"the"billowing"evening"grass," the"skinned"rocks,"the"weeping"earth"&"the"angry"air."Feel"his" dying"breaths"fester"inside"your"stomach."Then"watch"your" family"declare"they"must"disown"you."Let"them."Let"your"father" turn"his"back."Let"your"mother"close"her"eyes"to"the"broken"toy," the"brittle"disappointment,"the"son";"no,"the"swine,"that"you"are."" 2."Accept"that"he"is"not"mortal,"that"his"fingerprints"paint"flowers" on"castle"walls."Bow"your"head"and"close"your"eyes."You"are" invisible,"you"are"no;one."Feed"on"the"scraps"they"throw"at"you," exiled"princes"are"no"less"than"muzzled"hounds."Watch"the"living" through"the"shadows,"memorize"the"way"his"petal;soft"feet" almost"lift"off"the"ground"when"he"runs,"grow"envious"of"the" golden"fleece"of"his"hair,"feign"your"gaze"when"his"sea;sculptured" eyes"search"yours."But"take"his"hand"when"he"offers"it"to"you,"like" a"torch"in"your"swindling"darkness."Befriend"this"god,"this"king," this"cherub."Shut"out"the"voices"that"say"that"you"are"in"over"your" drowning"head."" 3."Fall"asleep"only"beneath"the"musical"tides"of"his"lyre."Move"in" with"him."Sleep"next"to"him"and"pretend"that"his"breath"doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t" 37"

leak"light,"that"his"eyes"don’t"glow"in"the"dark,"that"your"heart" doesn’t"tumble"when"his"wrist"brushes"against"yours."Don’t" boost"his"ego,"don’t"tell"him"that"there"is"no"one"like"him,"that"he" is"your"sun"and"you"would"circle"him"for"eternities."And"for"the" love"of"god"don’t"kiss"him."You’ll"ruin"a"perfectly"content"day."The" seas"will"hear"you"and"they"won’t"be"pleased."The"skies"will" darken"like"scabs."You"will"fall"in"love"like"a"wicked"dream,"you’ll" be"able"to"remember"how"it"ends"but"never"how"it"began."You’ll" do"it"all"anyway."You’ll"remember"that"day"you"sat"with"his" effortless"grace,"his"impish"smile,"his"still;guileless"soul"on"a" treetop"even"in"the"afterlife."The"day"you"were"nothing"but" children"high"on"sunflower"seeds." 4."All"you"can"think"about"is"that"making"love"to"him"is"like"being" reborn,"over"and"over"again."All"you"can"think"about"is"that" you’re"defying"gravity"when"you"touch."Rename"your"thighs"after" him."Watch"him"turn"to"a"blur"of"light"above"a"conglomerate"of" consuming"stars."Feel"the"stickiness"between"your"bellies"like" honey,"apricot"spill,"ambrosia."Pledge"yourself"to"a"rose;quartz" cave."Make"a"promise"to"never"leave"him."Get"to"know"him"like" you"know"the"igniting"blackness"you"see"behind"closed"eyelids." Get"to"know"his"treasures,"his"toils,"his"madness"and"miseries." Try"and"listen"when"he"tells"you"that"heroes"don’t"get"to"be" happy."Fail."Try"and"tell"him"not"to"be"so"overconfident"when"he" tells"you"he’s"going"to"be"the"first"one."Fail"again."Hold"him"to"you" like"a"cluster"of"chrysanthemums."Break"against"him"like"a"vow,"a" sacred"oath."But"you"are"not"sacred"you"are"sacrilege."You"are"not" holy"you"are"just"a"boy."The"girl"asks"you"to"love"her"and"you" want"to,"you"want"to,"you"want"to."But"you"can’t."No."Your"every" heartbeat"gasps"his"name."Wish"you’d"never"met"him"and"then" wish"you’d"never"wished"something"as"heinous,"as"cataclysmic"as" that." 38"

5."Watch"from"a"distance"as"this"meteor"blasts"through"the"fiery" sky,"burning"up"and"taking"everything"in"its"path"with"it"as"it" goes."Watch"with"the"Styx"scalding"your"cheeks"and"your"chest" digging"itself"into"a"cavity."Gape"and"claw"and"scream"even" though"your"voice"may"not"reach"him."Love"him"even"as"you" watch"the"angels"leave"his"irises,"as"boyish"innocence"ripens"into" manslaughter"and"an"ego"like"a"phoenix,"turning"to"ashes"in"his" stomach"and"being"reborn"anew."Stronger"and"brighter"with" each"death."Put"on"his"clothes."Smell"the"scent"of"him"one"last" time."All"sea"crystals"and"rose"oil."Try"and"kiss"the"war"out"of" him."Drop"to"your"knees"for"him."Plead"him"to"save"himself."Save" him"yourself"instead."Watch"your"own"hands"as"they"blink"back" red"tears."Forget"that"you"are"mortal."Forget"that"you"are"not"a" soldier,"or"a"warrior,"only"a"lover"like"a"matchstick"bleeding" flames."Think"that"maybe"love"entails"war."That"maybe"lover"is" just"a"synonym"for"weapon."Die"with"his"name"as"a"prayer"on" your"cold"blue"lips."Die"knowing"you"saved"him"from"himself."Die" listening"to"him"wail"your"name."Remember"you"have"a"name." And"for"the"first"time"and"the"last,"you"are"not"nobody."You"are" Pat-ro-clus,!Pat-ro-clus,!Pat-ro-clus.!Die"like"a"mortal."Like"a" torment."Like"you"are"making"a"myth"of"yourself;"of"him." 6."Watch"disembodied"and"voiceless"as"he"follows"you"into"the" dark."Tell"his"mother"of"all"that"he"brought"to"life"rather"than"all" that"he"shattered"to"death."Tell"her"that"you"were"the"only"man" who"he"brought"to"his"knees"that"mattered."Drift"into"the"dark" further."Learn"that"the"dark"is"actually"beautiful."Watch"them" pour"his"ashes"into"yours"like"spring"fountains."Now"run."Sprint." Soar."Now"watch"the"golden"glitter,"the"aureate"chaos"of"a"love" unbroken."Now"hold"out"your"hand."" "

39"

iv."Where"Are"They"Now?":"Icarus" "

by"Jupiter"Reed"

" " a"valley"wolf"/"rarely"human"/"staring"off"at"a"star,"bloated"with" light"&"it"reflects"" in"those"cold"spaces"where"his"wings"shouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve"been"/"is"this" who"icarus"wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve"" grown"up"to"be?"/"sallow"stable"boy,"betting"off"horses,"burnt" cookies"in"the"kitchen,"" lips"always"tainted"a"little"black"with"despair"/"mother"plucking" at"her"skin"like"hyacinth"" petals"/"the"color"blue"bouncing"off"the"bloodless"brimstone"of" his"cheeks"/"the"train"" station"at"the"corner"of"brown"street,"where"the"faefolk"trade" teeth"&"feathers"/"the"dead"" rabbit"he"found"on"his"first"hike"into"the"ghastly"denver"woods"/" four"quarters"and"a"penny"/"" not"even"enough"dime"to"earn"a"soup"/"a"darkness"that"embodies" waning"rivers"&"" dying"apple"trees"/"breathing"through"his"mouth,"eating"the" clouds"on"a"sky"diet"/"" always"staring"at"the"gleaming"embers"of"the"untamed"sun," shark;mouthed,"" shrivelled"sea"urchin;"trapping"dreams"in"jars"and"his"favorite" one,"" of"a"fatal"sunkiss"and"a"mouthful"of"deep"azure." " 40"

v."The"Ghosts"of"Old"Gods" "

by"Jupiter"Reed"

" " Do"you"think"we"swallowed"them"whole?" Have"we"cast"the"watchdogs"into"eternal"sleep?"Is"this"where"this" tragedy"ends,"and"the"Fates"spin"us"a"new"one?"Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve"seen"your" blood"bleed"gold"on"hungry"nights"when"the"stars"reveal"their" animal"faces"and"you"drown"your"blunders"in"the"bathtub"like"a" grieving"sailor."Perhaps"we"were"never"bred"to"be"gods,"only" faceless"bodies"of"glowing"veins"&"breathing"bruises,"you"burst" out"of"the"womb"with"a"war"cry"in"a"hospital"in"Chicago"and"they" told"me"that"my"mother"cried"tears"of"blood"for"three"weeks" straight"after"I"was"born."Have"we"killed"them"in"their"sleep?"Did" they"know"the"darkness"they"dreamt"up"as"children"would"come" back"to"haunt?"Are"we"nothing"but"rustling"bones"and"oceanless" eyes?"You"said"you"would"only"give"up"the"drug"once"it"had" already"killed"you."I"crafted"a"cemetery"out"of"my"old"wheezing" ghosts."And"maybe"that"is"what"we"are."The"ghosts"of"old"gods." The"fire"beneath"the"fingerprint."The"dying"breaths"of"leaves" shuddering"against"the"sullen"concrete."The"first"light"in"the" world"was"reflected"in"the"gaps"between"your"teeth"and"the"soft" kisses"of"our"vanilla"dreams,"our"hopeless"tombs,"our"love;me; nots,"I"remember"on"Tuesday"you"told"me"that"if"the"world"is" whispering"to"you"leaving"clues"of"its"own"dark"welting"demise" then"let"it"burn"as"long"as"you"let"me"drink"you"up"like"sangria" and"curl"my"tongue"around"the"brave"side"of"your"blue"moons" before"you"go,"as"long"as"our"shallow"hearts"are"still"pumping"up" lifeboats."So"maybe"the"gods"have"abandoned"us."Maybe"empires" are"meant"only"for"the"aureate"ones,"weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve"already"established"

41"

that"we"are"dirt"and"dirt"imbued;"that"our"demons"speak"in" unfamiliar"tongues,"that"we"are"not"cherubs,"or"Hercules"in"all"his" gold;fingered"glory,"or"Zeus"with"his"unabashed"&"prayerful" want."Maybe"we"are"not"deities"but"drones,"buzzing"beneath"the" thumb"of"a"foreignerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"lord."Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m"still"claiming"the"throne,"turning" our"Romes"into"rituals,"because"we"are"a"charred"city"no"longer," and"the"constellations"in"the"cruel"worming"skies"will"reshape" their"starlit"bodies"to"fit"our"unbroken"souls." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 42"

vi."icarus:"1,"apollo:"0" " by"Jupiter"Reed" " " HOW$IT$FEELS$TO$LOVE$A$GOD:!a!stigma,!a!rope!burn,!something! with!teeth!that!softens!with!every!stolen!bite,!you!know,!you!know! you!shouldn’t,!and!yet!you!still!fall!down!the!staircase!of!his!vile! stars.!it’s!a!study!in!burning,!you!know!the!moon!yearns!in!cycles,! now!you!learn!the!sun!yearns!in!heartbeats.!your!blood!is! sugarplums!and!pomegranates,!mother’s!soul!shimmering!in!the! body.!his!is!the!sand!wastes!and!tiered!chandeliers,!brimstone! lights!flickering!savagely!in!the!mouth.!loving!him!is!watching!the! embers!of!the!whole!world!dissolve!into!your!fragile!bones.!being! loved!by!him!is!like!being!devoured!by!the!brightest!star!in!the!sky,! it!is!a!confessional!of!summer!withering,!flames!enwreathed!in! dizzying!halos!above!your!head,!a!love!that!pulls!at!your!skin!and! bleeds!through!the!air!and!makes!cherry!crush!of!your!smoldering! lungs!smothered!beneath!the!tantalizing!gold!of!his!aureole!lips." " " HOW$IT$FEELS$TO$KILL$A$GOD:!it’s!like!watching!the!winds!turn,! a!body!vacated!by!the!soft!stirring!presence!of!the!eternally! wandering!soul,!it!is!days!spectered!by!armies!of!the!night,!grey! eves!of!endless!rain!glazing!their!wet!broken!hearts!across!the! sidewalk!like!tears!or!roadkill.!an!overwhelming!darkness!that! feels!a!little!like!warring;!that!feels!a!little!like!the!end.!the!sun! confiscated!in!a!rib-bent!stasis,!your!head!rolling!off!of!your! shoulders,!the!blood!leaving!cold!shadows!on!the!backs!of!your! 43"

hands,!everything!that!was!ever!beautiful!slowly!wounding!to!a! dreadful!wilt.!the!skeletons!of!saints,!upended!in!the!swimming! pool!like!hail,!the!deadness!of!their!rowboat!eyes,!sailing!off!across! red!seas.!the!sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!funeral,!the!sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!cremation,!watching! something!bright!&!brilliant!come!apart!at!the!seams,!a!meteor! shower!of!apologies!snowing!down!like!pain,!the!knot!in!your! stomach!just!the!ghosts!of!his!arms!around!you,!a!hole!in!the! universe,!decaying!like!every!promise!you!couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t!keep!when!you! took!the!sun!and!swallowed!him!whole,!when!your!wings!turned! incisors!chomping!into!the!carpet,!when!immortals!give!their! immortality!up!for!a!taste!of!mortal!love." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 44"

vii."Sleepless"Angels"&"Red"Blood"Dreams" "

by"Jupiter"Reed"

" "" I"remember"the"homes"of"our"heartache,"recoiling"from"the"rain"in" grocery"stores"and" cheap"motels,"drunk"on"rosewater"and"the"berries"we"crush" between"our"lips."I"want"to" go"someplace"the"world"wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"end,"trap"the"violet"glaze"of"the" fires"you"made"of"the"flowers" on"my"tongue."There"are"nights"I"feel"as"though"an"assault"rifle," carved"for"chaos,"blood" stemming"from"every"open"vein."Nights"when"the"birds"swear"that" the"lights"in"between"our" bodies"are"grave"lights"and"your"2"am"stare,"pinning"me"against" the"linoleum,"raising"the" hell"on"my"skin"like"treason."I"ask"you"if"we"should"give"up"the" charade"but"you"just"kiss" me"harder"until"the"cosmos"fossil"out"like"the"dead,"burnt"skies"of" Ancient"Rome"and"you"say" that"we"were"made"to"shake"the"universe"and"who"wants"to"go" back"to"being"gods"anyway," when"we"can"be"flesh"&"night"&"feathers"&"blades,"we"sleep"in"the" cracks"between"gravity" the"autumn"leaves"in"your"heart"blow"in"from"the"North"Pole"to" the"Southwest"and"I"place"" my"mouth"to"every"inch"of"you"that"ever"burned"and"we"are" amorphous"and"we"are"" eternal"and"the"angels"bloom"for"us"and"we"feel"like"children"of" life"being"serenaded"by"the"

45"

prince"of"death"himself."By"the"time"the"cavernous"morning"comes" all"of"olympus"has"" wrecked"over"me"and"you"canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"seem"to"end"your"cold"war"with" the"stars"but"we"have"48"" more"hours"to"play"at"mortals"and"this"world"feels"like"an"infinite" high"and"I"just"want"to" know"what"it"feels"like"to"die"with"these"moribund"knives"splicing" our"immortal"scars." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 46"

Redeemer" " by"Anika"R." " " She"is"the"one"who"holds"the"truth" for"she"is"the"creator"of"everything"imaginable." You"can"see"her"in"the"daylight," quietly"standing"in"your"shadow"" with"her"hair"strands"of"swirling"black;" you"can"see"her"in"your"dreams," guiding"your"bitter"heart"through"the"twilight"woods." She"carries"the"world"on"her"bare"shoulders," she"bears"your"soul,"holding"it"in"her"handsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;" sweetly,"softly,"like"gentle"whispers"in"the"dark." " She"is"the"redeemer"you've"been"waiting"for" since"you"took"your"first"breath" twenty;something"years"ago," when"you"came"out"of"your"mother's"maltreated"body;" screaming"for"air"and"warmth"and"answers" to"all"the"questions"you"haven't"asked"yetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;" " She"is"the"creator"of"the"cosmos," she"has"the"power"to"take"over"the"world" in"the"most"peaceful"and"halcyon"way." She"is"the"God"who"made"her;" built"for"eternity," can"never"be"created"or"destroyed"because" she's"always"been"here,"she"is"immortality"in"human"form." " """"""""""""""""""""""" " ""she"is"you," 47"

""""""""""""""""""""""" " ""she"is"you," """"""""""""""""""""""" " ""she"is"you." " You"are"your"own"creation;" everything"pure"and"virtuous"nature"has"ever"given"you,"" you"are"the"sunlight"in"winter," mist;covered"mountains," skin"touching"skin,"" making"love," exploding"endorphins," words"written"between"the"lines," colliding"stars"and"grains"of"dust," everything"imaginableâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;" invisible"or"not"â&#x20AC;&#x201D;," turquoise"explosions"creating"new"lifeforms," human"love," benevolence"and"humanity"itself," you"are"your"own"God." " """""""""""""""""""" " """"you"are"him," """""""""""""""""""" " """"you"are"him," """""""""""""""""" " """"you"are"him." " " " " " " " " " " 48"

Persephone" " by"Alix"Bosley" " " They"buried"me"beneath" the"dirt"and"forced"the"seeds" into"my"mouthâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;red"stains"against" my"teeth"and"chin." " In"spring"six"sprouts"burst"" from"my"throat." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 49"

The"Norns" "

by"Alix"Bosley"

" " We"three"spinners"in"the"moon"hall" colluded"with"the"stars"and"spoke" of"what"once"was," what's"come"to"be,"" and"what"shall"be" when"we"are"doneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;" all"the"while"weaving,"seething," shaping"threads"of"fate." " Wisdom"is"rough"reddened"fingers" moving"ever"with"the"world." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 50"

The"Children"of"Lir" "

by"Alix"Bosley"

" " The"Swans,"they"sang"this"morning—" their"voices"loud"as"bells." " Their"feathers"catching"sunlight" as"each"of"them"fell"" down," and"in"their"frantic"rushes" of"white"and"silver"rain," I"could"have"sworn"by"gods"above" that"I"heard"her"name;" and"later"by"the"waterside" in"the"silence"of"the"lake," I"thought"I"heard"her"quiet"voice" singing"of"that" ache." But"in"the"half;light,"just"near"dusk" that"ill"forgotten"tune" reminded"me"of"why"I"came" that"I"might"leave"too"soon." Only"just"as"the"light"faded" and"the"tune"within"that"light" did"I,"forgetting"time"of"day," surrender"to"the"night." " The"Swans,"they"sang"this"morning—" all"four"by"the"lake." “Nine"hundred"years"of"punishment" 51"

is"all"that"I"can"take.â&#x20AC;?" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 52"

Nights"With"God" " by"Cheyenne"Najee" " " 2:37am" i"hear"the"train"roll"by"my"bedroom"window" (visible"if"i"take"a"walk"to"the"man"made"pond"not"5"minutes"from" my"door)" and"i"think"of"the"conductor"who"must"steer"it" lonely" every"night" he"gets"no"acknowledgement,"i"presume,"outside"of"his"biweekly" paycheck" (it"took"me"three"seasons"to"realize"he"was"there"at"all)" and"yet"the"wheels"turn"and"he"goes"along" " 2:41am" i"think"of"how"the"conductor"is"not"the"only"one"working"at"this" hourâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;" pastry"chefs"and"electricians"and"custodians" and"i"think"of"how"not"many"think"of"them"either" (we"are"alike"in"that"way,"i"suppose" fringe"society"members,"even"in"our"own"homes)" " 2:43am" will"God"kiss"our"foreheads"and"tell"us"we"have"done"enough" when"we"reach"the"gates?" toiling"during"the"witching"hour" hearts"shattered"on"linoleum"and"souls"crushed"under"the" weight"of"the"freight"we"carry" (have"we"done"enough?)" 53"

will"we"have"to"recite"the"hymns"we"memorized"during"those" long"nights?" will"we"have"to"recollect"all"of"the"blood"we"spilled"to"get"there?" (the"knives"in"my"kitchen"were"never"sharp"but"i"always"brought" the"blade"down"with"a"purpose)" " 2:46am" i"canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"remember"the"last"time"i"heard"the"train"roll"by"my" bedroom" i"donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"ever"recall"reading"a"poem"about"the"conductor"or"the" electricians"in"school" only"plums"as"a"metaphor"and"dead"children" do"the"fringes"ever"make"it"to"glory?" " 2:51am" i"can"feel"the"feathers"caressing"me" my"hair"pushed"back" my"eyes"closing"against"my"will" my"heart"slowing" (will"they"ever"feel"the"peace"of"God"in"the"night?" or"only"the"cracking"of"the"joints"in"their"feet?)" " " " " " " " " " "

54"

" i"can't"pronounce"his"heavenly"name"but"he"holds"my"soul" " by"Cheyenne"Najee" " " you"all"speak"of"God"and"of"angels"like" looking"at"one"won't"burn"your"eyes"and" touching"one"won't"singe"your"skin"and" smelling"one"won't"scorch"your"lungs" " you"forget"their"thousand"eyes"and" warrior"tendenciesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;" their"ability"to"detach"and"to"fly"and" to"cast"unworthy"ones"far"away" " you"all"speak"of"God"and"of"angels"like" you"know"them." have"you"seen"one"light"up"a"city"or" set"fire"to"the"droplets"that"fall"from"the"sky?" " you"know"nothing"of"the"blood"that"runs"from"my"lips"every"time" they"kiss"me" you"know"nothing"of"the"cuts"on"my"palms"from"the"ridges"on" their"hands" " you"all"speak"of"God"and"of"angels"like" your"heart"won't"ache"for"them"like" your"heart"won't"break"for"them"like" loving"a"celestial"being"is"easy" " crush"is"a"word"that"means"gasping"for"air"when"they"cast"the" 55"

demons"out"of"your"chest" crush"is"not"being"worthy"to"be"in"the"presence"of"their"Father" crush"is"realizing"that"their"love"will"be"nothing"but"pain" " you"all"speak"and"speak"and"speak" but"none"of"you"know." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "

56"

She"Was"Just"a"Witch" " by"Nivia;Natalia"Frias" " " And"he"loved"her"so"he"said"she"was"poetry"itself" Then"there"was"a"night"where"she"stopped"breathing" Her"heart"just"stopped" He"was"in"agony"" But"she"visited"him"at"night" Breaking"his"windows"so"he'd"know"she"was"there" " Every"ghost"step"she"took"toward"him"his"heart"warmed" Angels"came"down"from"the"Heavens"to"inform"him"of"her"visits" when"he"became"skeptical"of"whether"or"not"he"was"delusional" Those"same"angels"told"him"their"love"could"not"break"even"in" death" " He"laughed"in"their"cherubic"faces"" HA!"He"said" The"shattering"of"glass"rang"throughout"his"lonely"home" Do"you"not"miss"me"Do"you"not"love"me"She"asked" He"had"finally"concluded"that"he"was"indeed"delirious" Completely"bonkers" " By"then"the"angels"had"gone" But"they"watched"from"above" Waiting"for"the"moment"she"took"him"with"her" What"does"it"matter?"" Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m"going"crazy"I"might"as"well"be"dead!"He"shouted"above" " When"she"heard"this"she"cried"blue"tears"" 57"

Her"transparent"face"turned"maroon" Every"plant"in"the"outside"world"wilted"and"suffered"" The"sun"flickered"and"dimmed"at"the"sound"of"her"wails" She"just"wanted"to"go"Home"and"be"with"her"lover" Her"lover"that"no"longer"loved"her"" " The"grimace"painted"on"her"phantom"of"a"face"turned"the"walls" around" Her"death"didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t"matter"to"her"heartache" Feeling"just"as"broken"as"he"had"when"she"had"first"passed" She"would"be"sure"to"include"this"in"her"ghost"memoir"of"her"past" life" Finally"her"tears"had"dried"up"simply"evaporating"into"the" atmosphere" " When"she"looked"back"into"her"old"loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"face"she"felt"exhausted" Or"at"least"as"exhausted"as"a"ghost"could"be" She"could"no"longer"continue"to"visit"a"place"where"she"was"no" longer"welcome" He"had"no"desire"for"the"spirit"of"his"dead"paramour"to"occupy" any"space"near"him" So"she"went"on"to"return"to"her"grave" Her"eternal"bed" " If"he"felt"so"detested"toward"her"she"would"feel"the"same" She"decided"to"place"a"hex"on"her"resting"place"" Forbidding"her"former"lover"from"ever"coming"near"her" She"would"return"to"her"box"and"rest"until"her"soul"could"find"its" way"off"of"this"earth" " She"would"search"for"a"shaman"to"aid"her"" To"assist"her"into"the"Heavens" 58"

This"life"would"forever"be"marked"as"a"tragedy" Solely"a"wound"in"her"journey"through"the"cosmos" But"she"swore"on"her"soul"she"would"return"to"this"terrestrial" sphere" " She"would"simply"move"onto"to"a"new"fresh"life"after"spending" her"time"with"the"Angels"who"warned"her"past"lover"of"her" previous"frequent"visits" She"would"be"in"a"brand"new"body"still"a"female"creature" With"bright"eyes"but"an"old"soul" She"would"find"something"new"to"love"something"new"to"be" infatuated"with" And"she"would"forever"rejoice"to"be"alive" Never"allowing"anyone"to"break"her"vitality" " However"for"now"she"would"wait" She"will"slumber"until"that"hopeful"time"arrives" At"the"moment"she"needs"to"take"care"" She"knows"the"imminent"future"will"be"unbelievable" " " " " " " " " " " " " " 59"

too"close" " by"marnie" icarus"says:"i"will"fly" icarus"means:"sometimes"the"world"is"too"small" icarus"means:"it"burns"but"i"feel"alive" icarus"jumps."a"fledgeling"leaving"the"nest"is"less"fragile"because" he"is"flying"on"nothing"but"wax"and"hope"but"that"does"not" matter"because"his"heart"is"bigger"than"a"birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"and"he"is"flying" icarus"flies."his"dreams"are"made"of"nectar"but"his"joy"is"sweeter" than"a"summer"evening"and"he"laughs"crepuscular"rays"and"his" hair"is"bright"and"bronzed" icarus"thinks:"i"can"fly" icarus"thinks:"damn" icarus"must:"remember"to"breathe" icarus"says:"i"could"touch"the"clouds" icarus"means:"i"have"fallen"in"love"with"the"sky"and"it"tastes"like" freedom" icarus"forgets:"a"mortal"cannot"keep"up"with"the"sun,"no"matter" how"golden"his"wings"" the"sun"says:"wait,"come"back" " " " " " " " " " 60"

The"Ghost"of"Patroclus"to"His"Love" " by"Presmei" " " I"am"sorry"I"was"born"for"you"to"see"me"die." Forgive"me"for"I"could"not"spare"you" the"fate"of"witnessing"life"in"me" only"for"death"to"take"away"so" suddenly,"so"cruelly." And"I"know"Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll"never"get"to"know" how"much"you"felt"when"you"held"me" that"one"last"time" like"you"always"did:" your"arms"wrapped"around"my"waist" and"your"hand"right"above"my"beating;" no,"not"anymore;" my"heart"is"as"still" as"the"stars"in"the"skies" and"the"trees"stretched"towards"it." Now"you"wail"in"sorrow;" you"scream"into"the"night," for"no"destined"prophecy" could"have"prepared"you"" for"the"reality"that"I"am"" truly," irrevocably,"" and"undeniably";" Dead." Gone." Never"to"come"back."

61"

But"Philtatos,"my!beloved," we"may"not"chose"how"our"story"ends," but"we"will"always"have"this;" the"simple"beginnings"and"the"happy"middles" the"memories"of"you"and"me";" all"these"little"things" time"nor"death"" can"rob"nor"deprive"us." Carry"this,"wherever"you"go" and"know"that"wherever"you"are" Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll"be"there." I"too"will"carry"it," wherever"I"go." Yes,"I"am"very"much"aware"" history"would"rather" reduce"into"a"few"words," that"in"the"end,"" our"greatest"triumphs"and"sorrows" shall"all"but"be"mere"footnotes" in"some"dusty"shelf,"or"perhaps," be"buried"underneath"grass"and"soil." But"Philtatos,!my!beloved," if"all"that"I"am"is"blown"in"the"wind." if"all"that"is"known"of"me" is"to"be"no"one"but"your"love," I"know"I"have"lived"a"happy"life" and"I"think," I"am"content." " " " " 62"

ONE"TWO"THREE"FOUR"FIVE,"I"HAVE"NEVER"FELT"MORE" ALIVE" " by"A.T" " i.!icarus!told!me!it!doesn’t!hurt,!not!really,!not!when!you!are!simply! falling!from!one!love!to!another,!not!when!the!fall!isn’t!even!really! a!fall,!but!a!journey!to!a!better!place! ! ii.!i!left!them!behind!because!no!one!told!me!sometimes!you!grow!out! of!friendships,!and!sometimes!it’s!for!the!better,!and!maybe!i!had!to! learn!it!for!myself,!but!maybe!that’s!for!the!better!as!well! ! iii.!i!talked!to!aphrodite!the!other!day,!she!told!me!love!is!a!wild,! growing!thing!that!can!never!truly!be!tamed!and!for!the!first!time! in!my!life!i!believed!her! ! iv.!i!opened!a!book!today,!for!the!first!time!in!a!long!time,!and!i! didn’t!realize!how!much!i!missed!reading!until!i!had!finished!the! novel! ! v.!(finding!an!old!love!is!so!much!better!than!trying!to!hold!on!to! something!that!is!only!ever!going!to!hurt!you)! " " " " " " " "

63"

Mary"Magdalen" " by"Katherine"Mills" " " Am"I"your"Mary"Magdalen"tonight?" Maudlin,"martyr,"murderess?" Which"would"you"like?" I"play"the"roles"so"well"after"all" Just"tell"me"which"version"I"should"be." I"will"unpeel"my"skins"like"veils" and"dance"how"you"like"best."" " Why"risk"the"sick"sweet"sorrow," Why"waste"the"time?" A"hand"behind"my"neck"like" the"knife"between"my"ribs"like" the"blood"filled"cavity"you"bear"to"call" a"heart." " Is"this"what"we"are"good"for?" Am"I"worthy"yet?" " Something"evil"twists"in"me" This"serpent"self" Craving"only"devotion,"psalms,"roses"on"a"Sunday." " The"dream"is"rotting."" " " " " 64"

Gwenhwyfar" "

by"Katherine"Mills"

" " mushrooms"rising"up" out"of"the"forest"floor" shells"like"skulls" peering"from"eyeless"holes" " i"atrophy"here" " i"will"wait"for"him"and"when"he"comes"for"me" (and"he"will"come"for"me" he"always"does)" " he"will"kiss"this"spot" curl"his"fingers"in"my"hair"" " atrophy"becomes"entropy" we"spiral"like"sin" becoming"in"one"another" " " " " " " " "

65"

Hero" by"Arthur"Solvang" " Achilles,"you"are"the"sun."The"halo" of"your"hair,"the"light"behind"your"eyes,"I"kiss" the"salty"sweat"of"your"brow." Your"skin"is"not"alabaster,"but"the"wet"sand" of"the"beach,"golden"and"grainy"with"calluses." Your"arms"hold"me"safe"with"the"same"strength" they"use"to"break" a"manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"jaw."Your"sandpaper"hands" are"ruby;red"with"scabs"and"scars,"your"lips" always"bloody"and"your"face"dark"and"swollen" with"bruises."The"freckles"on"your"shoulders"are" tiny"suns,"stars"in"the"daylight"sky."Your"golden"locks"trickle" through"my"fingers,"burn"me,"hot"from"the"summer"sun." You"would"fight"the"moon." You"are"white;hot."Your"lips"pull"back" over"your"teeth"like"the"tiger,"the"hunter."You"pounce"again"and" again,"your"body"ripples" with"your"hunger." You"hold"me"with"those"hands." You"stand"under"the"hot"shower;water,"fog" on"the"bathroom"mirror,"hands"tangled" in"feather;down"hair,"the"curves" of"your"body"a"map"of"rivers"and"roads."" "

66"

Alexander,"you"are"the"ocean."The"cascade" of"your"cotton"sheets,"my"head"against"your"beating"heart."It" pounds,"lub;dub,"lub;dub." Waves"against"the"shore." Your"hot"hands"holding" hotter"drinks."The"blanket" of"your"letterman"jacket"falling" round"my"knees." Your"shoulders"are"so"broad." They"are"a"continent,"a"kingdom." You"carry"the"weight"of"Atlas,"" the"burden"of"Persephone," the"punishment"of"Prometheus"on"the"rock."Your"eyes"like"jade," your"back"like"marble." I"lay"myself"across"your"arms," I"kiss"your"mourning;mask"face,"my"hands"cling"to"cold"stone," you"are"a"coffin."" " Gilgamesh,"you"are"the"city."The"hum"of"traffic,"the"shiny"silver" skyscrapers"and"the"onyx"black"of"tinted"windows."You"are"the" chatter"" on"the"radio,"you"are"the"ring" of"the"telephone."You"are"painted" in"the"intricate"graffiti"of" red"brick"alleyways." You"break"your"hands"on"the"things"in"your"way."A"woman"sits"in" a"kitchen,"on"a"patio,"watching"the"clothes"dry"on"the"line"in"the" lukewarm"summer"day."She"calls"her" 67"

son"on"the"phone,"makes"sure"that"he"is" eating"properly"at"university." You"are"that"moment."" A"couple"sits"together" on"a"park"bench,"shares"a"crepe,"watches"a"few"children"play" superheroes."You"are"that"moment,"too." You"are"the"fountain" in"the"square,"a"bronze"figure"who"stands"stoically"amongst"the" cool,"dark"water."You"are"both" forgotten"and"eternity,"both" champion"and"bystander."Who"was"it"who"was"finally"able"to" match"you?" Was"it"me?"" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 68"

pantheism and you by fynn

" " " "

goethe once wrote about the god in all things. and sometimes i can feel the holiness, like it's dripping from your lips when i touch them and in raindrops clinging to your hair i can recognise heaven, or at least something above worldly and i like the idea that when i fall, because i've been running way too fast trying to catch all this beauty in the world, i fall into another sacred thing, keeping me safe, although your arms are the most sacred of them all i like thinking that everything else is just as filled with love as me and that the nectar the flowers are producing is just their way to honour the god hiding in bees,. and the trees are waving in the wind, towards the stars because they're so in awe with their beauty and i love every heavenly thing because i am destinied to and i choose to love you even more because it's my prayer and it makes sense,on your lips,on mine and on the fusion of them both

69"

the"sin"of"an"angel" " by"Daylen"P." " "

" " " " " " " "

70"

to"you,"a"mortal" " by"Daylen"P." " "

" " " " " " " " " " " " " " 71"

the"keep"away" "

by"Daylen"P."

" "

" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "

72"

She"came"to"visit"today" "

by"Thamer"Linklater"

" " She"came"to"visit"today" The"gray;eyed"daughter"of"Zeus." She"told"me"of"her"life,"" Relations"with"mortals"and"immortals"alike." She"came"to"visit"today"" Whilst"I"went"about"my"work." She"spoke"of"the"brothers"two"and"sisters"three," Who"were"born"of"Earth"and"Sky." She"said"they"were"swallowed"in"fear" That"a"dreaded"fate"would"be."" She"painted"the"sadness"of"the"Earth" With"words"of"sorrow"and"a"plea." Earth"begged"for"her"sixth"to"be"spared," And"the"sixth"was"hidden"deep"in"forestry," As"Sky"ate"of"rock"unknowingly."" She"came"to"visit"today" The"gray"eyed"daughter"of"Zeus." She"spoke"of"how"the"dreaded"fate"came"to"be," How"Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"sixth"saved"the"brothers"two"and"sisters"three." The"gray"eyed"daughter"of"Zeus"shares"much"with"me"" But"the"story"of"Earth"and"Sky" And"their"children"six" Will"be"forever"remembered." For"me,"because"of"the"reverence"" Of"the"gray"eyed"Athena"of"her"Zeus."" " " 73"

The"Defender" "

by"Thamer"Linklater"

" " Once"more"does"the"defender"of"cities"come."" Her"reverence"of"Zeus"shines"through" As"she"speaks"of"her"beginnings." Zeus,"her"father,"Metis,"her"mother" This"her"parentage."" Like"father"Sky,"the"defender"says,"Zeus"swallowed"too." For"in"his"head"did"she"grow." So"they"say"fully"grown"she"sprung" Born"of"her"fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s"mind." Her"birth"must"have"gloriously"been,"" For"Helius,"in"his"tracks,"paused" And"the"great"Mount"Olympus"shook" As"a"cry"sprang"forth"from"her"lips." " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 74"

Attica" "

by"Thamer"Linklater"

" " On"Attica"did"Athena"and"Poseidon"lay"there"eyes" So"now"a"contest"there"must"be." Each"deity"is"to"gift"a"useful"thing" To"the"people"of"Attica." Poseidon"gave"the"gift"of"Spring" Full"of"water"mixed"with"salt." The"people"of"Attica"saw"no"use"in"this," For"it"is"so"much"like"the"sea." Owl"eyed"Athena"gave"to"Attica"a"tree" Upon"which"olives"do"grow." The"people"of"Attica"made"of"this"much"use." Owl"eyed"Athena"did"take"this"victory" Her"prize"of"Attica"thus"named"for"her," The"daughter"of"Zeus." " Oh"Athena,"how"like"you"I"wish"to"be" However,"in"my"place"I"must"stay." For"soon"I"shall"be"wed." " " " " " " " " " 75"

Erichthonius" "

by"Thamer"Linklater"

" " Oh"Athena,"your"distraught;ness"I"did"see," The"story"still"echoes"in"my"mind." Oh"Athena,"why"did"he"even"try" To"offend"you,"and"violate"your"body"so?" " When"you"spoke"of"Erichthonius"you"were"bothered"so," The"touch"of"anger"suggested"in"your"words." The"child"grew"up"in"your"hands" And"led"a"glorious"life,"I"did"see." If"only"the"daughters"had"listened," Had"not"laid"their"eyes"upon"the"child"so," Perhaps"they"would"have"been"so"proud." " Oh"Athena,"your"distraught;ness"I"did"see" Oh"Athena"" " " " " " " " " " " " " 76"

Hear"the"Cries" "

by"Thamer"Linklater"

" " Hear"the"cries"of"the"Lost" Who"no"longer"grace"the"Earth" With"their"beauty"and"knowledge.""" Like"the"great"Odysseus," Can"you"hear"them"not?" They"rest"upon"gusts"of"wind" They"ran"along"the"beams"of"the"sun" They"wander"the"dreams"and"thoughts" Like"their"spirit"wanders"Asphodel." Hear"the"cries"of"the"Lost" That"began"in"the"home" Ripped"from"motherly"care,"and"fatherly"advice," That"left"an"all;too;eager"young"adult."" The"cries"of"the"lost" The"dead,"torn"from"their"life." The"dead"that"once"graced"family"trees." The"dead,"that"link"us"all."" " " " " " " " " " " 77"

NOTES"ON"CONTRIBUTORS" " " AJ" REED" is" a" creative" writer" and" self;proclaimed" poet." She" has" dabbled"in"the"art"of"poetry"for"over"a"decade"and"uses"it"as"both" an"act"of"devotion,"as"well"as"a"release"of"emotions."She"writes"in" different" styles" about" all" sorts" of" different" topics," but" her" main" focus"lately"has"been"modern"depictions"of"ancient"gods." " A.T," also" known" as" Artemis," has" been" writing" poetry" for" a" little" over"a"year."She"spends"a"majority"of"her"time"drinking"tea"and" reading." You" can" find" her" at" her" Tumblr" (lunarscopes.tumblr.com)"where"she"posts"her"original"works." " ALIX" BOSLEY" is" a" writer" from" southern" Louisiana." She" has" lived" there" all" her" life" and" will" probably" die" there" too." She" is" in" her" mid;twenties" and" lives" with" her" husband" and" their" small," exuberant"human."She"writes"poetry"to"keep"herself"sane."She"is" aware"of"the"irony." " ANIKA"R."is"an"aspiring"novelist"and"poet"from"Germany."She"is"22" years" old," creator" of" worlds" and" collector" of" words." She" writes" poems"when"she"can't"find"the"right"words"for"her"stories"and"is" currently"writing"her"first"full;length"book." " ARTHUR" SOLVANG" is" a" student" at" Hamline" University" studying" professional"writing"and"rhetoric."He"has"presented"his"creative" writing"at"the"Associated"Colleges"of"the"Twin"Cities"conference." His" interest" is" in" diverse" speculative" fiction," narrative" and" new" media,"and"retellings"of"mythology"and"folklore.""

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" AUDREY"JEAN"is"a"writer"and"visual"artist"fascinated"by"cosmology," philosophy,"and"all"occult"matters."She"is"currently"doing"a"PhD" in"Education,"Practice"and"Society."Her"favourite"poets"are"Emily" Dickinson," Sappho," and" e.e.cummings." She" is" the" editor" of" this" zine." " CATHERINE" WINDHAM" is" an" amateur" poet" that" enjoys" rainy" days" and" late" nights." Her" poetry" blog" can" be" found" at" sempiternalwriting.tumblr.com." " CHEYENNE" NAJEE"is"a"writer"from"Virginia"who"studies"French"and" is" majoring" in" Theatre" Arts." They" can" be" found" on" most" social" media"sites"if"you"simply"search"their"name." " CHUCHU" WINTERS"(or"c.w)"is"a"tired,"disillusioned"girl,"she"is"most" definitely"always"in"love."She"often"writes"poems"that"might"be"a" tad" too" personal" and" steeped" with" bad" symbolisms." You" can" always"most"certainly"catch"her"at"@thoustl." " CRISTINA" AURELIAN" is" a" student" who" is" passionate" about" poetry" and" art." Her" ambition" is" to" be" an" artist," but" she" has" long" had" a" dream"to"also"write." " DAYLEN" is" a" 17" year" old" art" student." Their" poems" are" mostly" in" the" format" of" black" out" because" they" find" it" easier" than" to" construct" an" entire" poem" from" scratch." They" enjoy" this" kind" of" poem" since" picking" the" right" words" to" create" a" small" story," just" like"a"snippet"of"a"conversation,"is"rather"fun."You"can"find"their" art"blog"@donebydaylen"on"tumblr." "

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ELLA" STANDAGE"is"16"and"likes"writing,"romans,"and"robots,"in"all"

combinations." currently" they" enjoy" writing" about" roman" robots" (pygmalionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s" statue" is" an" early" example" of" a" cyborg!)," although" roman"writing;robots"would"be"pretty"cool."when"they"grow"up" they" would" like" to" be" an" omniscient" computer;entity," but" until" then"they"could"probably"settle"for"being"a"poet,"i"guess." " FYNN" is" an" 18;year" old" wannabe;poet" who" is" really" fond" of" writing"in"lowercase"letters."They"only"use"too"many"metaphors" and" get" their" heart" broken" by" cute" girls" on" a" regular" basis." One" day"fynn"hopes"to"either"live"somewhere"that"smells"like"home"or" own"an"avocado"tree." " HAFZA" ATTI" is" a" 19" years" old" "Algerian" lesbian" from" France." She" writes" about" women" and" seeking" meaning" but" mostly" to" feel" alive."Currently"in"an"on"and"off"relationship"with"the"void."" " JOSHUA"was"born"in"Germany"in"the"late"20th"century."He"lives"in" the"United"States"now.! ! JUPITER" REED" is" a" young" author" and" poet" who" has" been" writing" pretty"much"since"she"was"little."She"has"a"couple"of"novels"and" chapbooks" in" the" works" and" hopes" to" be" an" established" poet" someday."She"mostly"writes"about"the"soft,"chaotic"symphony"of" being" and" the" dissonance" of" a" lonely" teenage" haze." What" she" wants"most,"is"for"her"voice"to"be"heard"someday." " KATE" NEZELEK" is" studying" the" art" of" English" literature" at" Rice" University," where" she" is" also" a" Division" 1" athlete." Her" love" for" creative" writing" extends" to" everything" from" poetry" to" playwriting." Near" the" end" of" her" high" school" career," she" was" honored" with" the" Hollins" University" Book" Award," and" has" 80"

performed" her" work" at" a" TedxYouth" event" in" her" hometown" of" Richmond,"Virginia." " KATHERINE" MILLS" is" a" twenty;one" year" old" writer" from" London," England,"with"an"interest"in"contemporary"poetry,"feminism,"and" mythology." She" is" currently" working" on" her" own" collection" entitled" This" Kills" The" Girl," exploring" the" convergence" of" monstrosity"and"femininity."" " MARNIE" is" a" poet" from" London." They" love" to" write" but" they" are" also" very" tired." They" spend" most" of" their" time" drinking" tea" and" being" generally" excited" about" latin."They" also" do" finger" guns" in" inappropriate"situations."They"are"working"on"this." " MAGGIE" MCEVOY" is" a" New" York" based" writer" and" visual" artist." Born" and" raised" in" the" suburbs" of" the" Hudson" Valley," Maggie" draws"inspiration"from"the"hidden"stories"and"conflicts"that"exist" inside" family" homes," as" well" as" the" struggles" of" young" womanhood." She" expands" upon" these" themes" through" videos" and" performance" art."She" can" be" reached" at"maggiemcevoy.tumblr.com." " NIVIA;NATALIA" FRIAS"is"a"17;year"old"girl"in"Texas"who"aspires"to" become" a" full;time" poet." A" majority" of" her" poetry" is" free;verse" and" is" inspired" by" photography," music," or" simply" her" strong" imagination."" " PRESMEI"is"a"stressed,"sleep"deprived"teenager"who"writes"poetry" and"prose"in"the"hope"of"expressing"her"thoughts"and"making"a" difference" in" the" lives" of" others." Written" in" the" perspective" of" Patroclus’"ghost,"her"poem"“The"Ghost"of"Patroclus"to"His"Love”,"

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explores" the" relationship" between" him" and" the" Greek" warrior" Achilles"of"The"Iliad"and"Greek"Mythology.""" " SHIRLEY" WANG"is"an"artist"and"writer"of"color"currently"occupying" a"small"space"in"the"San"Francisco"Bay"Area."She"is"an"art"editor" for"Kerosene"Magazine,"a"literary"journal"for"LBPQ"women,"and" is"fueled"solely"by"unorthodox"narratives"and"80's"synthesizers." " THAMER" LINKLATER" was" born" and" raised" in" Winnipeg" and" is" currently"studying"English"at"the"University"of"Winnipeg."Among" her" interests" are" photography," novels," writing," and" Classical" Mythology." She" spends" her" days" studying" and" writing" poems." Her" biggest" influences" are" nature," her" family," and" her" studies." She"hopes"to"one"day"work"in"the"field"of"publishing." " VICTORIA" UDNĂ&#x2020;S" is" a" Norwegian" poet" who" loves" to" write" about" everything" that" touches" our" lifes," especially" the" abstract." What" she"can"imagine"in"picture,"she"writes"in"words.""She"loves"to"play" with" sentences" to" make" them" materialize" a" new" pathway" of" understanding" in" all" that" we" can" understand," and" more" important" â&#x20AC;&#x201C;" what" we" do" not" understand." 28" years" old," lives" currently" in" Sweden." She" can" be" found" at" mycosmicbackyard.tumblr.com." "

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