by Kevin McLellan The heat intensifies as Freddie ascends the stairwell and the suitcase becomes more unwieldy. He opens the letter just outside his apartment door, reads “the biopsy shows no signs of dysplasia…” and places it under his arm with an unopened utility bill. … Continue readingLittoral

Rukhsar Palla I was exiting Le Drak Art (a frequented club, half warehouse, half wooden boards and spilled beer), approaching a parking lot filled with cars covered with snow. The cars were freezing and so were the humans, sharing their last minute spliffs. And then … Continue readingFirst Month of Winter in Grenoble

by Beth Konkoski When Anna was five, she pretended to watch Belle in her yellow gown bring the forgotten castle to life. The movie, a magic dilemma of unruly furniture and songs, couldn’t hold her attention. She was thinking of the new baby brother who … Continue readingBrother

by Cindy Hunter Morgan When I see a dandelion in my yard, I usually dig it up and throw it in the compost. I know I should eat my dandelions or make wine from them or wait for them to turn to fuzz and then … Continue readingFloret

by Annie Lampman He ignored me and gave the hoe another swing—another black earth bite in a long row of teeth. The chicken feet strung around his neck settled below his collarbone. They were yellow and horned, the feet, nails curved enough to look threatening, … Continue readingAll That Lies Beneath

by Cindy House This is the road you take twice a week to pick up your son. These are the traffic lights you stop for or rush through, depending on the minutes glowing at you from your dashboard clock. There is the dinosaur miniature golf … Continue readingTurnpike

by Lisa Allen Editor’s note: This piece exceeds the commonly accepted word count of 1000 words, but what Lisa has done here is extraordinary. This comes from Lily Poetry Review’s inaugural issue, and is an example of the kind of experimental writing we love to … Continue readingNotes for My Daughter As She Preps for Her Most Public Sexual Assault