INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Chris Lord
Joseph McNair
Duane Locke
Lazlo Slomovits
Alan Britt
Shutta Crum
Tolu Ogunlesi
Jerry Blanton
Paul B. Roth
Fred Wolven
Felino Soriano
Sharon E. Boyd
Joanie Freeman
Jumoke Verissimo
Running Cub
Jeanpaul Ferro
S. P. Flannery
Kristina Marie Darling
Gary Beck
Dike Okoro
Karyn M. Wolven
We have shared those hot stares when
sweat baptizes our bodies like priests
in deep meditation over the sunken state of
the world; and we seek for healing; a miracle
not for rain to kill our scalding heat
but for a flow that heals the ignition of our groins.
No water will wash the hotness off our raging airs
our lust heats between the thighs, burning us
into bare-chestedness, half-clothedness;
so we hand over tales of illusions in blazing stares
that meddles with desire, which count us out of reality.
You make a wish to heal me; I agree--you
wring out of pretence of love and its inconstancy
from these flirting moments between two lovers;
we clip off the birth of affection from inception
we roam around our kingdoms: we don't own anything,
but my heart refrigerates your steaming
into one long desired tuneful sough.
We fan our hotness, grateful for the wanted taboo
this chance miracle that iced our heat
we dissolve this one night, grateful, and we thing later.
2. January
That time when yearnings mates with anticipation
when we arrange the future into boxes of hope
and each hour is spelt with numbered fears--
January is a first prayer said with mountain faith
a time for playing the music of many losses
and dancing new tunes to despondent days
every second waits for an unveiled assurance
the wonder packages waiting to be opened
epiphany or when we drink the past and eat the future
hoping we will digest horrors that make us sorer
in this coming of January lives beg to be lighted
and days burn out into a time when
the pocket becomes lean but famous for want
January comes waiting for another January
and the circle of hope revolves.
3. Anatomy of the number one
one is a latitude of
lives bordered in differences
it is close to tears
it can break into two
that straight line that ends in haste
then hastens into hate
a nonintersecting decisions of loneliness
one is alone
one zillions are counted
one is aside
one zilllion and one
a symmetrical reflection of many
blood and lines
the smallest that's the difference
the same and different
of the world
a world
one world
a worn hurled negotiation bid for crime
the reason why
the excuse?
just one
just once
never again?: this one.
the one that's the world; one world
4. Illusions of our beloved (for Pluto)
we always bend our brinks
we call bathtubs seas
and keep awake in the nights waiting
for sea waves in bathtubs
the imagined is in the safety of creations
imagination is an apostle of the mind
so we wait for sea waves in a bathtub
we adapt to holding an illusion as a beloved
just like Pluto
who was just the figment of the microscope.
Jumoke Verissimo, Lagos, Nigeria