EYLEM ZARA BEKTAS: The Train Has Left

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

The train passes. Tears everywhere, yet the careless breeze of the Mediterranean graces me, leaving traces of my land everywhere. The train departs—at least the figs are swaying in the wind. Empty platform, but please let me wait a little longer, he will be here soon, he will come.

Eylem Zara Bektas studies English Literature and Comparative Literatures. When she is not reading, she writes short stories, flash fiction and poetry. She loves the ocean, both literary and real, and thus considers herself a professional ocean-seeker.

LASARA FIREFOX ALLEN: The Flood

Adventure, Submissions, , ,

Summer rain fell hard and fast on the steel body of his car, causing an unbelievable racket. Warm nights and fireflies flashed through his mind; memories of childhood.

“The Flood isn’t what I thought climate change would look like,” he blustered out loud to no one as he drove on.

Lasara Firefox Allen (they/them) is the author of Jailbreaking the Goddess and Sexy Witch. They are published in many genres, online and in print. Subscribe to their Substack at: www.substack.com/lasarafirefoxallen. Learn more at www.linktr.ee/lasarafirefoxallen.

JOZZIE STUCHELL VELESIG: A Job Well Done

Adventure, Submissions, , , ,

The sweet smell of the fresh plaster filled the room. Troweled on smooth and soft, hardening, a stone rolled before a tomb. He breathed in the scent of his labor and washed and packed his tools. He’d be long gone when the smell of his ungrateful boss overtook the room.

Jozzie Stuchell Velesig is a Harvard-trained writer and founding member of the Story Street Writers. For more information, visit jozziewrites.com or storystreetwriters.com.

JENNIFER L FREED: The Old Ways

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , , , , ,

Sleepless, Larry steps out into the pre-dawn light to walk off his anxiety. He doesn’t text his wife to let her know; doesn’t want the ping of her cellphone to wake her. Later they will laugh at this—how easily he’s forgotten about pen, paper, that words can be hand-written.

Jennifer L Freed is the author of When Light Shifts, a memoir-in-poems on care-giving, aging, and family relationships, inspired by the aftermath of her mother’s stroke.  Her parents still inspire her. Please visit jfreed.weebly.com to learn more.

LAURENCE CARR: In the Village

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

In the village just after dawn, we can visit the old man who carves names on memorial stones. He’ll serve us tea and toast; he likes to talk to those who come by. He’ll call us his children. but don’t tell him your name. His chisels are always within reach.

Laurence Carr lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. His book of poems and short essays is Strides: reflections on 6 acres, with images by artist Edward M. O’Hara. Others include: Paradise Loft, (CAPS Press and Lightwoodpress); Traverse, a collaboration with artist Power Boothe. Pancake Hollow Primer, won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for first novel. This and two poetry collections, Threnodies: poems in remembrance and The Wytheport Tales are published by Codhill Press. Laurence is currently the publisher of Lightwood, an online arts and culture magazine. www.carrwriter.com and Lightwoodpress.com

DAVID CLAY: Storm Drain

Adventure, Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

Suddenly he remembered seeing on the news last year that a cop had been killed while retrieving one of these things. Still in the car, he YouTubed how to unload a Glock 9mm. It didn’t look hard. He wished he’d done it before sliding the gun down the storm drain.

David Clay is a finance professional and girl dad living in St. Louis, MO.

LEE NICHOLAS: Order Out Of

Amusing, Submissions, ,

2. The last line of this story became the first.

After years of experimenting with wave functions, quantum entanglement, and my home-made particle accelerator, I’d finally conquered it.

Time travel.

Problem was, it applied only to the written word.

This meant two things:

1. My notes were rather messy, and

Lee Nicholas enjoys writing personalised choose-your-own-adventure books for nephews and nieces (even favourite Ukey ones). One day, he hopes to make money doing this.

V LEIGH: Preschool… Or How I Learned to Get the Pox

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

In winter, we brandished bread-bag-bundled feet and slid them into our snow boots.

In summer, we adventured barefoot through sprinkler-strewn backyards.

“Stay away from the neighbor boy,” Mrs. F said.

He was as tall as a tale, dribbled lemonade and had chicken pox that looked like acne.

We didn’t listen.

V. Leigh is a dream maker and a storyteller. She has worked in the entertainment industry for the better part of the past twenty years and spends her time supporting artists.

MARI KITINA: What We Left Behind

Artistic, Submissions, Top Stories, , , , ,

On train rides to the province with my grandma, the wheels and tracks did most of the talking. I’d patiently wait for her to reach into the large pockets she’d sewn onto her dress. Together, we’d crack and peel hard boiled eggs and let the shells fly from our window.

Mari Kitina writes to find beauty in the mundane and to uncover the secrets that live within her. She is a self-published author of Back to Dance: How I Revived My Dance and My Spirit and How You Can Too, a personal memoir and self-help book born out of her passion to inspire the creative spark in others.