Tag Archives: hope

KATHERINE DARLINGTON: Angel

Artistic, Poetry, Submissions, , ,

As she rode across
The desert
In deep December
A million stars lit
The evening sky;
She wrapped the night around her
Like a cape:

The moon was
A beacon
Boulders were on either side

Coyotes echoed their
Songs

The Rio Grande
Wasn’t far, and that hope
Remained her sustenance.

Katherine Darlington has articles in many publications including literary journals, poetry anthologies, and has several published novels. When she isn’t riding horses or hiking on some mountain trail, she’s working on a story. See more of her work at katherinedarlington.com.

ALYCE CLARK: True Love

Artistic, Submissions, , , , ,

So, this is what love feels like… increased heart rate, happiness, longing.

A rush that says you can have, do, be anything.

Passion. Hope. Excitement. Expectation.

Belief in the impossible. And now, it’s here- breathtakingly beautiful.

I smile at the girl in the mirror. Loving herself for the first time.

Alyce Clark enjoys reading and writing short stories. Her work has been published by 50-Word Stories and Friday Flash Fiction.

EILEEN MARDRES: Daughter of One Soldier, Mother to Another

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

A child’s view of war: the puckered hole in father’s back with its story of bridges defended, people protected, snipers’ bullets, and survival.

Today a different view: a son building bridges, clearing landmines, educating children, joining other Peacekeepers to maintain the legacy of the fathers with puckered holes.

We remember.

Retired from other professions, Eileen writes poetry and micro fiction hopes also to one day complete a book of mini-memoirs.

KATHERINE DARLINGTON: Hope Hides

Submissions, Touching, , , ,

The daisies died
But she saved the
Rose petals and
Gently placed them
In a small, glass bowl

Later, the market was quiet:
No one
Noticed when she placed
A small bouquet of flowers
In her basket

The roses wore colors
Of late November sunsets…
Then her heart’s
Eyes
Closed.

Katherine Darlington has articles in many publications including poetry anthologies, along with several published novels. When she isn’t riding horses or hiking on some mountain trail, she’s working on a story. See more of her work at katherinedarlington.com.

ALEKSANDRA PANIĆ: 5 PM

Submissions, Touching, , , ,

Every day at precisely 5 PM, she would boil the water in her red polka dot teapot, add the dried chamomile flowers, and pour some tea in a porcelain cup.

Every day at precisely 5 PM, she would sit down and pretend she was the queen, who never goes to bed hungry.

Aleksandra Panić is a doctor of medicine from Slovenia at the beginning of her medical career. Since the beginning of primary school, she has loved writing poetry and prose (mostly), winning several awards (newspaper, literary magazines, national radio etc.), and having some of her works/books published along the way.

AMY BOHLMAN: Mortal

Amusing, Submissions, Touching, , , , , ,

He’d loved her since their first shift together at The Greasy Chicken, hyper-aware of her presence, her laugh, the twist of blond hair under the net, then smiling at the white deodorant smudge on her tank top which meant maybe she wasn’t a goddess, meant maybe he had a chance.

Amy is a Minnesota-based writer in love with the short form. Find her at ashortgirl.com and on Instagram @ashortgirlwrites.

ALYCE CLARK: The Old Metal Box

Submissions, Touching, , , , ,

Hidden away in the old metal box were memories, smiles, and tears. Photos sprang to life. Prom. Senior trip. My college sweetheart. Former roommates. Friends now residing in Heaven. Dreams. Achieved and forgotten. An indescribable ache, followed by renewed hope. And maybe, just maybe, another run at those unachieved dreams.

Alyce Clark enjoys getting lost in short stories. Occasionally, she writes a few herself.

MARILYN McFARLANE: Sweet Surprise

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

To save the bees, we planted a garden crammed with inviting color. Zinnias, coneflowers, asters, lavender, fuchsia, sunflowers. They buzzed in, purring, and lugged away bags of pollen. Bonus: later, the neighbor with a hive brought a dripping honeycomb, saying thanks.

Grandma, deaf and blind now, could taste, and smile.

Marilyn McFarlane is a travel writer and the author of Sacred Stories: Wisdom From World Religions. She writes poetry and fiction and occasionally explores memoir. She lives in Oregon, where there is a lot of scope for the imagination.

FIONA KAMAL: Moment

Amusing, Submissions, Top Stories, Touching, , , , , ,

The crossing bleeps.

“Lily! Hurry!”

Lily rushes; her flower falls. With infinite care, she stoops, small fingers scrabbling for the thin stem.

“Leave it Lily!”

She straightens, in resignation twenty years too old. Her face says: of course the world would do this to my one, perfect thing, again, again.

Fiona Kamal is in training to be a mad cat lady. She lives in North Vancouver with three cat-loving daughters and a husband who is feline-averse. Isn’t tension the source of all inspiration?

REBECCA HAMLIN GREEN: Butterfly Child

Amusing, Submissions, Touching, , , , ,

Tongue in teeth, the girl carefully plucked a little yellow butterfly from the grass. It perched on her finger, then flew away awkwardly, leaving the tiniest of eggs at her nailbed. She thought about running home to rear it, her enwombed butterfly child, but baptized it in a puddle instead.

Rebecca Hamlin Green is a writer and visual artist living in Chicago, IL. Her art explores patterns in nature and how they reflect, define or disrupt our notions of what it means to be human. Her complete portfolio of visual works can be found on her website at rebeccahamlinart.com.