Kaja Wojtkowska Not even September and alreadythe chestnut trees are shedding leaves,littering pavements with dried brown crisps.The thistles have grown wild white hairon their heads, releasing their seeds into the windlike mothers sending children away to school.The balsam flowers retreat into tightly-pursed lipsas if tasting something sour, then spittheir small black seeds when touched, burstingand … Continue reading Season’s End

            John Greening        for Katie and John London in May. That she should arrivejust as this is happening. But noceremony for her other thanthe rituals of an NHSabbey, this wing, its bright notes, a C- section, not a natural birth, whereshe is lifted through a discreet woundinto bunting, kitsch, quiche and song, thususurping her way to … Continue reading Crowning

            Cecilia Knapp you have a childhooduncles in Mondeosbig pine scentwomen assemblingmeat platters in the kitchenone water slide in Tenerifethat sun burn on your backafter all thisyou have cork coasterscheese plant splayingin the tiny basement flatsomehow, a husbandcupboards of butter beanssuspended in their own juicesan ageing father who stainshis white beard with soupyou have a set … Continue reading list the facts and they will stick

            Jen Feroze She has been wonderingwhether it’s possibleto be only a little bit hit by a car. Nothing that would mean metal pins,or the moving or removing of internal organs, no,nothing dramatic. A dark orchard of bruising.A nice clean breakand something in plaster. She would be expected to lie low for a bit,to be under … Continue reading Self-Care

            Katie Beswick 1. Three cloud wispsforming a line-drawn vulva,its clitoris engorged.We laughed so hard, the ozone tore.We took the 274 out to London Zoo,where a capuchin keeper told us monkeys could senseby the weight of the skywhen rain was coming.I pointed and said, Her too!Having the time of my life.Saw this and thought of you. … Continue reading Postcards from the Edge

            Joshua Hallam I’m considering the stability of a fatally regular work weekdealing with Ken the duty manager’s poor breathso I can afford to pick you up your own bit of capitalismevery drive home and when I walk in hollering honey, I survived another oneyou can pop your new bit of the world on a shelfnot … Continue reading Love on the Dole (I’m so in love with you)

            Vanessa Napolitano In early morning the motel room is purple droop,as if we are renting a bruise.Sunrise is a livid blush, mauve of a trapped limb,corners of the room like the underside of an eye,my skin outside the sheets reflecting, parma violet chalky skyand the carpet, all heather and gorse,smelling like soap tastes.It stretches in … Continue reading Colour Scheme

            Jack Emsden rain on the boneof my ribcage glisteningi loosenmy hair in buncheslisten for the catslinking into morningto drop the body of a mouseunder the portrait of a hacksawin return i paint a carouselon the car park concretethere is violenceand there is birdsongand then there are ruleswe inventto pass the timea shallow pondon the unmown … Continue reading i come to you barefoot

            Zain Rishi on bonfire night you would never catch usdown petersfield road with the rest of hall greenburning that wooden man / we had better ideasor perhaps just smaller ones like holdingsparklers up to our faces as the skyfound a rhythm between the clatter and glow / it's funnyhow allah always finds us / we … Continue reading The Bird

            Sophia Georghiou She never stood a chance. My first doll,snatched from her cellophane-veiled box,strip-searched, judged guilty on the spot.I can still picture her limbsfloating around the bath, the blackclump of synthetic hair coiled beneath my pillow.Her face felt-tipped all red and brown,the locker full of names I gave herafter girls I envied at school.Years later, … Continue reading Doll