Jacob Mckibbin we used to visit sylviaevery wednesday evening.my dad would bringa different DVD every week.stopped when sylvia said the flat had gone dark & the white noise on the t.v screenhad told her she was going to die.sylvia was not well in waysthat a child could not understand. my schizophrenic uncle lived in the spare room of her … Continue reading sylvia

            Iona Lee There was this woman who wouldcome into the bookshop where I usedto work, and we would talk, and eventuallybecame something like friends – thoughI couldn’t tell you anything about her now,just that she was an artist, and had a studiedmelancholia about her. She told methat she kept many lovers, and alsothat she had … Continue reading Two Truths and a Lie

            Sarah Rosengarten As a kid I had a hamster that we made fun of for his massive ballsHe didn’t know how much we laughed at himHe had a stroke Half the hamster’s body would dragthe other half across the dry beddingI came home from schooland found his open mouthpressed against the glassLong front teeth like … Continue reading Jackie O

            Nathaniel King Some people say the forbidden applewould be easy to spot.Some people say it wouldn’thave that pesticide sheen.Some people say the animals in the gardenwould avoid it like the plague.Some people arguethat the animals in paradisewould have no conception of plague,just as plague victimshave no conception of paradise.Some people are plagued by eternal doubts.Some … Continue reading Forbidden Apples

            Gabrielle Tse but poison’s such a common, common sin,            bottles under housewives’ gleaming sinkspour like humdrum secrets down the drain            or pour to kill — we turn aside to agreesuch killing is normal, as calendars or tiled kitchenettes            not at all like what we doin the dark. breathing behind glass,             little enemy, more perfect than a set of … Continue reading Poison dart frog in glass enclosure

            Mark Waldron Untitled There were occasions when I’d lose track of the fly. High and low I’d search for him. Perhaps he’d flown off to have some me-time. Perhaps he’d gone to the park to feast upon its stemless brown flowers with their pedigree bouquets. Sometimes I’d think I’d found him. A fly would alight … Continue reading Two Poems

            Ramya Yandava There are so many nice posters to be hadand things environmentally friendly to replace balloons.There are coasters and toasters, bothdelightful. One comes in so many shapes, sizes, and colors!The other is magic and does things to bread.For people who like sports, there are so many of them.For people who like art, there are … Continue reading Posters

            Fiona Tracey Lately, I always feel worse for having spoken,and think those monks with the vow of silence must be onto something. On Tuckey Street,the builders listen to Lana Del Rey like they’re afraid they’ll never again know the touch of a woman,and for our part, us girls check our horoscopes faithfully each week in … Continue reading Almost Forgivable People

            Rosamund Taylor The thumps, like someone putting up shelves, have me scurrying down the hall. A starling in my office somersaults into walls. I open my windows as wide as they’ll go, close the door. Lean against it, listening. Nothing. Sound of my heart. A hush in the air suggesting rainso fine it barely glosses the bin lids. All sorts … Continue reading Upstanding Citizens

            Sarah Meehan Short-sighted. Relies on its glasses.Brings close the trees. Can’t get them into focus. Tilts the lenses side to side. Catches a blur of bird.Rubs the glass with a leaf cloth.Spreads the smudge.Brings close the cloudssmeared to mist. Misses the duck heading for it,having found a place to splash-land its jet.Smash!Picks through the shards,piecing them together,librarian mending a silence. Brings … Continue reading River