Two Poems by Susan Castillo Bloom Where You Are Planted I made a garden by the sea,northern Portugal. Roses bloomed for me, shielded by stone walls from blasts of silver wind. I made a garden up on Skye.Crofter’s cottage. They’ll say a womancame from the mist. She planted two giant trees. Sequoias. I was never one to think small. I made a city garden by a black heath where plague victims were interred.Cascades of yellow roses. Blood and bone are good for soil. I made a garden in the Sussex countryside, cloaked the house in roses. Grew grapevines.Filled it with children’s laughter, learned to live with darkness. I made a London garden. Weeded out old sadness, threw out decay. Planted bold bursts of flowers,draped walls in blooms and scent. Bloom where you are planted My mother used to say. Braiding In a distant Southern parlour. I comb Grandmother’s straight black hair.People always said she might have Indian bloodWhere did all these wrinkles come from? For goodness sake, I answer. You’re eighty! It’s okay to have a few. Now the light streams through the windowin the Sussex countryside. My granddaughtercombs my hair. It used to be dark gold, now is white. My granddaughter pats my shoulder.You’re beautiful, she says. About the Author Susan Castillo Street is Harriet Beecher Stowe Professor Emerita, King’s College London. She has published four collections of poems, The Candlewoman’s Trade, (2003), Abiding Chemistry, (2015), The Gun-Runner’s Daughter, (2018) and Cloak (2020), as well as several scholarly books. She lived in Portugal for 25 years, and is now based in London and in the Sussex countryside, where she owns a vineyard.
Four Haiku by Tohm Bakelas suburban new jersey blues sad eyes in my head— rhododendron petals fall as robins sing songs broken shadow lost wandering confused streets— the sun forgot to shine on me today unavoidable outcomes when everything fails, pain settles in like grey smoke in the nighttime sky i remember i watch a small child’s balloon float towards white clouds— i watch a dream die About the Author Tohm Bakelas is a social worker in a psychiatric hospital. He was born in New Jersey, resides there, and will die there. His poems have appeared in numerous journals, zines, and online publications. He has published 13 chapbooks. He runs Between Shadows Press.
‘Pink Flamingo’ by Özge Lena I was groundedby my father he made me stand on my one foot like the shame pinkflamingo I saw that night by thesalt lake glistening like a paraph on apaper of sprinkled diamonds at the timemy mother died but I was kissing you and the flamingo was so pink the lake bleached yourlips lust pink when it was too late to call the ambulance my mother’s eyes poison pink lyingon the rust pink kitchen linoleum I knelt down whispering flamingo flamingo flamingorealizing if I repeat a word more than ten times it would sound like coming from another time of another planet of scar pink like the word motherlike the word mother About the Author Özge Lena (she/her) is an Istanbul-based writer/poet and an English language teacher who has a published novella titled Otopsi (The Autopsy). Her poems appeared in Green Ink Poetry, Fahmidan Journal, One Art Poetry Journal, Seiren Quarterly, Off Menu Press, and elsewhere. Her poetry was shortlisted for the Ralph Angel Poetry Prize 2021, judged by Mary Ruefle.
‘Returning to the Shack in the Wood’ by Helen Kay I draw a screwdriver from my handbag. Four screws, sunk to their necks,pin the tarred door to its splintered frame. We gave up padlocks last year: too many lost keys, and metal hearts, worn openly, tempt straying hands. The tin roof has new chapters of rust.We dread chewed wires, mothy towels, the selves we left, now mould-spotted. The Philips glances off worn grooves,but finally the timber grinds its hinge hips;lost air sucks up the green light of oaks. A glissando of duct tape releases boxes;we uncurl the tent’s skins and peg outour drey amidst a hug of oaks. About the Author Helen’s work has appeared in various magazines. In 2021 she was a finalist for the Brotherton Prize. She curates dyslexiapoetry.co.uk . Her pamphlet, This Lexia & Other Languages (v. press) was published in 2020. She has a sidekick hen puppet diva called Nigella.
‘Fog Warning’ by Liz Young It is dangerous to attempt to retrieve anything from fog/ the name of your sister’s dog/ the right door/ evaporates/ will not heed when you call/ no recall in dense/// fog/// go slow/// put your hazards on/ let others know you are dealing with fog to maintain the correct distance/ but if or when/ then/ keep expectations low/ strangers will flash articulation/ synaptic claps blind/ your dim road/ path/ trail// footprints// track/// go back/// iron out the one sentence you have/ fix it straight/ repeat/ write it down for posterity do not imagine/think/ fog will last/// forever//// the current forecast anticipates one hour before dissipation// it may feel like several days/// ablur in brume /// singing each verse of a theme tune to perfection//astonished that a mist though familiar settles in a room you have entered///expectant as hunger that your hand will find what you came for//or was that yesterday// or before when fog shifts your lost words will return/ migrating kittiwakes drop your syllables/ wayward eggs/ into the right nest too late for your unfathomed tongue// left unsaid when your fog lifts there may be rainbows About the Author Liz Young is a non-fiction writer living in Sunderland, North-East England. She has a background in illustrated book publishing and is a former co-editor of Kindred Spirit magazine. Her poems have appeared in Magma, South Bank Poetry, 14 and The Alchemy Spoon.
Emily Cooke – ‘I’d like the lightness’ of grasshoppers,of soda water with lemon,or tumbleweed,or cooking magazines, the onesI leaf through to take inbrightly lit picturesof things I will never make I’d like the lightness of the sort of digital clockyou get free in the Readers Digest,that flickers with regret afterbarely weeks in-situbut carries on ticking nonetheless I’d like the lightnessof you as you watch and immediately forget the news,it’s gone and it’s just time to take the pink pilland then the green oneaccording to the noteon the microwave About the Author Emily Cooke is a Boltonian poet who has spent most of the last year in bed. Luckily this left plenty of time for writing and she has just started to send her work out into the wider world. Find her on instagram @emily_c_cooke
tropical house by Martin Potter tepid lapping a concrete lipthe koi concealed until they riseripple the water’s viscous skin where you could sit on the smooth ledgeor a piously provided benchback from the basin’s retaining wall lily pad leather patches the poolwhile heavy foliage arched abovescreens off the structure of glass sky you first learned a banana leafcaught in the humid comfort heatthe minah birds’ voices drift across from nextdoor climate zoneit’s an iron-girded universe About the Author Martin Potter (https://martinpotterpoet.home.blog) is a British-Colombian poet and academic, based in Manchester, and his poems have appeared in Acumen, The French Literary Review, Eborakon, Scintilla, Ink Sweat & Tears, The Poetry Village, andother journals. His pamphlet In the Particular was published by Eyewear in December, 2017.
The Purple Love Affair by Helen Openshaw The violet hue of purple dreamsin a tiny wedding bouquet isheld against an equally tiny waist with a promise. And later, violets given for anniversariesremind them of the breath held,cloudless day.Later still Parma violet sweetsin paper bags from the corner shopmake a different gift. Found in pockets and bedside tables – a smiling sorry to comfort and soothethe path taken together. About the Author Helen Openshaw is a Drama and English teacher from Cumbria. She enjoys writing poetry and plays, and inspiring her students to write. Helen has had a short monologue commissioned by Knock and Nash productions. Recently published poetry work has appeared in Secret Chords by Folklore publishing and Green Ink Poetry magazine.
That Movie Moment by Emma Lee That moment when your hero’s eyes lock with hers, the woman who’s his one true love, the audience catch up and root for love to win. That moment you realise you’re in a black dressso you merge with the shadows as the light shiftsand you’re to let go and allow him to be with her. That moment when the floor tilts, focus shiftslike a fog wrapped itself between you and the worldand blood starts to drain from your heart. That moment you want to snatch the spotlight back,but you bow your head. No one watches you concede,slide towards the exit and slip out to embrace the dark. About the Author Emma Lee’s publications include “The Significance of a Dress” (Arachne, 2020) and “Ghosts in the Desert” (IDP, 2015). She co-edited “Over Land, Over Sea,” (Five Leaves, 2015), is Reviews Editor for The Blue Nib, reviews for magazines and blogs at http://emmalee1.wordpress.com. FB: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaLee1. Twitter @Emma_Lee1.
Wildcat Scratch by Gerry Stewart ‘Touch not the cat without the glove.’ My scowl should warn you,I’m not your typical tabby.Brows knitted, blunt is my nature. Even alone,I am a glaring of cat. Exposed in the twilightfar from cairn or den,my hackles riseat your approach. Do not seek me out.Though I once purred,my voice has mutedto only spit and sting. You can try and tame me,only I will walk awayunscathed. About the Author Gerry Stewart is a poet, creative writing tutor and editor based in Finland. Her poetry collection Post-Holiday Blues was published by Flambard Press, UK. Totems is to be published by Hedgehog Poetry Press in 2021. Her writing blog can be found at http://thistlewren.blogspot.fi/ and @grimalkingerry on Twitter.
