~L. B. Nelson Warm Sun Breeze flowing through Work-worn Hands clapping Life-worn thumb harps Spring in rapid unison; Fiddle strings stroked Slowly up, Slowly down; Harmonicas inhaled exhaled; Double-time guitar strings Pulled then released swiftly in-between Children chatter, crying, laughter Flowing through people drumming Community humming Swaying their best give-take joy, Nutrition to all Souls; [...]

~L. B. Nelson one brown onion, raw cut of the dice; contact of the pile tossed produces sizzling juice, bubbling and spitting; a hot-oil crescendo short-lived, barely contained in the skillet. Carmelized morsels singed; a few burnt black, tastier still.

~T. R. I hurried into a religious bookstore one day anxious to pick up a book previously ordered.  Old-time church hymns played on overhead speakers.  As I waited in line a nearby magazine caught my eye, the caption reading, “Woman of the Year.” My eyes traveling upwards saw a blond woman with long softly curled [...]

~Jeanette Iskat @ www.facebook.com/jeanette.iskat Love for all the mothers the grandmothers all your mothers all our mothers good bad perfect imperfect human. Love the step mothers the foster mothers the run away mothers the absent mothers the baby mama mothers the girls not-ready-to-be-mothers the girls too-ready-to-be-mothers the girls letting-another-woman-be-mother-mothers the would-be mothers the never-will-be-mothers the [...]

~Jody Gilbert Is it possible for there to be           just too many words? Do we reach a point of nausea,          or maybe suffocation? For all the years I longed for          and gave          long winded explanations          I have grown weary. I’m out of breath, coming up short.          I can’t hear yours [...]

~Makisha Lawrence Half- truths marinated in mango juices traipse slowly down the back of an arm The eager tongue of naiveté sweeps them onto the palate where taste buds are obliged to slowly absorb contradictions of: You just a little on the chubby side And Baby here, have some more macaroni ‘n’ cheese And A [...]

~Jody Gilbert I stand alone in my apartment, Yet, I also look down on me standing alone in my apartment. I am two things at once, the woman standing alone and the hovering, observant self The first is frozen, the second firey aware. The woman-me sets her things down, and maybe makes a cup of [...]

~Dolores V. Dona Cuca es una amargada A bitter soul If you ask me Mysterious how her pan dulce is so sweet so savory. When she is so cold so callous. Everyone complains about the poor, old, widow but there is always a line outside of Panaderia La Paz. Una dozena de pan and a [...]

~Dolores V. I am the daughter of the fifth sun Waiting for the promised one Ven a mi I am the everlasting weeping willow tree Resembling your abuela I bear the infinite rings of wisdom Escucha me I am the mother of this earth And of your soul Tu madre Replenishing the hole A brisk [...]

~Jennifer A. I am the mother of my poetry for each new poem is a labor of love each one is conceived and woven together in the womb of my soul each one flutters and kicks inside me dancing into being and when each one is pushed forth into life there is pain there is [...]