Category: POETRY & PROSE
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Trip
Off to Washington D.C. I go— Because I need to know about Roe. And what is it about Roe you ask? Here is where I drop my mask. How Great can this old country be? When it’s obvious you are not free If you can carry a pregnancy?…
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Zero
Zero I now take a bow I give what was never given And have much more The energy never dies Even when the body connects with the floor It transcends into the world Quiet feels like peace Not “alone” Saturated in potential Fingers lace around the…
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3:164
I would love to just tell you a story of liberty But that would be unjust for my people And not very liberating for me Just a century ago stories of smiles were told But lo and behold Al-Aqsa was raided Oh, how the people turn their heads and wear…
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Frankly, my dear, I do give a damn
This honest review of Hazem Fahmy’s Waiting for Frank Ocean in Cairo was in exchange for an Advance Reading Copy provided to the author by Half Mystic Press. . . . In the spirit of full confession, that unsolicited offering that often makes for great poetry, I had never listened…
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Where does our childhood go?
Featured Illustration: ‘Swing of Love’ by Darshan Sompura Where does our childhood go When we force ourselves to grow Does it sit in the broken swings Hugging itself tight, yearning For a warmth that will never come Does it lie under the covers Shining a bright light in the middle…
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“That’s the beauty of it, one thing may not necessarily be one thing”: In conversation with Megha Rao
It was in 2019 that I met Megha Rao at the very first open mic I attended. I was enchanted by her piece which took me to lands I’d never known, seeing things I’d never seen. That’s what her poems are, they’re so much more than what they seem. Her…
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Ugly Patriarchy
Woman, they say Your breasts get larger each day! It is now time To find a man, they conclude Hands clasped together As if my fate is already agreed upon A fate written by the tears of mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, and cousins Engraved into our family history This long-held tradition…
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half&half
Featured Image: Natalia Senanayake i’m like a warm coffee pot blend the paleness of milk, mixed with strength and aroma a blend of the two, learning balance and harmony. i stem from the cherry blossoms and willows rooted with love in the backyard oasis of my mother’s green thumb. and…
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Stereotypes
Featured Image: Lucxama Sylvain Aged eleven I knew Black was not beautiful That my 4c coils, dark brown skin, and protruding curves Made me too big, loud, and ugly Not blond enough, small enough, or white enough I was a sore thumb in a sea of white A sidekick in…