Captives Abdulmueed Balogun __________ Life and time have held us captives— turnedThe moon an imposter in the affairs of the night.The justice-chirping canaries of yesterday have buriedTheir preaching flute of freedom songs under heap of clay.Now our dread-riddled minds during these stony daysAnd perilous nights, itch and pine for a…
Read MoreLetter from the Guest Editor Meilyn Woods __________ At McNeese, we have had the privilege of being visited by many accomplished working writers and poets. In February of 2023, Diamond Forde came to McNeese State University to speak with my cohort about the concept of excess in poetry. For a…
Read MoreThreads of Memory Rajendra Prasad Gupta __________ In the tapestry of now,I weave strands of ancestral tales—each thread a hue of grief and joy,an enduring narrative of belonging.Born of distant lands and intertwined tongues,I carry whispers of forgotten lullabiesand bold voices echoing in the present,a living mosaic of resilience.Every delicate…
Read MoreSlow Bones Sacha Bissonnette __________ My daddy is my protector. He taught me that there are fast bones and slow bones and bones that will never heal. He taught me that in all cases, it’s always the bones that will give you away. This is the last time, he said.…
Read MoreWe Stole a TV Once Kache’ Attyana Mumford __________ On Black Friday,Mama told me and my sister we were going to the blue store.For those who don’t know,if you grew up with a single teenage mother in the north part of Florida,The blue store is Walmart.The red store is Target.The…
Read MoreWristbands Required Dom Witten __________ Doors open at 19:07. Only bring items that fitin your designated pouch. If you brought a buddy,do not get separated. No one will help you find them.All lines lead to the other side. Be advised ofyour breathing: try the one-minute exercisesmarked with concentric flowers.If you…
Read MoreLetter from the Editor Vallie Lynn Watson __________ The inherent heartbreak of teaching in an MFA program starts to surface this time of year, when we realize there are ten weeks left in the school year, and that some heavy goodbyes are rapidly approaching. Boudin is honored that Meilyn Woods, third-year McNeese MFA…
Read MoreAngry Black Woman Fejiro Okifo __________ I’ve been called a lot of thingsangry is one of themloudbut you don’t really hear medo youwhy is it my laughtersteals your joymy tearsquench your thirstmy smilemakes you weakyou hate to seemy shoulders evenyou stamp me into the groundAnd Still I Risethat would make…
Read MoreGods Themselves Brittany Bostic __________ When did my body become something to fear? Was it when the melanocytes crackled alive and painted my skin Blackas fireworks Pollock night skies? Was it zygotic, this thing that built me fearsome? Chromosomal cataclysm, one X unto X in my cellslike cars ruptured into…
Read MoreJustice Effigy Deanna Be __________ Older statues of Lady Justice depict herwithout a blindfold. Originally,the blindfold was satire,portraying Justice blind to inequitiesbefore her. Her eyes were bound in irony.Alas sarcasm, so frequently a refuge,fails to hold its shape and changesat the whim of the beholder.Lady Justice with her eyes boundis…
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