sidewalk chalk Isaiah Alexander __________ we spent hours under the sun,shading our dreams in sidewalk chalk.neon green, blue, and red.we drew until our knuckles bled. we imagined the possibilities:future homes, husbands, wives, babies—the lives we’d build,etched onto cement.our street became a canvas,a testament to youthful ambition,colored with all of our…
Read MoreThird Degree Makena Metz __________ The sun beats down on hot tilesin our backyard. I remember when summer was not so hot. When we hung outby the pool, floating on inflated pink flamingos, drinking strawberry lemonade. Coconutsunscreen sprayed against damp, warm skin. We did not care if we burned.Now, the…
Read MoreWaterfront André Le Mont Wilson __________ I thought the temperature would decrease along the shore, but as I drive from Oakland to Hercules, California, two weeks shy of summer’s end, the outside temperature gauge on my dashboard rose from 82˚ to 104˚. Perhaps the temperature would decrease along the Bay…
Read Morenight driving, ’89 Danielle McMahon __________ we drive southin a silver and rusttoyota pick-upto meet the blue-brown tide & fizzling foamof the atlantic, ourpale yellow headlightsscrape milesthrough the summer’s night the engine drones onan otherwise emptyhighway, through flat-lands of rows of dark pine and tobacco windows down,stray hairs whipfrantic at my face, freckledwith tingling stars…
Read MoreSummer Camp Josh Lefkowitz __________ The sound of gravel beneath our feet.A forest scent of pine and rain.Every day its own canteen,filled to the brim with activity.Portaging a red canoe.Dipping grilled cheese into tomato soup.Tie-dying t-shirts for the talent show.Getting better at tetherball.Wondering if she likes you back.Running to avoid…
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Read MoreOde to the tween summers of the late 1970s Kaila Schwartz __________ the smells of Coppertoneand calamine lotion squeezing lemon juiceon our hair to see ifwe could make natural highlights rushing to get coolby freezing our tonguesthe twin popsicles meltingonto our sticky fingersfrom the rush and the heat the goal…
Read MoreWhen We Lived in Ohio Kate Caraballo __________ When we lived in Ohiowith the white house & bleached sidewalks,leading to libraries & parks & softball gamespast the steepest sledding hillbehind the Methodist church parking lot,where kids would speak wordsmuch too old for them, & exhale smokeonce hidden with the monsters…
Read MoreBra Lola Willis __________ I turn the remains in my grieving fingers, black satin thinning, dotted by tiny specks of pink lint. He outlived the pronouns you tossed into the mouth of the beast along with the last scratches of your identity: Army-green jacket, bruised guitar, scarf paint-stained, broken phone—what…
Read MoreQueer Pursuits, Lights the Moon to Spite the Sun, & Mood 48 Is A Gay One Bradley David Waters __________ Queer Pursuits You know that grumbling truck The one with scowling headlights and cow-catcher grill You’ll never catch me I say Pinned in its radiator …
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