Issue of December 25, 2023

Dappled Lights by Mehreen Ahmed — Cover story fiction love

Prayer is a beating heart, with emotion and dance to lift it...

No Sweet, Ordinary Old Lady by Terry Petersen — Fiction humor

Scintillant takes Christmas into another world and brings back a peculiar, yet happy and unexpected surprise.

Escapement by Galen Pickett — Fiction life

Galen T. Pickett has been a member of the physics faculty at Cal State Long Beach since 1999. He lives in the greater LA area with his spouse, four grown children, and several canines. His writing is inspired by the grandeur of the physical world and the absurdity of the academic world, in nearly equal measure.

Ping by Wendy Taylor — Fiction life

Polar opposites, best friends ...

She keeps the light glowing by Dharmpal Mahendra Jain — Poem

"Gathering bits and pieces like a bird, weaving a home..."

Longing by Pranab Ghosh — Poem ghazal

"...The passage of river, breeze, the time ..."

Black birds float by Wayne F. Burke — Poem unrhymed

"...in the pale blue sky of dusk..."

Christmas Star by Petrouchka Alexieva — Poem unrhymed

"A present from the moon was sent to me..."

Ex-Daughter in Law by Robert Paul Allen — Poem unrhymed

"...I miss our chats after your workday..."

On My Way to Freedom / I Met Life by Ann Christine Tabaka — Poem unrhymed

"...Open roads call to me..."

Pause! by Sunil Sharma — Poem unrhymed

"...messengers of another realm..."

Preserved by Stephen Kingsnorth — Poem unrhymed

"...thank God for vinegar preserve..."

The Sweetness by Taylor Dibbert — Poem unrhymed

"...his London wakes up from a nap and sees him..."