by Kevin

GHOULS - by Kevin

Jenner's house.

Pretty impressive,
tp'ing a tree that size.

Thing is,
Jenner's sister Lacey
said she saw
me and Copeland
do it
and told her parents.

But it isn't true.

Or,
I didn't do it,
but Copeland was bragging
all over school
that he did.

My name got
added in to the story somehow
but I don't know why

and I can't prove I wasn't
where I really was
at midnight last night

which was
in my room
reading an old MT Anderson novel
by my camping headlamp.

Now I have to apologize
to Jenner's family
and help Copeland
take all that shit down from that huge pine.

I don't even know
if Copeland really did it,
or
the ghouls are out early
this year.

But I'm pissed at all of them.
The ghouls,
Copeland,
and
especially Lacey,
who I thought
liked me.
She even gave me a high-five
after football practice
Tuesday.

But now she got me
grounded.
And I'm not allowed
to play football for
two days.

Maybe girls are ghouls.

by Lena

The Fog of Farronbrook - by Lena


With fall comes fog,
this morning faster than before,
that wet monstrous maw of Farronbrook
sucking in and out
in great greedy breaths,
dippling all in its path,
dead grass,
old garden kale,
my lashes,
as I stand in my pajamas
cursing the sop and rot
of this place that is not
Wildlight Island,
the delicate song of summer.

by Lassi

Summah - by Lassi

It's here!
Finals done,
graduation for Ari and Tina,
can't find a job yet -
-oh well-
lolling by the pool by myself
in last year's bikini,
sweet tea,
freshcrunching corn
raw on the cob,
warding off sunsparkles
with a draping hand,
a good book,
a second good book
standing by,
free to gently blend
into the gathering haze
of chlorine.

by Ella

Tooth of Lion - by Ella

Nosy bee-ahtch neighbor
and her nasty comments.

She left a note on my car -
- my car!
to say we should be ashamed
of our yard,
the worst on the block,
"at least mow the weeds!"

Well now,
look at this beautiful
gossamer silk puff,
this wistful
delicata
life-package.

Who wouldn't keep such
a gorgeous
thing?

And get rid of the neighbor?

by Vera

Another Step with the Flame - by Vera

She held it aloft,
the sparking torch,
tripping forward
through schist
with moments of trepidation
and obvious frustration
and love
and persistence
and humorous castration.

Another edit done.
A magnificent feat.

And now
for some dark chocolate
and gardening.

by Thalia

Oy! Big big big deadline coming up for my next novel, so you will hear naught from me in the next two weeks. Notice I'm not even tryin' to make this poetic? Middle of next week I will be working simply in grunts and hand motions. Words will be gonzo......

See you in a bit! Keep stopping by!

~Thalia

by Jill

Farming - by Jill


The worst frickin thing
you can be told to do
when you are
already
angry
is "Weed the beans."

But Mom's particular ferocity
sent me out
to the hammering sun,
where I sat on my butt
scootching downrow
as I pulled tiny leaflets,
and dontcha know,
two hours later
riding the rhythm of the earth
I didn't mind
the ant on my ankle
the sweat on my neck
the way Jessup taunted me that
I was going to fail French.

Mothers are so
right.