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 45° 
William A Gibson
That week was so hot,
every shotgun house gasped,
windows flung,
porch doors unlatched like unbuttoned shirts.

Touching skin felt like punishment
at first,
then penance,
then prayer.

We were thin, androgynous,
switching cut-off jeans,
sharing tank tops,
slick with sweat and shaved ice.

Strays ourselves,
barefoot thieves,
pirates of the quarter.

Hibiscus syrup stained our mouths
outside the Prytania,
where The Abyss flickered
and you cried like a boy
pretending he didn’t.

Inside your walk-up,
we dipped into quiet love
like bread in stew.

A dusty radio murmured The Ink Spots,
which I recognized but couldn’t name.
You mouthed every note like a secret
you wanted me to guess.

Faint smiling lines near your eyes
from knowing,
like you'd seen me
long before we met,
and were waiting
for the world to catch up.

Not woman,
not man,
just two bodies
leaning toward the same heat.

I wouldn't see your fall or your winter.
When the seasons change,
I’ll be gone,
back home,
watching rain from a train window,
each drop undoing what we were.

That last night,
you placed your key by the door.
I saw it,
watched it glint,
and said nothing.

The snails were climbing.
The air was too sweet.
You slept through goodbye.
I left the key where it lay.
 44° 
Bri
Do you remember?
The way I stood to the side?
The way you looked to her first?
Do you remember?
The way I never was a part of your joke?
The way you ignored me?
Do you remember?
The way I held back tears around you?
The way you never asked about me?
Do you remember?
The way I wanted to die around you two?
The way you ruined me?
Do you remember?
No.
Because I was never more to you,
Then a second thought.
 40° 
The Blue Bottles
meemaw hated roses
yet they surrounded her site.
the casket pink and rose gold
an awfully whimsical sight.

meemaw didn't like that song
you played it anyway
you are a liar in her memory
that's why she went away.
 38° 
Laura
I don't normally dress this way
"I shouldn't be wearing this"
"express yourself and be fearless"
being perceived nowhere yet everywhere
not matching
raspberry and green
sometimes wishing ears instead of eyes
I don't have many secrets
but i know what I am
 38° 
brandychanning
and still I have to stop and think, is it forwards, backwards, and do they know about Daylight Savings TIme, saving who from what,
I jokingly ask myself, to give my sweet angst, a a better coloration,
though these days, constant comets pass over us daily

but he is savvy smart, and yes, extraordinarily ****, and  knows my routines (he thinks), better than me, so when I drive  to  run in Santa Monica, alternating days, he texts in simultaneous harmony a minute after my too early alarm has me stumbling into semi-Cali-
quake-fulness

we are years apart, not so many that it's remarkable, just big enough gap, to make life problematical; his  career launched, serious guy,, me well, i'm a perpetual student, when not modeling, and my mom, GBH,  and my over pestering, now single parent, demonstrate her mathematical abilities by telling me how closehow close  is 30 is when one subtracts  my "aging pores," & how little sleep she gets because she in in her EST zone

but when he calls, he calls at irregular times, "to better gauge my mood," how he, my day surveils, so he can adjust to my chemical imbalance, an area of his expertise; and its sweet, and it works, and too often, I ramble while listens, for his day is ending, and mine is far from fulfillment

he is European, full of genteel words and english language quips,
especially since he believes he can still sway with his sophisticated
endearments;  but what he doesn't know in the late afternoon, his bedtime, while  he is conducting a sweet nothing roundup of   adoration, my hand slips between my legs, and my envisioning of his lean, broad body being in my interior so tight, for I have crossed my crushing legs behind his back pushing him inside, it nearly makes  breathing impossible

HE LOVES MY SOfT TONES, at this hour, my distracted noises, til he says you sound so tired, I'll let you go; and I willingly, comp-licitly, give him my heated best love notes, and teary gasps, when I mumble
see you soon, thinking in my dreams, for I know his schedule, and exactly when I'll be landing and exactly how long it will be,
till we, are within each other, without any interference, of lairs and
sun flaring interruptions,
from time
and space, those scientific laws of this tiring
annus horribilis
Fable I, Livre I.


L'olive, aux champs, n'est pas ce qu'elle est sur la table ;
Le premier qui, sur l'arbre, essaya d'en goûter,
Fit une mine épouvantable ;
Au feu voulut faire jeter
Le tronc qui produisait un fruit si détestable.
Mieux vaut le cultiver, lui dit la Déité
Qui faisait ce présent à l'Attique fertile ;
Plus qu'on ne croit, son fruit peut devenir utile,
S'il se trouve chez vous un homme assez habile
Pour corriger sa crudité.
Minerve avait raison ; le fruit que l'on dédaigne,
Par un fort habile homme à la fin ramassé,
Dans l'eau propice oĂč l'art le baigne,
De ses défauts un jour se voit débarrassé.
Il n'est, depuis, ami de bonne chĂšre
Qui n'en veuille en mille ragoûts ;
Et grĂące Ă  l'apprĂȘt qui tempĂšre
L'ùpreté de son caractÚre,
Ni trop douce, ni trop amĂšre,
L'olive est devenue un mets de tous les goûts.
Cet apprĂȘt que l'habile artiste
Fit subir au fruit rebuté,
Est celui que le fabuliste
Doit donner à la vérité.
 36° 
dee
I wanted to use the words of alchemy to
depict every sensation you brought me
Though instead I’ve ended up birthing a terrible sensitivity and great capacity for expressing the broken pieces of what is left.
I Never Wanted To Be A Poet.
actually wanted to be a architect.
I won’t back down, I’ll sing it loud
So that everyone can hear me
I’ll profess my love for you
Because I love you dearly
It must be known
I’m not alone
To venture on this journey
Through hard times
When lives combine
It becomes obligatory
And so we’ll live our fairytale
With a happy ending story
I mean, who am I to garner praise
When I’m blinded by your glory
 30° 
jeffrey conyers
Oh, how?
Did that ugly soul pull that?
Folks' talks about the ugly effect like is a sad theme.

But that love attracts.
When looks just an act.
A manipulation theme.

He treats her like a Queen.
Let her shines like a diamond ring.
Leaving an impression of warmth.

Oh, why he with her?
Must be self-esteem issues.
When it could just be an impression.

Beauty can be an attraction that some wear well.
While others wear it to fail.
Falling into the ugly love effect.

Questioning, why they are so all alone.
 30° 
Amulya Sharma
They say: If you wanted to love, be ready to lose. -End.
I say: If you wanted to love, be ready to loosen the connection.-Duration.
Because, it is also the duration that hurts most.
 30° 
Salmabanu Hatim
A big ovation,
Fathers disappeared,
Despite all hardships,
They stayed and gave us a home.
15/8/2025
 29° 
minx
doctor, doctor
what's wrong with me ?
i'd do anything to just live and be
any prescription to help me, please
quick piece to contribute < 3

i love you, angels < 333
 25° 
Amado Nervo
Azrael, abre tu ala negra, y honda,
cobĂ­jeme su palio sin medida,
y que a su abrigo bienechor se esconda
la incurable tristeza de mi vida.

Azrael, ĂĄngel bĂ­blico, ĂĄngel fuerte,
ĂĄngel de redenciĂłn, ĂĄngel sombrĂ­o,
ya es tiempo que consagres a la muerte
mi cerebro sin luz: altar vacĂ­o...

Azrael, mi esperanza es una enferma;
ya tramonta mi fe; llegĂł el ocaso,
ven, ahora es preciso que yo duerma...
¿Morir..., dormir..., dormir...? ¥Soñar acaso!
Blue Sapphire,
Is what I admire,
The Inspirations, and Loyalty
Is what will transpire,
Such a rare, and exquisite stone,
From which beauty is shown,
of the mysteries, and value,
of its virtue is known,
just blue as the skies,
Up so very high,
That Shimmers, and
Sparkles,
a beauty to ones eyes,
a stone you want to see,
as blue as the seas,
a jewel to just love,
made for you, and for me


B.R.
Date: 8/12/2025
 23° 
greatsloth
I saw your face
And thought an angel,
The sun has fallen—
You shine so effortlessly,
With a heart of gold
Brighter than any other,
And even blessed with a laughter
So contagious it makes the dead chuckle;
You've captivated me
My eyes set you as the prize,
But I know I'm destined for bronze
That is why the delusions must end—
Maybe in the next life
I can make you love me twice.
 23° 
guy scutellaro
across my face.

I saw spring coming
in the meadow
where the wildflowers
whisper to the wind.

found freedom on a snowcapped mountain top,

smiled to the child offering violets
cradled in her tiny hands

and when she smiles to me

her joy ripples like sunlight
across the sea of love.

the curtain is lifted.

the soul becomes visible

(always in the wild places
in my heart.)
 22° 
yram
yesterday was different
my heart was changed
ill have to make a decision
to remember forever
it would be like that either way
 20° 
Dead Rose One
a passing balloon piece,
his, within in a message,
makes the imagery explode
with numerous contractions,
even confusions, and requires an
explaining explication and a fresh
application of sealant

men see the words ~ think war or football,
women think of the lyric, phrase in a sad
love ballad that means recall, and a
moistening  tear drop that liquifies but doesn’t drop

but that word, pulverized,  has an enormity
attached, that conjures destruction total,
s battlefield’s aftermath, tree stumps cut
down, synchronized with bodies in parts,
sole souls departing
without reasoning/justification

the lineage upon her face,
pulverized by sorrow and
no expectations for the morrow,
gaveled into existence,
by losses and carried
for a length of  a term ill defined,
as “life”
with no hint of irony, for it’s not life
when  it’s spent reminiscing remembering
the dismemberment of what was a
joy taken instantly and perpetually inexplicabe

the tragedies multicolored in black,
a solid stolid state that nary a meter,
talking centi’s here, pinch of breeze
and /or hurricane alters status quo,
both of us have long known that, but
we nonetheless pick up grains, single
alphabet scrambled pieces to put the
whole together again, but it’s a cause
hopeless cause we be
are
pulverized inside so
the chorded chore is
a double whammy
and still
and yet
we say
but,
for we cannot stop our fingers
from their appointed rounds
and we think in term not of hope
but a thought out louded,
the eternal question,
what if
we do not try?
 18° 
Zahra
stop! I said to
this clanging mind
go! I said to my
hedonist heart
neither of the
  two deserves
my body.
To C.

What you've
been through
ain't nothing

You don't need to
play it down

Stay in touch with
what's still fragile
as you walk
into the town

At the same time
feel the strength
you have refound
in your chest

Both are needed
in the balance
to live truthful
at your best

Eelco van der Waals
15 August 2025
 16° 
Tymeri Hinkley
The moon calls to me tonight—
I cannot resist her charms.
I slip beyond the confines of my room
To let the evening soak into my soul.

A full moon spills her silver light,
Darkness braided with her glow.
Rocky earth crunches beneath my feet,
Each step alive with sound and scent.

The high desert hums its song:
Stars glimmer, coyotes cry.
A noisy stillness fills the air,
As daylight’s brightness fills the sky.

My heaven is green grass,
And scent of sagebrush and hay.
I belong in this moonlit nirvana,
Where constellations burn like fire.
 15° 
AUSTIN FIELDS
I feel it pull
on me,
im not meant
for it,
the weight
of love
-i felt this tug on my heart in the middle of the night, that ache to be held by someone, but the wound hurts to much. Sometimes you wonder if you’ll love again
 15° 
Lynn Stillman
You can't sing or dance.
But you can use just your eyes,
put me in a trance.
 15° 
Ami Mathur
You say maybe...
I wish it — to be true
I want to tell you
That my ailing heart is exhausted yet it pumps for you.
Reddish blood of mine
is now storing your memories—
in its plasma.
These Banyan trees—
Whisper stories of your charisma.

I lost my musicality
Withstanding the world's brutality—
Reading your verses
On that well-crafted page
I lost my sense of poetry.
I lost my presence on this earthly stage.

If anyone can feel my ache
these deciphered lines would then depict—
That my heart is at stake.
A betting bait—
Your maybe...
Is my spinning wheel with options: Two.
Either the obvious oblivion
Or the make-believe truth.
Rebellious yet resilient
I am in a zone—undefined.
Maybe we will chance upon—
Rowing the same boat
Or perhaps... you will find me
near that crossroads.
 14° 
Anna May
I want a guy who falls in love with me harder than I fell for him
I want him obsessed with me, but not in a creepy way

I like love letters
(he might write me love letters)

I like physical touch
(he might hug and cuddle me)

I like to be reminded that I'm loved
(he might tell me he loves me every day)

I like to watch movies
(he might watch all my favorite movies)

I like to read
(he might read all my favorite books and get me new ones)

I like flowers
(he might buys me flowers)

I like sleep
(he might take naps with me)
() is what i hope he does with me. i miss him lots.
 14° 
RobbieG
Between the lines lies lay within the message, lined with fines demanding blood in exchange for an eternity of faith I remain uncertain.
always been a plain one,
no frills, tidy packaging.

went to liverpool, slowly,
rather slowly to be safe.

on arrival found art to
be inspired, enquired
about restrictions there,
the mirrors square.

on arrival found bling.wore bling.

on returning home ate liver. #apt.
 13° 
TOD HOWARD HAWKS
HUNGRY, HOMELESS, HOPELESS

Mankind has suffered through a pandemic
from when it first set foot on Earth:  not only
killing and torture and slavery, but also hunger
and homelessness and hopelessness  Why
has it taken thousands of years for human
beings to realize, and then to create, a just
world that is still as impoverished as its poorest,
as healthy as its sickest, as ignorant as its most
uneducated? All lives on Earth are meant to be a
collaborative effort, which is called love. To love,
one must first be loved. If loved, one then has
love to give, This concatenation, this progression,
once begun, will grow exponentially, endlessly:  
it will be a pandemic in reverse:  love, not hate;  
compassion, not revenge;  sharing, not hoarding.
This is what Earth was meant to be, a lonely planet,
yes, but a home for all living creations where love
increases the more it is shared.

TOD HOWARD HAWKS
 13° 
S R Mats
Seagull days
Ocean sprays
Blue-green sea
Glowing me
Crystal skies
Bright in eyes
Cheeks red
Hat on head
Toes in sand
Sunny tan
Cool breeze
Exhale, breathe
“Ah” I sigh
 12° 
Lyra Callen
Is it when my voice
is heavy with no,
or when silence chains me
to the no I couldn’t say?

Is it when my hands
refuse to move
in the dance they command,
or when they move anyway
just to keep the peace?

Do I lose my beauty
when my smile doesn’t bloom
on cue,
when my nod isn’t obedient,
when my spine stays straight
instead of bending?

Do I fade
when I cross streets in straight lines,
stand still where told,
pretend I’m fine—
even pretend I’m dead—
to survive the laughter
that stings?

Do I stop being lovely
when my lips pray
instead of pouting,
when they sing,
recite verses,
or whisper secrets to the wind,
but refuse to curse
for entertainment?

Tell me—
is beauty only mine
when I surrender,
when I ache quietly,
when I let their script
become my skin?

Or do I stop being pretty
the moment I live
for myself?
this piece is inspired by Louise's poem  "When Am I Not Pretty".
 12° 
badwords
Perception
Conception
Deception
 12° 
Whit Howland
I threw my body
into you--

heart and soul
too

But you were someone
else's

gift

love,
just not mine
 10° 
nergui
"Ako'y alipin mo kahit hindi batid",
Kinakanta ng puso ng pasambit,
Kinakanta ng puso kahit masakit,
Pinipiling ihimlo kahit hindi rinig.

Sa bawat kanta na binibitaw ng bibig,
Pinapakita na ikaw ang tanging iniibig.
Sa bawat linya na kinakanta ng bibig,
Makikita na tanging ikaw lang ang hinibig.
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