by Susan Chung
2:37am
I wake up
eyes wide open
body is alert
I sit up
Why did I say that?
What are they thinking?
What should I do?
Scream: Detainee
Illustration by Jill Kimura Scream: Detainee by Sonia Chintha today I sat at a tablerectangular in shapelong and widewith seven white people in powernext to
A Crime to Be Houseless – The Belly of the Whale
Illustration by Allie Olivares A Crime to Be Houseless – The Belly of the Whale by Grace Peeler My friend, Walter, stood about five feet
Bird Set Free
Illustration by Deema Alawa Bird Set Free by Melani Dhason WomanDaughter Sister Middle-childIndianChristian KindHelpfulSelf-sacrificingSelf-sufficientSubmissiveObedient Good gradesCollegeCareerMarriageBabiesMore babies Cook, clean, work, work, workHelp, help, HELP!YOU’VE GOT TO! My
The Day that Esperanza Fell of the Swing
Illustration by Deema Alawa The Day That Esperanza Fell of the Swing by Celeste Bloom I was eight years old when Esperanza fell off the
The Division of Selves
Illustration by Deema Alawa The Division of Selves by Pari Fahim Goff I. Minutes into that first class –two and a half fulldecades since she’s doneanything
Remains
Illustration by Allie Olivares remains by Abigail Hawk remains to have: in the keep of a sun both fresh and sodden,I wander and witness shivering
Pooja’s Last Day
Illustration by Deema Alawa Pooja’s Last Day by Sonia Chintha “We have to make a full tea set.” “Okay, okay,” Pooja said. She dug deep
We Were Queens by Parivash Goff
This was a stolen October day, six hours of teaching traded for a two hour flight and a reunion of faces that hadn’t been together for at least five years. The Seattle sky was an infinite sea awash in sunlight. Heat glared down on her as former coworker after former coworker shimmied down the aisle to their seats, watching this game was the backdrop to gather once again. She basked in their company, these people whom she could unabashedly be her truest around. How long it had been since she felt her self this big.
Scream: Unbecoming
Illustration by Jill Kimura Scream: Unbecoming by Sonia Chintha Dear Readers, I started the theme of this issue with a list of things I wanted
We Were Queens
Illustration by Deema Alawa We Were Queens by Parivash Goff This was a stolen October day, six hours of teaching traded for a two hour
Free Woman: Has Become
Illustration by Allie Olivares Free Woman: Has Become by Sonia Chintha “Do you want to try to have kids again?” Dr. Jenson asked.“No.” A weight
The Boy Who Drew Animals
Illustration by Allie Olivares The Boy Who Drew Animals by Celeste Bloom There was once a boy who drew animalsto prove he had a soul.
Na illu
I went here and there all in one day, an endless hunt for more and have come back home. Home where the scent of steamed
Sweet Molasses
In the syrupy pool of twisted lies, we are toys that stick to every surface Although on the Inside we are independent, healthy, most important
Democracy, Compromised
Democracy, Compromised Inside this cave they say no one can see me but next to me is an army of warrioresses preparing for battle in
Plan B
Plan B I swallow hard, surprised by the melancholy that fills me. Side effects include nausea, headache, fatigue, breast tenderness the label spits at me.