Holly Bars

      Overblown Rose A glassmaker, breathing down a long, metal rod, blowing a bud to a bulb which grows, told what it’s meant to be, how it’s meant to look. Cold, outside air hits; the shoot splits; little notions spitting out from the stem crystallise...

Laura Theis

      truth bomb listen I grew up in a suburb where each street was named for a fairy tale in the land of dark forests and grimm siblings and in my mother tongue which brought you rapunzel and rumpelstiltskin no story ends in a twee happily ever after...

Marcello Giovanelli

      Diggers We brought two diggers home, furious black engines, charged and alive, fire eyes with a touch of white. Outside, they clawed the earth, ripped back its skin, made visible its bones, a kingdom of limpet arms, divorced fingers outlining...

Thea Ayres

      The Farmer’s Daughter As a girl, I would stretch my Easter treats out until my birthday, birthday treats until Halloween Halloween treats until Christmas, Christmas treats until spring, conserving my quarterly reaping as though sweets were root...

Beth McDonough

      Braefoot point The undertread mush swallows chorused gold dropped from the bow of singing beech. Across the track’s split, dark haws bloat, as drumming sticks drip to catch black at the hedge’s throat. There must be new ways to be...

James McDermott

      Virus six    dark    the idiot’s lantern shows me rainbows you branded sick   which made me wear masks   wash hands as if Lady Macbeth breathless   gagging  until I spit it out blue eyes turn to pansies   fag butts  syringes before a ten year talk...