^{Photo by 'E'}

Insufferable
By celeste sylvester

I wake every morning intoxicated in my dreams. The remnants of freedom clouding my hazy  thoughts. The thin line between dreams and truth blur. I am in my purest and happiest form.

          Insufferable 

This life grips its prickly unloving fingers around my throat. Squeezing and squeezing tighter.  Firmer.

The soft loving hands of deception, have changed over the years.

You’ve deceived me monster.

          Insufferable 

The looming presence of you discolors the painting of happiness I’ve created.  You are the pollution in my happiness painted sky.

          Insufferable 

The reign of fate cursed me. With this indecisiveness. Confronting the ever-denying truth. Insufferable

You fucking piss me off.

OVER THE RIVERS & FAR
By Dennis Mahagin

into the dust of winter dusk

march the harmless

homeless, imploding blister

of sun in their eyes, a ton of rucksacks

on their backs. No wind blows off

the Oregon Sisters like this

fission, never in Seattle, nor

Orofino;

and the lot of them humping

the distance, Blue Bridge to Sacajawea or

Howard Amon park; ...

which? it makes no

difference. One man spits over

the side, through a curtain of red dread locks, this

is no Single File, they’ll be out here for

a while; nary a one

for a month will score

a ride. … and yet they seem

of a kind, consummate, packing a hundred

fifty tents; look away. Remain

in your lane. Relax.

PHOSPHORESCENCE

Everything is fine.

The Yakima bows to the Snake

at nine, their side-winding backs

spectral in the weeds, with shiny scales

and reflections of Tri Cities lights.

Fine, fine I say.

Their coats of mail even

now washed away.

Dennis Mahagin is a writer from Kennewick, WA.

this little heart
By Samuel Alcantar

over time, this little heart has been through
countless nightmares and nighttime caresses
constricted
this little heart
envelops precious memories of your scrunched
n o s e
que voy hacer
when this little heart belongs to you
i’ll keep your hands warm
in the numbing winter night
this little heart is the warmth i share

Who am I?
By Lyssa Banks

Do I like Sleeping with Sirens or Carrie Underwood?

Am I the girl next door or am I a manic pixie dream girl?

Do I actually like to read or do I like to binge watch tv?

Do I actually like to cook or am I just trying to find something I’m good at?

Do I want to be a mother or am I just trying to heal MY broken childhood?

Do I like anime or am I just trying to fit in?

Do I like thrifting or am I just too poor for Macy’s?

Do I want to be happy or am I just content in chaos?

Who even am I?

How do I find out who I am?

https://wordpress.com/view/shortandstoutblogs.wordpress.com

Madeline Alviso Ramirez is a published artist, poet, and cultural worker from Central Washington. @madelinealvisoramirezstudios