Category: Poetry

Two Poems by Jason Phoebe Rusch

White Civilization In the wild, mothers eattheir young. Wolves maul those who disagree. Whydo we believe ourselves to be tender, reasoned,impartial? Why are we surprised by our feral, ouramoral, project our primeval onto those we rape and savage?We gratify ourselves. That is what animalsdo. Bare teeth and claws, hold each other down. The metric beingpower,…
Two Poems by Nancy Hightower

Resurrectionfor Jericho Death always wins. Despite sunsetand a blood moon calling for magic,there’s a small body leftin the field of lilacsand still more bodiesadrift on a forgotten sea,and he sings their namesin remembrance, wears a crownof flowers with half-cocked grinbecause tomorrow bringsnew tragedies like a promise. Still, he believesin the prophecy of rain,blesses the descentfrom…
Danny Caine: Three Flavortown Poems from Vol. 9

Last Will & Testament When I die bury me at Randall Park Mallbeside the pebbled fountain where coiny wateronce bubbled, by the stage where Tiffany sneakersonce danced and twirled. For the service set out rowsof Brookstone massage chairs so the whir of the Shiatsuhums as my Auntie Anne delivers a prayer through saltytears. Let her…
Poetry: “Acceptable Risk” by Tara Campbell

“Acceptable Risk” is a response to the “no-knock” police raid in Louisville on March 13 that ended in the shooting death of 26-year-old African-American EMT Breonna Taylor. Police say they knocked and identified themselves, but Walker and other witnesses in the building say they did not. The officers were not using body cameras. As reported…
Asa Montgomery: Three Poems from The Future

Like having your eyes sewn shut 1 Someone planted a treein my stomach. Roots tore through my ribs, limbs pokingunder my fingertips. Light splintered bark. My fingers felt the sun in the backs of human necks.Leaves brushed the backs of my lips. Invisible birds karee karee-ing,moths’ creaking their door hinge wings, leaving white dust in…
“May 11th”: An Unreleased Collaborative Erasure by Amaranth Borsuk & Andy Fitch

Ryan Bollenbach here. Heavy Feather Review is publishing short pieces on the blog from writers who have collaborated on previous projects in order to give potential collaborators ideas and stoke excitement for The Zachary Doss Friends in Letters Memorial Fellowship (collaboration itself being the biggest takeaway I hope to create from all this). Please read…
“Human Tetris”: A Collaborative Exposé from Vi Khi Nao & Ali Raz

Ryan Bollenbach here. Heavy Feather Review is publishing short pieces on the blog from writers who have collaborated on previous projects in order to give potential collaborators ideas and stoke excitement for The Zachary Doss Friends in Letters Memorial Fellowship (collaboration itself being the biggest takeaway I hope to create from all this). Please read…
Clara Trippe: Three Poems

Silence for Those Who NestA poem for Homero Gómez González, environmental activist and protector of monarch butterflies You sleep with a closed fist, and uncurl your fingers in the morning. Lyingwhen you say your dreams were gentle: your peace is none of my business.The oils on our palms are…
The Future: Three Poems by Holly Day

Despite My Reservations Regarding the Apocalypse the dragon outside my bedroom window tells methat the end is coming soon, that it’s okay to get drunkfucked up, fuck around, because it’s all going to come crashing downso very soonthat there’s no reason to practice prudence or prudishness. it blinks its giganticblue-green eyes at me through the…