Issue 9.1 / Spring 2023

Carving a spoon from a fragrant cedar blank, you wonder, where would the knife go if it slipped?

Slice, Snap, Smash, Crunch, Puncture, Mash, Split, Splinter, Chop, Mangle, Macerate, Mince, Shatter, Pulverize, and Amputate: 15 Ways to Lose a Finger

I may have chosen
to fold into origami, balance the ache
of the world in-between my spine.

A Poetry of Absence

I reluctantly obeyed, but only to maintain my status in the pecking order of grandchildren so I could inherit the shiny gold bangle (which later turned out to be nickel painted gold) I saw you wear on Uncle’s fourth wedding to his second wife. Because gold, you told me, is only for those who deserve the weapon of wealth.

Lake Bird Flying