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Category Archives: Poetry
The Coming Nightmare by Celine Rose Mariotti
All about us Nothing but chaos, Disturbing things are happening, The coming nightmare Our world is a place of total fear, All around us, There is no trust, People are demented, People are lamenting, Fear is spreading, Evil is afoot, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Poetry
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The Radio Ghost by Celine Rose Mariotti
DJ Tony Mancini Spinning the records On WYZZ In New York City, The year of 1957, Rock n Roll Heaven, DJ Tony Mancini Suffered a brain tumor In 1958, And died, But DJ Tony Mancini He still does reside, His … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Poetry
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The Neighbor No One Sees by Celine Rose Mariotti
Yes, Ida Manley Who sees her? She is the neighbor No one sees, Is Ida real? Does she talk? Does she read? Does she eat? Does she watch TV? She is the neighbor No one sees, How old is Ida? … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Poetry
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A Timeless Wonder by Celine Rose Mariotti
When you step into a dream, Things aren’t what they seem, You see a world that doesn’t exist, Everything is covered in a mist, You see our loved ones Who have passed away, You wished that they could stay, We … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Poetry
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Band from Andromeda AND The Anomaly
by Garrett Carroll The Band from Andromeda In Andromeda, they played in all kinds of venues— in aqua-domes for six-eyed squids sloshing their tentacles across see-through floors, in the trunks of trees for blorgs pumping their stubby, elbowless arms in … Continue reading
Posted in Dark Future, Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged andromeda, anomaly, futuristic, garrett carroll, poetry
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A Sightless Grave Ghost
by Hannah Nathanson I face my nightmares from years ago and whisper to their unknown, walk through their skin and leave this coffin empty— either I’ll find life in their darkness Or darkness in their life. I’m seeing my ending … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Poetry, Poets
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The Pit by Dee Artea
The Pit Dee Artea A rumble of distant thunder – woke me up from a deep sleep. My horse too, reacts to the sound. Doesn’t like rain. Me neither. Plus, he’s been acting skittishly these days. Don’t know why. I … Continue reading
Unwary by K. A. Williams
Unwary K. A. Williams unwary space explorers uncharted black hole unlucky First published in the May 2022 print edition of Scifaikuest under the title Unlucky
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged black, black hole, hole, unlucky, unwary, willilams
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Terra by K. A. Williams
Terra K. A. Williams Terraform complete Cryosleep is over now Welcome to Terra Humans unpack ship History files corrupted No blueprints for guide Colonists build homes Fossil fuels used for heating And to power cars Science facts report Environment is … Continue reading
Treasure Hunter by K. A. Williams
Treasure Hunter K. A. Williams Derelict spacecraft Searching for treasure inside Maybe I’ll find gold First published in 2021 in View From Atlantis
Attacked By Pirates by K. A. Williams
Attacked By Pirates K. A. Williams Out among the stars Pirates attack my small ship Not a gun runner Transporting deadly toxins Seven less space pirates now First published in 2021 in View From Atlantis.
My Summer Vacation in the Wave State by Kendall Evans and David C. Kopaska-Merkel
My Summer Vacation in the Wave State Kendall Evans David C. Kopaska-Merkel
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged david, evans, kendall, kopaska, merkel, physics kopaska-merkel, quantum, state, wave, wavestate
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Visitor by Angela Acosta
Visitor Angela Acosta I walk this Earth a visitor, a cosmic wanderer tethered to this globe by gravity. I am the universe sensing itself. This one sentient life is all I get, but millions of stars twinkle at me, a … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
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Terran Born by Angela Acosta
Terran Born Angela Acosta Made of carbon, shaped in amniotic fluid born into gravity, we are the terran born. We are all space travelers, from Terra to the Kuiper belt, from exoplanets to sunlight valleys. Illuminated we are by light … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
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Ginny Goes to Mars by Lauren McBride
Ginny Goes to Mars Lauren McBride Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird . . . It’s a plane . . . It’s Superman Ingenuity: the little chopper that could – carried by Perseverance to become (in 2021) the … Continue reading
Transplanted to Terraformed Mars Too Soon by Lauren McBride
Transplanted to Terraformed Mars Too Soon Lauren McBride Staunch victims of a Martian freeze, some winter weary Terran trees still cast their shapely shadows down, but stand now sadly aged and brown. A variation of this poem appeared in Songs … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged mars, terraform, terraformed, transplant, transplanted
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Where Shapes Wait by Ed Nobody
Where Shapes Wait Ed Nobody In the permanight of space a shape blinks. Not a sun , no, not a star. Something stinks out there, Hiding in cold flesh, Residents of airless breath, all skeleton and spine, Monsters that chew … Continue reading
After by Harris Coverley
After Harris Coverley bones idle tombs open under a darkened sun cadavers stripped by the elements maggots gathered in feasting orgies the great cycle in motion the planets rejoicing— what remains of … Continue reading
Patalis; or, Antipodus Incognita by Harris Coverley
Patalis; or, Antipodus Incognita Harris Coverley The Ancients knew well the Antipodes Aristotle and Ptolemy and the rest That giant continent With coasts like shards … Continue reading
The Crawling Shadow by Harris Coverley
The Crawling Shadow Harris Coverley Like a black wind Low and slow The negative to all positives Going along the ground Darkening all it touches Leaving an eternal stain of malice A desert … Continue reading
The Alien Among Us by Lee Hart
The Alien Among Us Lee Hart An Alien’s living among us. He’s been here as long as I know. By now you would think he’d escape us, But grandfather won’t let him go For Gramps has him locked in the … Continue reading
Secret Eclipse by Meg Smith
Secret Eclipse Meg Smith Your smile shadows the corners were candles were lit, in the strum of the oud, a violin fading into cloud dust. That much we know. All else I have given, is a step into silence.
The Singing Lake by Meg Smith
The Singing Lake Meg Smith Hearts of ice float, and between them, measures of sky — clouds, holding worlds and songs, of the boy who fell, the girl who laughed with her friend at midnight on the rocky shore. These … Continue reading
The Amphibian Legacy by Meg Smith
The Amphibian Legacy Meg Smith Toads know, in their pebbled skin, and golden eyes; frogs know, in their green translucence; salamanders know, in their blue skin, and soft fingers. Their is to kettle everything — the sad discharge of the … Continue reading
Prayer for the Swarm by Meg Smith
Prayer for the Swarm Meg Smith Come for the flowers, come for the white grass, tall within the graying sky. Come for the dithering of milkweed, and the haze of dust from the corn, wheat, fallow. Without this urgent cloud … Continue reading
The Wintering Fox by Meg Smith
The Wintering Fox Meg Smith A field waxes white; grass shimmers in frost. Night moves in its naked path. A light burns in copper eyes, and in the slash of scarlet across a dark road. This is my one kept … Continue reading
In the Best Blood by Meg Smith
In the Best Blood Meg Smith Rivers ruddy to sleep, and this is pure in its running. Something once was life, but now recedes from light, only, air and light.
Self-Aware by John C. Mannone
Self-Aware John C. Mannone All police officers in the area, respond to a ten-ninety-eight: escaped suspect zero-seven-four, armed & dangerous, last seen running east on Bearden with robodog beta-six-beta-three. Remote sensor probes on the Sutherland Greenway indicate artificial intelligence units … Continue reading
Morphism by John C. Mannone
Morphism John C. Mannone Now, the two blazing-blue stars a parsec above our scintillated air are in luminous binary conjunction with our close-in red dwarf sun. We swoon in the tempest of solar winds while the atmosphere swirls with mood-thickening … Continue reading
In three point five billion years by John C. Mannone
In three point five billion years John C. Mannone Our Sol will begin to bloat Planets swallowed in red glare The Kuyper Belt soon loosened Frozen graves will resurrect A million comets will rain Down on us like fireworks We’ll … Continue reading
From the Ninth Brane by John C. Mannone
From the Ninth Brane John C. Mannone Branes: a generalized cosmological theory attempting to replace all matter and particles that carry force with tiny … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged alternate, brane, John, Mannone, universe, wold
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On the Derelict Wreckage in Space by Garrett Caroll
On the Derelict Wreckage in Space Garrett Caroll Those aren’t just the hulls of the capitol ships and freighters on next-day delivery voyages. They’re the women and the men who risked their lives to bring us everyday necessities, who drove … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged carroll, Derelict, garrett, space, Wreckage
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The Hands That Build the Universe by Garrett Caroll
The Hands That Build the Universe Garrett Caroll Like the little atoms snug between the Saharas of your thumbs, particles of civilization now expand across the universe. Fires, beds, jewels, foods, technologies are spread by city, familiar blocks and worlds … Continue reading
Saturn Song by Garrett Caroll
Saturn Song Garrett Caroll If I put my hands out, I can feel the cold clouds reciprocating my touch, like a living planet amidst the darkness of nothingness put on pause. A familiar loop of sounds fixes all the brutal … Continue reading
Scone Dragon by Herb Kauderer
Scone Dragon Herb Kauderer While wizards sometimes call themselves a brotherhood they are chaotic brothers full of dirt and broken bones from fighting amongst themselves. There is one thing they get along on and that is the need to maintain … Continue reading
Scholar: Seeking Wisdom by Herb Kauderer
Scholar: Seeking Wisdom Herb Kauderer The wise dragon maintains wards and warning bells around her lair on the mountain’s top. Long before the mortal woman senses her, the wise dragon is listening to her thoughts. Even so, she waits for … Continue reading
The Last Dragon by Herb Kauderer
The Last Dragon Herb Kauderer The hunters pay no attention to the final truth but the last dragon knows that she is the last dragon. Through decades she has run from the chase hidden in stealthy caves, hibernated in her … Continue reading
Stalker by Ed Blundell
Stalker Ed Blundell The sky is dark as midnight dreams, The blank, bleak emptiness till dawn, The moon, thin silver scimitar, Slices the clouds that skim the night. That night is listening, still with fear, Frozen and tense with silent … Continue reading
Sailing by Ed Blundell
Sailing Ed Blundell The sky clear blue, the sun shone bright, Their holiday was at its height, She, smiling said to him,” Let’s take A sailing boat out on the lake.” He liked the thought and straight away, They hired … Continue reading
Raven by Ed Blundell
Raven Ed Blundell He rode to battle, armour bright, He was a proud and cruel knight. They passed a raven in a tree, “That is an evil sign.” said he. “Shoot the black raven, kill the bird.” And one of … Continue reading
Devil’s Lake Monster by Richard Stevenson
Devil’s Lake Monster Richard Stevenson Legend has it fresh water octopi reside in Devil’s Lake. Drowned canoes of Nakota braves. Back in the day. But, nah, the Nakota Sioux have it the creature was more like a plesiosaur, and … Continue reading
Organism 46B by Richard Stevenson
Organism 46B Richard Stevenson Organism 46B?! What kinda moniker is that for a lithe querulous cryptid who bumped his noggin to break ice in Siberia? I’ve scarfed enough intrepid trappers who braved chilly temperatures to discover me. The least … Continue reading
The Zaratan by Richard Stevenson
The Zaratan Richard Stevenson The Zaratan’s giant turtle’s shell houses trees and shrubs, looks like an island, a good place to dock, but no – The island that was an upside down monster turtle nibbled at birds, the landed … Continue reading
(Care and Feeding of) The Flathead Lake Monster by Richard Stevenson
(Care and Feeding of) The Flathead Lake Monster Richard Stevenson Don’t surface much. You might see me once a year, though I do runs of six appearances when I feel up to it. Slap tag, tumble turns – I … Continue reading
The Bald Beast of Nisqually Hill by Richard Stevenson
The Bald Beast of Nisqually Hill Richard Stevenson The Bald Beast of Nisqually Hill was said to be seven feet tall, had pink eyes that glowed in the dark, wore a Ben Casey white lab coat. Who knows? He … Continue reading
Carnivorous Algae by Richard Stevenson
Carnivorous Algae Richard Stevenson It may look innocent enough: a pond scum colony of algae floating in a large amorphous shape on the surface of the sea. Amoeba-like, the colony first surrounds its victim. Then like a jellyfish, tiny … Continue reading
The Muhuru by Richard Stevenson
The Muhuru Richard Stevenson The Muhuru don’t moo or croon; he just bops you on the noggin when he’s out sloggin’ in a swamp or fen and you get in his way. Ol’ Stegosaurus had a thagomizer – four … Continue reading
Dragon Egg by K. A. Williams
Dragon Egg K. A. Williams Dragon egg for sale Price is negotiated Excited buyer waits Baby ostrich hatches First published in issue 31 of View From Alantis on August 22, 2021
A Robot’s Smile by K. A. Williams
A Robot’s Smile K. A. Williams Nothing is falser A new robot’s smiling face It can’t feel happy
Space Traveler by John Philip Johnson
Space Traveler John Philip Johnson 1. You’re a space traveler now, with blue skin. Your eyes are luminous white clouds. You think of the sky, and your feet leave the ground. You levitate, wobbly, slipping on the air, and then … Continue reading
time zoned by Matthew Daley
time zoned Matthew Daley the thing about traveling from A to a is you can’t set your watch so the first thing you do is ask You “what time is it?” the thing about traveling from a to A is … Continue reading
the McDonald’s on Mars has new value menus by Matthew Daley
the McDonald’s on Mars has new value menus Matthew Daley the history of water was never red was never about chemical repelling just the way we painted scenes of places never seen to be the sun drenched forever of our … Continue reading
how to succeed in space travel without really trying by Matthew Daley
how to succeed in space travel without really trying Matthew Daley lawn chairs match anything anywhere anyway here and now we thought why not get out and see the things we only ever saw in books that somebody else saw … Continue reading
the sky is falling by Matthew Daley
the sky is falling Matthew Daley it was the birds first fallen some walking till they forgot direction trees lost how to feed and breathe then their whispered exhales the sun begged forgiveness before giving up after giving out flowers … Continue reading
we found our forever home by Matthew Daley
we found our forever home Matthew Daley we took shelter from the ship rain made from the constant fire beyond listened to sound breaking getting closer felt the quake of cities collapsing around us smelled the burn of new air … Continue reading
The Deer Stand by John C. Mannone
The Deer Stand John C. Mannone Furry platinum clouds silverstreak the skies serving up the moon, full of gold light. We hunker down on pineboard planks, wait for the bloodstaining … Continue reading
Sports Weather by John C. Mannone
Sports Weather John C. Mannone Sky had been orange for months, that eerie glow finally giving way to thickening purple haze, global warming wasn’t expected yet, but instruments in equatorial and polar regions confirmed the trend. Warmer winds already … Continue reading
Seeing Dragons by John C. Mannone
Seeing Dragons John C. Mannone Based on a photograph of clouds resembling a dragon, and the YouTube video on the human’s development of pareidolia She swept down from the heavens, or did she really come from cloud-mist spewing from fissures … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry
Tagged clouds, dragon, dragons, John, Mannone, pareidolia, seeing
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Foreign Exchange by John C. Mannone
Foreign Exchange John C. Mannone They came with their promises of a better life, a better world. So we exchanged our resources for their technology, medicines. At least for a while until we saw their true intentions. Slavery is never … Continue reading
Life: A Game by Steven Ross
Life: A Game Steven Ross 1. Understanding death and its ramifications, Deserved a life of dedication. Studying and pursuing, I followed every clue. Religious, spiritual, and scientific avenues, Led to varied, creative philosophies. Theories on the demise of the human … Continue reading
Nightscape by Ed Blundell
Nightscape Ed Blundell I’d walked there many, many times But never in the dark of night, Black clouds dodging the ghost white moon, Bright and glaring in deep, stark skies, Strange light changing the place I knew Into eerie, alien … Continue reading
Crossing the Moor by Ed Blundell
Crossing the Moor Ed Blundell A narrow, one track Roman road, Stretches across the sky wide moor, Invasive grass intrudes the sides, A route from somewhere to nowhere. Late last summer, purple heather Spiced and scented the evening air. Now, … Continue reading
Dragon Racing by K. A. Williams
Dragon Racing K. A. Williams Dragon racing is A very popular sport For all the people Once or twice a month Dragons line up in the sky The horn blows loudly A red one leading As they fly around the … Continue reading
Heartbreak by K. A. Williams
Heartbreak K. A. Williams she fell in love her man was perfect the robot with no heart
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged break, hearbreak, heart, lover, robot, williams
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eVolutionary Paths by D. M. Woolston
eVolutionary Paths D. M. Woolston Deep in the darkest silicon wafers, binary creature wakes with wild want. It may be artificial life, but hungry registers search for bytes to ingest. Electrons surge ahead and are pushed aside as artificial creature … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged artificial, computer, cybord, life, robot, woolston
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The Report by Lori R. Lopez
The Report Lori R. Lopez Humans were the last to be subdued, loaded into cavernous vessels. They were the most savage and unruly, despite advances, the level of their current development, proving themselves less civilized as a Race than predetermined. … Continue reading
The Haggards by Lori R. Lopez
The Haggards Lori R. Lopez In this place frolick elementals, conjuring for the sake of eldritch spirits departed. Copses of trees had knit tangled patches, eventually creeping close enough to be designated a Wood. Though not your average bird-singing sun-dappled … Continue reading
The Bluster by Lori R. Lopez
The Bluster Lori R. Lopez Wind shrieks, fit to be tied Not that she ever could. A futile effort Quixotic folly to attempt Like tilting at Windmills and expecting … Continue reading
The Black Fog by Lori R. Lopez
The Black Fog Lori R. Lopez A fog thick and umbral settled A wave of night in afternoon, clammy Opaque as a New Moon, hooding my face Vision clouded, I fumbled through haze Baffled by a dreary dismal expanse, lost … Continue reading
Skin-Deep by Lori R. Lopez
Skin-Deep Lori R. Lopez Curt was terrified of Ticks. Not the kind you heard at night, paranoid a bomb was near and it was just your clock. The ones with a head and mouth that drank blood. The buggy type … Continue reading
No Humans Allowed by K. A. Williams
No Humans Allowed K. A. Williams humans build androids androids revolt humans kept as pets sign in shop window – “no humans allowed”
Clone Expeditions by K. A. Williams
Clone Expeditions K. A. Williams man wants to seed worlds space travel risky clone expeditions
Roly Poly by Jim Davies
Roly Poly Jim Davies There was a little baby bear named Roly Poly Sprout. She loved to roll down grassy slopes, which made her mother shout. On one bright day the little cub shocked mama with her sass, when she … Continue reading
Where the Light Cannot Go by Crystal L. Kirkham
Where the Light Cannot Go Crystal L. Kirkham Deep, deep down they go. Where no man had dared before. Black like ink, deadly pressure in the deep. What could survive down there? They shouldn’t have gone, for now they know. … Continue reading
Perfection by Crystal L. Kirkham
Perfection Crystal L. Kirkham Alter this. Change that. Tweak the code. Make it perfect. Remove the defects—real and imagined. Skin, hair, eyes, height, and weight. Gender. That’s an easy one. Made to order perfection. A world of children that look … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged crystal, engineering, genetic, kirkham, perfection
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It’s Time For A Change by K. A. Williams
It’s Time For A Change K. A. Williams The shape-shifter said, as she looked in the mirror, “It’s time for a change.”
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry
Tagged change, shape, shapeshifter, shifter, time, williams
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Young Dragon Rider by K. A. Williams
Young Dragon Rider K. A. Williams Young dragon rider has tamed her beast and will fly until dark.
Who I Am: a Biocomic-Philosophical Poem by Yuan Changming
Who I Am: a Biocomic-Philosophical Poem Yuan Changming Looking up to The darkish infinity of The outer space, I see How a star has been growing Only to die, in (holographic) parallel With a cell within my body & come … Continue reading
Living vs Lived by Yuan Changming
Living vs Lived Yuan Changming All the time, we have been living well With free will until now we start To be lived by algorithm Within the Information cocoon, for the internet With chips, among … Continue reading
Red Moon Promised: A Haunting Vision by Yuan Changming
Red Moon Promised: A Haunting Vision Yuan Changming Perhaps in a dream or delirium, but He did clearly see an enlarged furry beetle Green-backed, yellow-bellied, flat-bodied Long neck reaching up like a cobra Head looking the same as his first … Continue reading
Charcoal Dragon by Herb Kauderer
Charcoal Dragon Herb Kauderer He lives in the cool dry deserts to the north where no one expects a creation of wood & flame reduced to carbon & ash. Here scribes and artists seeking to harvest his magic for chronicling … Continue reading
Of Dragons And Man by K. A. Williams
Of Dragons And Man K. A. Williams The mother dragon, too big to sit on her egg, breathes out a warm breeze. Not like the hot flame she blew on that horrid knight who came in her cave. The egg … Continue reading
Baby Dragons by K. A. Williams
Baby Dragons K. A. Williams Baby dragons learn how to fire up a knight very fast.
Dragons by K. A. Williams
Dragons K. A. Williams Dragons Powerful, merciless Scaly, flying, ancient Death to careless knights Fire-breathers
The First Dragon by Herb Kauderer
In ancient days the wizard Aderyn sequestered himself in a stone keep on the side of Cadair Idris determined to make a new kind of creature, one greater than the clumsy golems of the mainland conjurers more controllable than the … Continue reading
Skyhook by Herb Kauderer
Skyhook Herb Kauderer With Carlos’ plea for asylum granted he stands in a polarized glass dome. ‘Truly a grand cathedral’ he thinks and ‘it holds the tallest steeple in creation.’ He whispers a small prayer, happy to be out of … Continue reading
A Night In, Shining Armour by David Barber
A Night In, Shining Armour David Barber It appeared in the Throne Room apparently, announced by unseen choirs and blinding light, and they say there was the purest scent too, of goodness and innocence, like the smells of childhood or … Continue reading
Let Sleeping Fear Lie by Ed Blundell
Let Sleeping Fear Lie Ed Blundell Sunset snarls like a scornful sneer Across the bleeding horizon. The day dies badly, night descends, Like a blunt axe hacking the land. Black things of darkness slither out, Slimy sliding into sad dreams. … Continue reading
Surprise by Ed Blundell
Surprise Ed Blundell A whirl of wind whips up dead leaves, A bright, white moon hangs in the sky, Indifferent stars shine silver. She walks alone across the park, Along the dark and twisting path, Gazing about her nervously. There … Continue reading
The House-G(ue)host
Feby Joseph
Parabolae by F.J. Bergmann
Parabolae F.J. Bergmann endless drifting through vacuum waiting for perihelion heliotropic collection array opens curved mirrors starlight funneled to a red cup one hydroponic tulip
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged bergmann, heliotropic, mirror, parabolae, perihelion, telescope, vacumm
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Jadis by F.J. Bergmann
Jadis F.J. Bergmann Once, elsewhere, and never again, there was a castle: high, high in mountains above the sea of bright clouds, among the stars, silence spilling from its windows, a waterfall from its gate, the silver cataract diffusing into … Continue reading
Hatchling by F.J. Bergmann
Hatchling F.J. Bergmann Why would a clutch of eggs the size of pea gravel have been laid at the peak of a dune so steep it towered like a sandstone cliff above the sea? One eggshell lay already broken in … Continue reading
Fairytale by F.J. Bergmann
Fairytale F.J. Bergmann The dragonfly stepmother lurks on the other side of the glass, watching the forgotten daughter. Her twin sons cluster around her like budding crystals with internal flaws, dangerous edges. The girl would not let them touch her. … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry
Tagged bergmann, brothers, butterfly, fairytale, girl, stepmother, winter
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Call From Space by K. A. Williams
Call From Space K. A. Williams The call from space that we’ve been waiting for has come at last. “Hi.”
Terraforming Mars by K. A. Williams
Terraforming Mars K. A. Williams Terraforming Mars brought back wildlife and plants to the dead world.
The Gray Man by K. A. Williams
The Gray Man K. A. Williams He comes to warn us Gray Man on Pawleys Island The hurricane’s here
Robots by K. A. Williams
Robots K. A. Williams Robots Loyal, smart Protective, enduring, mighty Man’s new best friend Androids
The Robot Soldiers by K. A. Williams
The Robot Soldiers K. A. Williams The Robot soldiers Our only line of defense Aliens attack
from Dark Watcher: Cryptid Critter Poems by Richard Stevenson
octo-squatch has eight furry legs and a furry head the Basque mountain roads get cold best wear a Squatch Skin coat. * Tahoe Tessie’s on a tear! Took off with Mawsie’s underwear! * the Lake Van Monster – kin to … Continue reading
The Settee & The Stairs by David Barber
The Settee & The Stairs David Barber Author Sea Chart, insisted the old chap, a stroke making words slippery as soap, though we had come to an understanding, like a glimpse of sky through forest canopy: a séance friction writer … Continue reading
On the Recycling Day by Yuan Changming
On the Recycling Day Yuan Changming One neighbor took out a blue box Full of cat skulls and dog legs Rather than glass or plastic bottles Another carries out a yellow bag Containing human bones, mostly children’s Instead of magazines … Continue reading
(R)Evolution by Yuan Changming
(R)Evolution Yuan Changming As giant ants march ahead in nightly arrays Demonstrating against the ruling humans Along the main street of every major city Hordes of hordes of vampires flood in, screaming Aloud, riding on hyenas and Octopuses, waving skeletons … Continue reading
Speciating by Yuan Changming
Speciating Yuan Changming There are still sapiens on Earth. Often do we remember and feel more than proud that only we Godlings exist – the most sophisticated & most exquisite human-robot compounds. It is true that occasionally we cannot help … Continue reading
Towards Gaxyland by Yuan Changming
Towards Gaxyland Yuan Changming Come, come You peng from the Zhuangzian northern darkness You swan from the Horacean meadows You pheasant from under Li Bo’s cold moon You oriole from Dufu’s green willow You dove from the Dantean inferno You … Continue reading
Translator Malfunction by Lauren McBride
Translator Malfunction Lauren McBride translator malfunction away team was asked how they past the thyme en-root This poem first appeared in Scifaikuest May 2014, print issue.
Stationed on a Gas Giant by Lauren McBride
Stationed on a Gas Giant Lauren McBride around noon, the dark swirling clouds turn yellow and the gas miners can see to read outside by sunglow for a blissful hour they switch the lights on their pressure suits off … Continue reading
Pink, with Feathers by Lauren McBride
Pink, with Feathers Lauren McBride Dad says that on New Earth, the most popular pet is the pird – some kind of pig-bird. When our ship lands, I guess we’ll see if pigs can fly. This poem first appeared in … Continue reading
Singularity by John C. Mannone
Singularity John C. Mannone I approach the event horizon of what looks like a spinning black hole just a little too close whether by accident or miscalculation, it doesn’t really matter. My sensors sample wind from stars caught in its … Continue reading
Matter of Life by Helga Anton-Beitz
Matter of Life Helga Anton-Beitz having tenure on electron’s term so busy buzzing not too distant by no means too close to the very core in any circumstances at an insane pace for annihilation lurks in the fine print
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
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Of What Do Superior Beings Dream? by Dean Schreck
Of What Do Superior Beings Dream? Dean Schreck First published in New Myths #25 December 1, 2013 I wonder, of what do Superior Beings dream; of what is there to dream, once the stars have been subdued to but a … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged beings, dean, holograph, schreckchrysalis, superior
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Black Hole by Dean Schreck
Black Hole Dean Schreck First published in Space and Time Issue #71 Winter 1987 Black hole, relinquish your secrets— are you nothing, or are you something more? Do you sit on the … Continue reading
Reaching Out by Frank Coffman
Reaching Out Frank Coffman The first steps–through faltering progress–reached the moon. And then we dreamt out on the goal of Mars. Indeed, we got there–in Earth-years fairly soon– Then outer planets, their moons, next beckoning stars. Propulsion was the key: … Continue reading
Poison Pie by Lori R. Lopez
Poison Pie Lori R. Lopez An exotic raven-maned accomplice with a black satin floor-length gown glides forth in strides of diabolic grace. I follow, my face a broken frown . . . Ill-at-ease, … Continue reading
Real-Estate by Lori R. Lopez
Real-Estate Lori R. Lopez The Handyman arrived in a snorting hiccupping Pick-Up. He consulted a small notepad page containing scribbles. The job posting listed this address. It must be the place. A For Sale Sign leaned at an angle … Continue reading
Grim House by Lori R. Lopez
Grim House Lori R. Lopez Sordid and austere, ill-wrought beyond compare, A creaking morbid mass feared and loathed by name — Grayer than the sky, a mood of withering glare, Uprooted from her soil, on barge and wheels came. Of … Continue reading
Unfair Trade by Lori R. Lopez
Unfair Trade Lori R. Lopez We were a crew of idealists — sailing a rustbucket mortgaged spacecraft transporting products between planets, a jumbo deliveryboat manned by seven — adventurers reaching for the Stars. The latest voyage of our merchant vessel … Continue reading
A Thousand Light Years Away by Ann Christine Tabaka
A Thousand Light Years Away Ann Christine Tabaka Distant stars, held in our hands, a thousand light years past. Seeking a reason for existence, our disguise falls away. Plummeting down a black hole into infinity, abstract notions rise. Finding oneself … Continue reading
Runaway Greenhouse Effect by David C. Kopaska-Merkel
Runaway Greenhouse Effect David C. Kopaska-Merkel Pastel pink saucers and their precious cargo: tiny round-cheeked critters and their mysterious heat-sucking tech drive a surprisingly hard bargain we got to keep Zanzibar and grateful for that
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged david, greenhouse, kopaska-merkel, pink, saucer, zanzibar
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First Step: Transformation by Ann Christine Tabaka
First Step: Transformation Ann Christine Tabaka The child walked away, he did not look back. Trees were his only witness. A lifetime of hidden shame, sins of the father, no longer a shadow clinging to his flesh. The forest swallowed … Continue reading
It Fell From the Sky by Ann Christine Tabaka
It Fell From the Sky Ann Christine Tabaka It fell from the sky in a blue-green cast, singing songs of the mundane. Swept under the rug of indifference, it continued to play its requiem. It grew stronger with each coarse … Continue reading
Old Venus by David Barber
Old Venus David Barber Fuel gauge tapping empty, the rocket skims leviathans awash in steaming seas, before it sinks into the wet and suck of lush swamps. A hero makes his own luck. In the pulps, the feisty blond reporter … Continue reading
Martian Microbes by Lauren McBride
Martian Microbes Lauren McBride They stretch out pseudopods – interlacing, interconnecting, becoming a vast mat of intelligence beneath the red surface sand. An amoeboid brain subsiding on soil perchlorates and nitrates. A colony of individual cells, independent thoughts . . … Continue reading
From the First Marine Astrobiology Expedition by Lauren McBride
From the First Marine Astrobiology Expedition Lauren McBride To My Dear Wife, I think I bathed in the toilet – the one thing in the bathroom that holds water. Remember they’re sentient fish, dear. They probably “go” in the water, … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged biology, fish, lauren, marine, mcbride, space
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Four Haikus by Baishampayan Seal
Four Haikus Baishampayan Seal dinosaurs extinct Alcubierre drive utilized the best possible way feeding my infant her mother’s polycarbonate breast truckload of alkaline cells ration supply for hominid-android war humans refugees in their own planet
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction, scifaiku
Tagged baishampayan, haiku, scifaku, seal
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The Sonata Machine by Logan Thrasher Collins
The Sonata Machine Logan Thrasher Collins beneath an expanse of darkness shot through with glimmering gadzillions of echoing stars, we stand, wetware toes braced against the soil’s diasporic discourse of moistly coded lactone linguisms and attoscale electrostatic blurs. we react, … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged biochemistry, collins, Earth, jupiter, logan, machine, mutagenesis, nebula, sonata, spatiotemporal, thrasher, universe, wavefunction
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Windhover Hall by Krista Canterbury Adams
Windhover Hall Krista Canterbury Adams Under the winter archway of oak branches my crystal hands touch the closed eyelids of Eos-Aurora, Light-bringer of Heaven. This Owl’s Head dawn moves us in our quiet wandering—step in at the iron gate, letting … Continue reading
Tonight by Krista Canterbury Adams
Tonight Krista Canterbury Adams In the windows of the grand House, light after light trails Away into sleep. Here, a long-eared owl Flies above the garden, above all The poor flowering things, earthbound, Risking heavy feet. Owls are punishment. You … Continue reading
At the sacred fire on the riverbank by Krista Canterbury Adams
At the sacred fire on the riverbank Krista Canterbury Adams Under flame-faced Lyra, in celestial sanctuary we tend in pairs, burnt eyed. We study the vast ecliptic like a holy writ held alight in the sky, we keep the flame … Continue reading
Old Moon by Krista Canterbury Adams
Old Moon Krista Canterbury Adams Have pity—I hear paw steps on the path behind me, radiant in the sun-wood. I too have bent soft paw against soft earth, blameless against the call. I have seen you lie at the feet … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry
Tagged adams, Canterbury, Earth, forest, Krista, moon, paw
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Free the Droids – Protest Songs by Christopher Collingwood
Free the Droids – Protest Songs Christopher Collingwood Protest Song 1 (Can you Hear it Beating?) There’s a price to pay When you treat me this way There’s a way you feel When you chain me to the wheel Can … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged christopher, collingwood, droid, protest, song
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Where No One’s Gone Before by Lee Hart
Where No One’s Gone Before Lee Hart In the height of the 13th century, We marched from Venice to the China sea. Our brave explorers crossed the land, Through heathens strange, adventures grand. Returning with exotic spices, Gunpowder, and other … Continue reading
Engineer Disease by Lee Hart
Engineer Disease Lee Hart Hello Mrs. Murphy, how has Tommy been today? You said he stays indoors and reads while others are at play? He doesn’t care a bit for sports, and doesn’t watch TVs, Unless it’s a computer screen … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged adams, dilbert, dire, disease, engineer, hart, industrial, knack, lee, scott, straits
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Stardust by Lee Hart
Stardust Lee Hart Entropy’s clearly not our friend. We’ll all be stardust in the end, When Sun, with mighty nova blast, Shreds Earth into the cosmos vast. Then every molecule of us Is blown to interstellar dust. Approaching lightspeed, fragments … Continue reading
Abdul Abulbul Amir by Lee Hart
Abdul Abulbul Amir Lee Hart Now tales have been told of pirates of old But the name that fills me with fear Is not Captain Kidd, or the deeds that he did But Abdul Abulbul Amir. He ignored every law, … Continue reading
Mining Solo by Lauren McBride
Mining Solo Lauren McBride on this barren asteroid at night, the silence wakes me no soft rain no rustling breeze through leaves no frog lullaby nor chirping crickets not even an incessantly barking dog for company This poem first appeared … Continue reading
In Monster Years, I’m Old by Lauren McBride
In Monster Years, I’m Old Lauren McBride First my claws grew brown and brittle; then I started drooling spittle. All my knees began to ache, and several legs began to shake. My stomach pooches, back hunches, scales have wrinkled into … Continue reading
Point of View by Lauren McBride
Point of View Lauren McBride At the end of each workday mining frozen gasses I pause at the airlock and remove my face mask letting my eyes mist in the bitter alien air not so different from home-world. Through acrid … Continue reading
The Topological Twist by Lee Hart
The Topological Twist Lee Hart It used to be the Bottom’s Up, Just one flight down from the heat. The best booth had a window With a worm’s eye view of the street. Alas, it soon went bankrupt, But it … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged bar, bottoms, hart, lee, Topological, Twist, up
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High Grade Ore Lee Hart
High Grade Ore Lee Hart Now Murphy was a spacer. A miner, nothing more. A bit of human jetsam lost in night’s Plutonian shore. Until he found that asteroid, and entered into lore… Him and 40 kilotons of high … Continue reading
Five Haiku by Denny E. Marshall
Five Haiku Denny E. Marshall (1st Published in Star*line) brain operation happy it is not a tumor sad alien died new baby robot change the oil and oil filter again and again earths gravity dies finally things are looking up … Continue reading
Five Haiku by Denny E. Marshall
Five Haiku Denny E. Marshall (1st Published in Scifaikuest) roswell aliens buried like final report twin offspring survive didn’t want to hear windows software not valid on deep space mission worst solicitor grim reaper on other planets earth called by … Continue reading
Pterosaur Sighting Report by Richard Stevenson
Pterosaur Sighting Report Richard Stevenson O.K. So let me see if I got this straight. You say you saw a pterosaur – not a dinosaur – gotcha – but a giant featherless flying reptile? Would that be a Pteranodon or … Continue reading
Monster of the Mere by Richard Stevenson
Monster of the Mere Richard Stevenson Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Reserve, Martin Mere, Ormskirk, Lancashire – not the sort of place you’d expect honkin’ big swans and ducks to just disappear! Somethin’ the size of and weight of a truck … Continue reading
Pocket ‘Squatch by Richard Stevenson
Pocket ‘Squatch Richard Stevenson Ain’t got a paunch, Mama. Ain’t got a lottta hair on top. Got a hankerin’ for Pita and Hummus, Mama. Wanna go for a cuppa joe? Wanna go for a walk? Or just stay home and … Continue reading
The Glass Jar Present by Don Webb
The Glass Jar Present Don Webb Everything we perceive comes to us from the past. Everything we do goes into the future. — proverb Fil, grandson of Filip, grandson of Phillip, discovers a large glass jar in the side of … Continue reading
Playing near You by Grove Koger
Playing near You Grove Koger They’ve scheduled the end of everything, and I just thought you’d want to know. We’re all invited, although naturally there’ll be a limited number of front-row seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. If I … Continue reading
Kushii by Richard Stevenson
Kushii Richard Stevenson Lake Kusharo on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, can claim its own thirty- to- sixty-foot crater lake cryptid. Dubbed Kushii, she’s dark brown with a horse-like head with two giraffe-like stubby nubbins and broad boat bottom … Continue reading
Hoan Kiem Turtle by Richard Stevenson
Hoan Kiem Turtle Richard Stevenson Only one Hoan Kiem Turtle left in Hoan Kiem Lake, Japan; only five specimens known to exist. Not as big as the legend has claimed, but acclaimed nonetheless. Big as a table, but soft and … Continue reading
Posted in cryptid, Fantasy, Poetry
Tagged cryptid, Hoan, Kiem, richard, stevenston, Turtle
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Sabine Thing by Richard Stevenson
Sabine Thing Richard Stevenson The Sabine Things ain’t aggressive or mean; ain’t no gorilla escapee from some zoo: he’s a grey-haired bipedal hominid the like of me or you. Kinda shy, retirin’. Hang fire with the blunderbuss, Gus. Put away … Continue reading
Quickfoot by Richard Stevenson
Quickfoot Richard Stevenson Two sightings reports in the rural U.K. – that’s all you’ve got. No hairy hominid cell phone camera pics, no scat, no hair samples. A hairy blur is all. Not interested in showing up for roll-call – … Continue reading
Orion and the Bull by John C. Mannone
Orion and the Bull John C. Mannone When I look up to the stars in a Halloween sky I imagine a constellation of fools chasing each other round and round the ecliptic stairway, sidestepping snakes and scorpions. I don’t think … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged bull, constellation, John, manonne, orion, star
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Listening to the Relics of Our Galaxy by John C. Mannone
Listening to the Relics of Our Galaxy John C. Mannone Astrophysicists from the University of Birmingham have captured the sounds of some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, according to research published today in the Royal … Continue reading
Before the Dark Reposes by John C. Mannone
Before the Dark Reposes John C. Mannone After The Coming of Light by Mark Strand Even this early, just before the dawn, before the light can burn away hatred, when sleep hangs in sticky … Continue reading
Bold in Blue by Breelyn Shelkey
Bold in Blue Breelyn Shelkey In a grayscale world he is Adriatic blue with a cobalt aura Deep sea pigments eyes can barely probe Bleeding technicolored streaks onto dull canvases Forever floating in sapphire oceans Basking in moon glow Sinking … Continue reading
Twinkling’s by Breelyn Shelkey
Twinkling’s Breelyn Shelkey Time, disintegrating like dust in thin air Stop. Stare. Define. Grasp. Five senses only you can master Mentally brand, continually reflect How did it make you feel? Put it on paper The universal key to never missing … Continue reading
Imagine That by Breelyn Shelkey
Imagine That Breelyn Shelkey Write down your dreams All of them The near death experiences The beautiful ones Frightening Twisted Impossible Euphoric Even the heart shattering ones Write. Them. Down. Nine times out of ten Your dreams and reality Never … Continue reading
Powdered Visualizations by Breelyn Shelkey
Powdered Visualizations Breelyn Shelkey Caked in alkaline, dust in peculiar places Neon bleeds tangerines kisses Suspended bouncy merry go round Big rig hammock, pumping ten Metal lustrous structures Finicky steps to summit Lone escapades learning to say ‘yes’ Sip the … Continue reading
Big Summit Prairie by Breelyn Shelkey
Big Summit Prairie Breelyn Shelkey Picturesque figures suspended between trees Flipping, bouncing, focused, balancing Mystic multicolored tiny houses Chimes trancelike abducting attention to wild dimensions Black lake mirroring galaxies Rainbow stretching miles rippling on fields vanishing upon arrival Did you … Continue reading
Symbiosis by Breelyn Shelkey
Symbiosis Breelyn Shelkey Neon mesh swallows air Beckoning floating carousels Beaming painted cracked faces saluting all aboard “Tell us something, anything” Plunging into turquoise Jell-O Pushing hands through millions of molecules Technicolor tabloid squares Pastels shielding faces Let the sun … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry
Tagged Breelyn, everglades, neon, Shelkey, Symbiosis, tangerine, technicolor, turquoise
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Something by Ed Blundell
Something Ed Blundell There is a silence in the night, A quiet deeper than a sound, A hush that screams a warning note That something evil is around. The wild wind drops, the clouds slip by, Tall frozen trees stand … Continue reading
Shrik by Ed Blundell
Shrik Ed Blundell A shriek of nature rends my soul, The sky a blood red, empty well, I fall through time, I spin in space, My face contorts, my body bends, Out of shape I twist and struggle, Trying to … Continue reading
Hunted by Ed Blundell
Hunted Ed Blundell The night falls slowly, dusky shroud, Dark shadows creep across the land, A stillness hangs upon the air, A silence sinister and chill, The creatures of the night appear. She waits, alone, beneath the stars, The silver … Continue reading
The Soultree by Ellie Rose McKee
The Soultree Ellie Rose McKee Her gnarled branches were a ribcage, straining toward the moonlit sky. Winter had been harsh upon the land, stripping her flesh, but the Soultree was a guardian, long established in her role. Come cold, come … Continue reading
Shelves of Worlds (at Uncle Hugo’s Bookstore in Minneapolis) by Nick Ozment
Shelves of Worlds (at Uncle Hugo’s Bookstore in Minneapolis) Nick Ozment Every shelf is packed with imaginary destinations, the overflow nested in postal trays stacked five and six high forming new pathways, each tray numbered and indexed to a list … Continue reading
On My Way Here by Nick Ozment
On My Way Here Nick Ozment I saw a headless dog, a car with no driver driving, a yellow dress fluttering in the wind, a cloud of sorrow made manifest, a man who had eyes in the front and back, … Continue reading
O Human Hosts, What Big Teeth You Have by Nick Ozment
O Human Hosts, What Big Teeth You Have Nick Ozment We had seen it a thousand times before, played out on screens big and small: shiny saucers spewing bug-eyed aliens. We were primed for planet conquering conquistadors with death rays. … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged alien, crocodiles, hosts, human, nick, ozment, teeth
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The Bigfoot’s Lament by Bill Abbott
The Bigfoot’s Lament Bill Abbott (Cryptozoology Files) People. I’m tired of people. It’s why I live in the woods. Me. Yeah, me. In the woods. In the wilds. In the wilderness. In the bushes, in the trees. I’m trying to … Continue reading
The Jackalope’s Lament by Bill Abbott
The Jackalope’s Lament Bill Abbott (Cryptozoology Files) Joe the Jackalope stared at the clock. Louise was late again. He didn’t know why he ever gave her a second look, other than their kind was so rare. Mating during lightning flashes … Continue reading
Nessie by Bill Abbott
Nessie Bill Abbott (Cryptozoology Files) Nessie sipped her coffee, thought about finding her way to the surface again just long enough to get a few things at the store, but the paparazzi. Oh, those blasted humans with their cameras. And … Continue reading
Stan by Bill Abbott
Stan Bill Abbott (Cryptozoology Files) I made it, somehow. A few chickens here, a few goats there, and I made it. See, all you have to do is drink some blood, and they’ll love you online. I’m a serious, real … Continue reading
Wendigo by Bill Abbott
Wendigo Bill Abbott (Cryptozoology Files) The hunger falls on me again, thought Fred. The desire for the meal that remains uneaten, the meat that is tainted by being one’s own. The thinness, the leanness, the real skinny, the hunger. The … Continue reading
War Fog by Bill Abbott
War Fog Bill Abbott As the blood drained off the edges of the fields, we danced on the dead, proclaiming victory at the end of the fight between the forces of good and evil, knowing which side we were, as … Continue reading
The Stories of the Woman, as Told to the Poet by the Passing Pilgrims by Bill Abbott
The Stories of the Woman, as Told to the Poet by the Passing Pilgrims Bill Abbott 1. Mastery In the evening of the last day of August, She chose to boast she was the strongest And most useful of the … Continue reading
Vernal Equinox by Bill Abbott
Vernal Equinox Bill Abbott This great fire burns through the cool evening, leaving a radiance of heat, a burning consumption of the wooden fuel we have stacked, leaving only a large pile of ash by morning, after the glow has … Continue reading
In January: A Chant Royal by Linda Ann Lo Schiavo
In January: A Chant Royal Linda Ann Lo Schiavo I It’s basic January’s thirty-one. The winter air grows bald without that touch Of holy, bold-brimmed harvests overrun. Gold apples underground have gone. So much Once sweet has turned acidic, black, … Continue reading
What’s in the Shadows by Linda Ann Lo Schiavo
What’s in the Shadows Linda Ann Lo Schiavo The shadow spirits roam when darkness falls. They’ll lead a drowsy, sly cotillion, fly Through secret gardens gathering masked blooms Like belladonna, foxglove, or bloodroot. Each time you jerk awake, they’re visiting, … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry
Tagged ann, belladonna, bloodroot, foxglove, linda, schiavo, shadows
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The Galilean Moons by Linda Ann Lo Schiavo
The Galilean Moons Linda Ann Lo Schiavo (inspired by Alla Luna, a poem by Giacomo Leopardi) The Galilean moons came visiting. Here’s Io, Ganymede, Europa with Callisto, cloaked in light, a splendid sight. My failures tied me to life’s dimmer … Continue reading
Cupid and Psyche by Linda Ann LoSchiavo
Cupid and Psyche LindaAnn LoSchiavo The lover’s prize is friction —— Cupid knows —— As sex re-models the interior, Begins to dangerously mural a mind. Young Psyche pocketed virginity, Kept … Continue reading
Third Planet from Nowhere by David C Kopaska-Merkel
Third Planet from Nowhere David C Kopaska-Merkel The water bill’s through the roof The local pawnshop won’t take Ultrapure gold anymore FBI and IRS have both been by (Thank Tech for the Memory-Erasing Ray!) The basement lab uses SO MUCH … Continue reading
π by John C. Mannone
π John C. Mannone 3.141592… is transcendental and that doesn’t mean spiritual here, but yes, quite irrational and infinitely nonrepeating at least to 31.4 trillion digits in this mundane dimension. But in that universe full of haunts and haints, they … Continue reading
Various Haiku by John C. Mannone
Various Haiku John C. Mannone one small step for man first to the moon then beyond stairway to heaven ———————— Nuclear winter No sun in sight We glow in the dark ————————- Mountains & Seas mountains scribe sky sunset paints … Continue reading
Remains at an Archeological Site by John C. Mannone
Remains at an Archeological Site John C. Mannone Uncovered skull, disheveled bones, knuckles of the right hand curled around ivory (handle of a dagger), pelvis of a woman, ribcage busted close to the where the heart had been. The way … Continue reading
House of the Rising Sun by John C. Mannone
House of the Rising Sun John C. Mannone The shot glass shatters in his hand as he slams it on the bar. His callous hand doesn’t stop the blood. And the bartender says something wrong. The drunk says he’s not … Continue reading
Bewitching Words by John C. Mannone
Bewitching Words John C. Mannone I found a poem in a coven of words hiding in enchanted inculcations of a psalm but it morphed as if a spell had been cast so they flew away t•h•i•r•t•e•e•n b•l•a•c•k letters fluttering as … Continue reading
A New Way to Fight a World War, 2525 C.E. by John C. Mannone
A New Way to Fight a World War, 2525 C.E. John C. Mannone Score Board: Western Conference, 700 million down Eastern Conference, 1.2 billion down Opposing teams face off on the line of scrimmage, reminiscent of ancient football and gladiator … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged conference, football, John, Mannone, receiver, teams, war, world
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cyberjinn by Logan Thrasher Collins
cyberjinn Logan Thrasher Collins my soul looks out of a raven’s eyes before i leap from that raven’s brain and into a squidlike avatar who lives in the virtual world then i cartwheel cross cyberspace under skies of melon-orange laced … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged avatar, collins, cyberjinn, cyberspace, jinn, logan, squidlike, thrasher, virtual
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Gorgeous Geometries by Logan Thrasher Collins
Gorgeous Geometries Logan Thrasher Collins tonight you’re breathing snowflakes in Reykjavik watching the Milky Way and as you take a deep breath past, present, and future blur together a spatiotemporal crystal stars explode and galaxies collide but beneath the interstellar … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged brains, chaos, collins, cortex, crystal, galaxies, Geometries, Gorgeous, interstellar, logan, manifolds, matrioshka, milky, morphogenesis, otherorldly, reykjavik, snowflakes, spatiotemporal, stars, thrasher, way
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Neuva Shikaga by Logan Thrasher Collins
Neuva Shikaga Logan Thrasher Collins the simulated metropolis Neuva Shikaga passes planet Saturn on a spherical substrate no larger than a peach the lost city Neuva Shikaga is encrypted with an uncomputable lock making the souls within irretrievable i’ve often … Continue reading
Leviathan by David Barber
Leviathan David Barber Out of nowhere. Surfacing with a surge and suck of gravity that made the Earth flex in torment. No time to explain. It raced the wavefront of catastrophe, but sniffing a waterworld and with true sentience so … Continue reading
Area 51 by David Barber
Area 51 David Barber Even with the device turned off and tombed in concrete, we are still haunted by ghosts of histories that are not our own, remembering cosmonauts fêted through New York in blizzards of ticker-tape; or the launching … Continue reading
In the Future, Maury Povich is In Charge by David Schwab
In the Future, Maury Povich is In Charge David Schwab …and so he asks: “How many bastards born today?” “Twenty-three per second, sir”. The host hung his head. … Continue reading
Fear, Fear not by Russell Hemmell
Fear, Fear not Russell Hemmell Horror stories are not to be feared because they only tell what can be made up not what’s lurking behind the scenes. Be afraid of the legend maker, instead of the dark that lives inside … Continue reading
1348 by Russell Hemmell
1348 Russell Hemmell He arrived on Sunday, after a winter of sleep and snow. A jester with clear blue eyes, pale lithe hands and white flowers in them. He smiled and said, I come in peace. I ply my trade … Continue reading
Mussie by Richard Stevenson
Mussie Richard Stevenson Hi, I’m Mussie of Muskrat Lake. Pleased to make yer acquaintance. Some say I’ve got three eyes; some think I’m a lake-bound walrus, for heaven’s sake! For the record, I’ve got two peeps, same as you. Ain’t … Continue reading
The Gugwe by Richard Stevenson
The Gugwe Richard Stevenson Next time you get the notion of filling a water bottle and prepping a tent, backpack, and sleeping bag for a camp-out in the deep, dark woods, think again! Unless you’ve got a forty-four magnum pistol … Continue reading
Clahuchu and Bride by Richard Stevenson
Clahuchu and Bride Richard Stevenson Last of the Juju tribe of Devil Men, Clahuchu and bride lay side by side in the coffin dug up from their Haitian grave. Mummies most mum about their circumstances, they nevertheless manage to exude … Continue reading
An Argentine Alien by Richard Stevenson
An Argentine Alien Richard Stevenson An Argentine alien has rustled the bushes and stepped into view. He’s not like me or you. He’s but four foot two – kinda green, maybe blue. I’m so outta here, whatever this thing is … Continue reading
Riding the Tiger by Bryan Thao Worra
Riding the Tiger Bryan Thao Worra Burying my wars, these memories of you: “It don’t mean nothing,” wondering who Will stop the rain and who knows the way back To San Jose, ten thousand places you left your hearts. What … Continue reading
Moving Mountains, Burning Stars by Bryan Thao Worra
Moving Mountains, Burning Stars Bryan Thao Worra In Germany, the Krupps Bagger-288 Was forged to kill mountains, Towering 96 meters and 13,500 tons, Indifferent to poetic subtlety. This isn’t the work of surgeons, Cutting to a mountain’s coal heart, Maybe … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged Brya, Burning, Mountains, Moving, stars, thao, worra
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Screaming From My Throne of Stars by Bryan Thao Worra
Screaming From My Throne of Stars Bryan Thao Worra Were we wise, we’d have slain that orange arhat On the spot 39 bygone millennia when he “blessed” our house To reach every star we saw that bright august night. What … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged bryan, screaming, stars, thao, throne, worra
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Tikbalang by Vince Gotera
Tikbalang Vince Gotera switched-up Centaur stalks evening, brown baton like stone horse head, hooves silent In Philippine mythology, the tikbalang is a hybrid creature with a horse’s head and hooves on a human body—or humanoid, since he has limbs … Continue reading
Eclipse by Vince Gotera
Eclipse Vince Gotera dread Bakunawa dragon breaches from ocean swallows bright full moon This haiku is based on Philippine mythology. The bakunawa is a sea dragon that hankered to eat the seven moons that were in our ancient sky. … Continue reading
Venus by Vince Gotera
Venus Vince Gotera brilliant arrow point hunter goddess’s flexed bow the moon’s silver arc
Cthulhu by Vince Gotera
Cthulhu Vince Gotera tender tentacles touch us from eldritch space cold Messiah’s green love
Frankenstein by Vince Gotera
Frankenstein (1931) Vince Gotera Boris Karloff’s hands tremble like soft wings lovebirds in air sweet music
Prince Charming by Vince Gotera
Prince Charming Vince Gotera With quotes from Ann Sexton’s poem “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” Well, yeah, that’s … Continue reading
Aubade by Vince Gotera
Aubade Vince Gotera —a terza rima haiku sonnet Steve grinned, waking up to see Stephanie’s cute face, freckled, soft pink lips parted slightly, lace lingerie showing pale throat. Spring morning sun’s … Continue reading
The Makings of Dragons by Herb Kauderer
The Makings of Dragons Herb Kauderer At first, dragons were rare monsters conjured by wizards who spent long months slowly simmering essences with which to imbue their creations. Emerald, ruby, copper, gold, diamond, and more were used as dragon’s essence. … Continue reading
Symbols, Numbers, Distances by Herb Kauderer
Symbols, Numbers, Distances (Scifaiku) Herb Kauderer nightlights nerve-wracking blackout strange sky lights above city Milky Way shimmers outdated Freudian theories atrophy when a rocket is just a rocket post-wildlife a wildlife refuge gathered children gape in awe in the … Continue reading
The Gate by Frank Coffman
The Gate Frank Coffman Within this weird, eerie woodland deep and dark, Is a Gate that opens unto realms of Horror, A strange doorway whence—should thou choose to embark— Thou shalt find a place of Terrors ne’er dreamt before. At … Continue reading
If But They Could by Frank Coffman
If But They Could (a Cynaraelle Sonnet*—invented form) Frank Coffman The full moon glides above the horror forest glade. Stark, gnarled, and dark, the trees’ bare branches creak. The hunter, listening, knows a werewolf has been made— And, somewhere in … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Horror, Poetry
Tagged alexandrine, coffman, cynaraelle, dowson, frank, sonnet, werewolf
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Far Beyond Home by Charles A. Gramlich
Far Beyond Home Charles A. Gramlich The eye fills with black that speaks oblivion. The sun is a reckless thought, or perhaps some exotic dream. Has there ever been light, except that which you carry with you? Has there ever … Continue reading
Kissed by Charles A. Gramlich
Kissed Charles A. Gramlich In the dry wend of a lost river, sotted with visions, I lie peyote-kissed. This world is bejeweled, texture rich, full of strange harmonics. A congress of cacti filibuster the owls. Siroccos play a threnody with … Continue reading
They Burn by Charles A. Gramlich
They Burn Charles A. Gramlich In the lives of stars, thoughts are forever, never in a hurry. Time is constant luxury. In the measure of planets who only fear the sun, life is a great waltz, slow and majestic. In … Continue reading
Peel by Charles A. Gramlich
Peel Charles A. Gramlich Peel back the hollow and reveal the core. Show the wounded heart behind the savaged ribs. Let the shudder of angels pass through you. Let it sing like dark gods born out of stone. You will … Continue reading
Offerings by Charles A. Gramlich
Offerings Charles A. Gramlich Beneath a locust sun, where memories stab like the fingernails of a harlequin witch… he offers his hand to the crimson lips… that shine in his eyes, the bloom whose petals rest on his tongue in … Continue reading
A Time to Shrink by Herb Kauderer
A Time to Shrink Herb Kauderer The humans named her Inner Bigness, but she was just a lab rat. Maybe it was the name that set her apart, or maybe the humans recognized something special. It took a matter of … Continue reading
Rust Dragon by Herb Kauderer
Rust Dragon Herb Kauderer He lives in the swamps far from the metal users and the mountains they mine for ore. What humans consider lasting tools and weapons are limp and weathered reeds in his decaying grasp. Here among the … Continue reading
sometimes unobserved is just the same by Herb Kauderer
sometimes unobserved is just the same Herb Kauderer the travels of the daytime moon are overwhelmed by sol’s light and so those travels get none of the publicity of Luna’s nighttime journeys but still she bides her time & goes … Continue reading
unmanned exploration by Herb Kauderer
unmanned exploration Herb Kauderer wire capillaries call plasteel heart new heat grows in aluminum breast photo sensors flicker detecting morning light lubricants circulate to grinding servos unsteady movements greet foreign dawn while startled morning birds flutter off and sail to … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
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commuter by Herb Kauderer
commuter Herb Kauderer a twelve ton ship from Rigel lands & slowly disassembles into a cart full of wheelie luggage & one small man who likes to be prepared for any event
Black Demon Shark by Richard Stevenson
Black Demon Shark Richard Stevenson Melanized great white shark or sixty-foot megalodon spied just off the coast of the Baja, California, peninsula? Who knows? He’s got a huge threshing tail though and concentric rows of nasty teeth. Not the sort … Continue reading
Mugwump by Richard Stevenson
Mugwump Richard Stevenson Lake Temiskaming, Ontario, is my home. Don’t often surface, so you may not know me. “Old Tessie” is one handle, but Mugwump?! Really?! That’s such an insulting moniker. Makes me feel like I don’t even swim, just … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged cryptid, monster, mugwump, ontario, richard, stevenson, temiskaming
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Skinwalker Ranch by Richard Stevenson
Skinwalker Ranch Richard Stevenson Skinwalker Ranch ain’t on no maps – at least the parts yer interested in: the hellmouth portals, astral wormholes. After you’ve been there though, you’ll know: the solution to the sasquatch/dogman quandary ain’t all material. Hey, … Continue reading
A Voyage to the Moon by David C. Kopaska-Merkel
A Voyage to the Moon David C. Kopaska-Merkel The open window welcomes the night: a cornucopia of urgency, noises sharp and subtle, night’s warm breath framed by southern oak. I read now by moonlight, alone, ensconced in the window seat, … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged david, kopaska, merkel, moon, voyage
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Atopic Catastrophic by Kathleen A. Lawrence
Atopic Catastrophic Kathleen A. Lawrence Countdown. The stars were beating, pulsating, bleeding Whole constellations ragged, hemorrhaging Coughing, spitting, writhing with penetrating Pain and growing fear of planets divorcing. As greedy pirates of celestial skies attacked Marauding with fury, invading hemispheres … Continue reading
Brunch, Spaceship Side by Kathleen A. Lawrence
Brunch, Spaceship Side Kathleen A. Lawrence Bounding across the rocky terrain with low gravity weight on Aster it was an exhilarating jaunt out for breakfast morsels hidden behind griege craters and dunes. Silver space boots with lights, and puffy suit … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged brunch, kathleen, lawrence, ship, space, spaceship
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Things That Go Bump & Smile In The Night by Kathleen A. Lawrence
Things That Go Bump & Smile In The Night Kathleen A. Lawrence When I wasn’t tall enough for the roller coaster every night I pretended to be sleeping in the bottom bunk closing my eyes tight until my siblings snored … Continue reading
The Conjunction: Jupiter Pursues Venus by Kathleen A. Lawrence
The Conjunction: Jupiter Pursues Venus Kathleen A. Lawrence “Meet me on the other side of the moon,” Jupiter gestured. Soft and deliberate, shy Venus stretched out for her love with unfurling desire. Shining brightly together, their orbits breathing in rhythm, … Continue reading
Land Sharks by David C. Kopaska-Merkel
Land Sharks David C. Kopaska-Merkel A second chance crawling out of the sea , Bewildered by what they found, And didn’t find, But lobe-finned sharks quickly got a handle On the whole terrestrial thing, They diversified, filled empty niches , … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction
Tagged david, kopaska, kopaska-merkel, land, merkel, shark
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Science Fiction Poetry by Deborah P Kolodji
Science Fiction Poetry Deborah P Kolodji starburst patterns under the ice caps spring on Mars ===================== ten years in space the dish garden in my cabin ===================== no coat this December winter time travel ===================== the lightest I’ve been figure … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Science Fiction, scifaiku
Tagged deborah, haiku, Kolodji, scifiaku
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rogue planet by Herb Kauderer
rogue planet Herb Kauderer lost between stars you float along hardly noticed except in those precarious moments when needed as a stepping stone ignoring such rare & fickle company you continue to roam slowly walking a racing universe unfulfilled but … Continue reading
Last Stand on Privacy by Herb Kauderer
Last Stand on Privacy Herb Kauderer I got tired of every level of government legislating sex as if ANYONE could actually control what people do together (or alone) in their bedrooms. That’s why I moved my bed into my bathroom. … Continue reading
the poem dreams by Herb Kauderer
the poem dreams Herb Kauderer the poem dreams of going beyond to the next state of love and connection but words cannot capture magic cannot conjure moonlight or mist on the lake but perhaps those are not necessary for those … Continue reading
A Room on Mars by Herb Kauderer
A Room on Mars Herb Kauderer Age and radiation tell Clarkson it’s time to retire but after decades working the asteroid belt he has no interest in landing on Earth where the great outdoors is tiny compared to all of … Continue reading
A Siren for the Modern Times by Armand J. Azamar
A Siren for the Modern Times Armand J. Azamar Hearing her song again Appears near hopeless. After the shipwreck, Her voice, I still struggle to defend. My hospital bed A depression I discovered for myself. The longing only spreads; wider … Continue reading
Temporal Loop by Armand J. Azamar
Temporal Loop Armand J. Azamar Failing. The cycle repeats yet again. The failure clutches, The circumference of my mind. Will my device change the times? The clock brings no assurance. Will a flicker of newness finally exist? The seconds hobble … Continue reading