We dedicate this issue to a giant in the world of poetry, Serene Bechir, who recently passed away. This month, we’ve reprinted her beautiful poem, in the pine straw blowing, which epitomizes her tender vision. With her passing, we’re reminded again of our own mortality and how brief is our time here. So we create art. And so many brilliant artists have joined us this month: An owl going by the name Third Pilot brings us this month’s feature, Plan 9 – Meta Harpers, but I swear I sense Art Blue’s presence when I read it. Cat Boccaccio writes remarkable short fiction, and this month she’s given us Naming Names, a charming story about righting wrongs - - in this case, a very wrong name. A touching poem about things beyond our control, A Child on the Beach brings us back to our core values, our humanity. Mariner Trilling has a little fun with Monkey Feet, a light poem about living with the shame of simian appendages. We’ve published Drover Mahogany’s fine work before, but this time we’re publishing each month one of his insightful contemplations , which he enjoys so much during his regular walks in Australia. The first is “Footfalls Echo - 1. Memory. You’re in for a treat. Speaking of treats, Cassie Parker, the founder of TersiCorps Werks, shares with us her approach to nurturing her dancers in Let’s Do Our Best. Cassie leads by example, and hers is a most inspiring one. Our regular contributor, the multi-faceted Conseula Hypatia Caldwell, has given us an elegant poem this time around, Stars of a Brilliant Soul Rising. Merope Madrigal also returns with a wonderful poem, At a Five Star Resort, which focuses on some of the social inequalities we’re forced to confront. Huckleberry Hax takes a look at city life and sees how it stacks up, in City Boy. It seems there’s a little something for everyone in this month’s issue, and who doesn’t enjoy a good read?
