kerosene

more than once 

you were hospitalized 

because of it 

pretty common, i hear

during the navy years 

those chemicals and paints 

used on the trawlers

the last time 

you laid on the beach

drank saltwater 

flushed your system

it poured from your pores 

you held my hand so tightly

some kind of desperate effort 

i swear

had i lit a match 

you'd have exploded

happy to announce that volume one/issue one of the heavy feather review is available via kindle. it includes work from the following follx:  Alex Austin, Nick Barr, Anhvu Buchanan, Seth Berg, J. Bradley, Chloe Caldwell, Karen Craigo, Lori D’Angelo, Rick D’Elia, Larry O. Dean, Elizabeth Ellen, Nicolle Elizabeth, Ricky Garni, Roxane Gay, Amy Glasenapp, Howie Good, David Greenspan, Len Kuntz, Thomas Patrick Levy, D.W. Lichtenberg, Meg Pokrass, Molly Prentiss, Andrew Rihn, Paul Arrand Rodgers, Steve Roggenbuck, Matthew Savoca, Bradley Sands, Peter Schwartz, Gregory Sherl, Zulema Renee Summerfield, J.A. Tyler, James Valvis, Robert Vaughan, John Dermot Woods, Jake Wrenn, Joshua Young and mee too.

swanky cover art by Steve Roggenbuck.  get your copy here. do something.