Lost & Found in Portland, OR
by Sherri Levine
art by writer

1
If not for your Brooklyn accent, I wouldn’t have seen you at Powell’s.
Your choice of books was terrible: Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Pound.
You were dark and hairy, but I loved your accent. It reminded me of home.

2
You left your Columbia rain jacket in my basement. I shook it out. It was XLT and covered
with fungus. I was glad I found it, so I could think about you all over again.

 

 

Balancing Act
by Peter Schireson

Smokey the Bear is well paid
for appearing in TV commercials,
but he’s required to wear pants—
a punishing embarrassment for a bear.
On the other hand,
Smokey has told countless children
only they can prevent forest fires,
a burden they will carry
for the rest of their lives.

 

 

TRAPPIST-1
by Ashely Adams
art by writer

 

 

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Sherri Levine lives in Portland, Oregon where shes teaches immigrants and refugees.  Her poems have been published in The Timberline Review, Hartskill Review, The Sun Magazine, as well as others.  She served as Poetry Editor of VoiceCatcher Magazine.  Her poem won first place in the Fall 2017 Oregon Poetry Association Contest.  Her chapbook In These Voices, is published by Poetry Box, sherrilevine.com

 

Peter Schireson’s first chapbook – “The Welter of Me & You” – won the Coal Hill 2013 Chapbook Prize. His second chapbook – “The Salt” – was published in 2018 Unsolicited Press.

Ashely Adams is a northwoods cryptid who loves astronomy and all the swamp biota. She has been previously published in Fourth River, Cosmonauts Avenue, Paper Darts, and Apex Magazine