Long-haired Apollo sits with legs splayed outin perspective slant, upright bass in hand, pluckingsteady, mooded, sweat beading his pulsed temple,beating in dissonant tones that wrap deftly over, around his triple knotted fingers, doting on thewide frequency which sounds through the blackas one would on the brow of a lover. HeContinue Reading

To kiss open your mouth Don’t mind me, swallowing Teeth from the shallow Bowl of your mouth Tonguing for Nerve bundle berries Coiled tangles of your throat Inside of you is so dark I can barely make out the purples of your pink Small intestine I’m sorry I can’t sayContinue Reading

I felt itsomewhere behindmy eyeswhen I wokeup that I’d be lateto work.I had a bad dream –I’ve beenhaving bad dreamsthe past few nights,but in this oneI was aloneand confused. When I wokeup I also felt aloneand confusedbut then I movedmy foot slightlyand I felt Sarah’s calf,warmand firmand still. Whenshe wokeupContinue Reading

i am waiting for changeas the bells of the abbey blow across centuries/as smoke fills the nostrils/as lake ontario rolls over and plays dead/ i am waiting to make a telephone callwith a dime that will never workand still not understanding how wiresspank the sky/how any mountain willnever fall down/howContinue Reading

some sleep carries dreamsto a far heavenI watch them rollbeneath your eyes sandsperched in dunes, trailingbroken chimes. the flower moon seesyou in your bedon a forest floorwhere moss makes barksoft. Arms folded, youcatch leaves from theblanket wind. sleep finds you withoutdreams your face turnedto the trees still standingsome nights seaContinue Reading

so i have found out,eyes drenched arenothing morebut soft interruptionsin sorrow. andi am avacant shoutfrom the breathof a mountain;skin pulled tightover weathered rock,over gasps of wind.and in puffs of rain,like cancer digginga tree’s roots,i am never-ending. i’m sick to deathof the adolescents’ hormones:the world’sreasons for staying in robes;its religion spillingContinue Reading

we have kept our pantry full of deep kissesstolen maid-butler style hugs meant for spouses.we have kept our shame voices low on the phone,a better picture than the real thing. whispersmake weakness clear. We are cracked full in ourshells. Made for everyday wear-and-tear, uniformscover it well. I am not theContinue Reading

Introducing Joy Richu, an accomplished illustrator whose artistry thrives on the power of storytelling. With a unique background in Design and Creative Writing, Joy’s work celebrates the profound beauty of the human experience, whether it’s in our remarkable discoveries, boundless imagination, or the creation of meaningful, inclusive communities. Her portfolioContinue Reading