Greg Kousoulis I once heard that the title of a poem should act like a light switch, allowing a reader to properly see the words, and I believe this to be true for a (good) cover letter… Again, I do not have this. So, with you, the reader, being in the dark, I’d like to apologize for the lack of light, but I hope you don’t trip over these poems and come out unscathed. Greg Kousoulis, 29 years old, lives in Santa Monica, CA. A Ghost Story Ghost is not a ghost, but instead, a b

Diya Verma Diya Verma is an undergraduate student of Behavioral Psychology. Presenting her thoughts in the form of metaphors has always been a close habit to her. Her poems explore her thoughts, which are raw and valid. BLOOD OF A LADY Red liquid, all over her body, when she is born. Red signs, all over her mind, when she is grown. Red battles, she has to face, against the societal norms. Red liquid leaves her once again, in nature's hidden form. Red scars, are carried by he

Sophia Lovell Sophia is from San Diego, California. Having graduated with a degree in English and a minor in professional editing from UCSB, she is now a freelance writer of all things: articles to poetry. She is a lover of her dogs, coffee shops, mystery thrillers, and the oxford comma. Number 46 “And tell us please, why was it that you did not report your rape?” The man to my left nudges his knee into mine. Adults truly are just children with a few more lines on the

Georgia Shuster Georgia Shuster (she/her) is an undergraduate student at the College of Charleston majoring in psychology and classics in the Honors College while also being a member of the varsity sailing team. A survivor of sexual and physical abuse as a young teenager, she uses her voice in poetry to advocate for those who are in the position she was once in. Death Day No one knows I died that day. A brisk spring mid-morning, The sun peaking out behind the clouds. Stor

Jamorra DuBose Morris Jamorra DuBose Morris experienced as an Off-Broadway Director, and a result driven Playwright with more than five years creating original shows at reputable theaters in New York City. Starting her journey as a visual artist, fashion designer at the High School of Fashion Industries in New York City. During high school, she grew an even greater passion for advertising, storytelling, and mixed medium art which fueled her start in Performance Art. In 2016,

Rain Rain has been fascinated by words and language since childhood—a curiosity that has taken many forms, from pursuing a linguistics degree to building an ever-growing bookshelf and a substantial collection of poetry now ready to be shared more widely. Their work explores how anxiety, obsessive thinking, and trauma shape both perception and language. Many of their poems draw on repetition, fragmentation, and recursive structures, mirroring the loops and rituals of intrusive

Eli Germaine Eli Germaine is an aspiring writer native to south Florida. Her creative works have been published in Plants & Poetry Journal, Floating Acorn Review, and Poets on the Fringe: Anthology Two. She partakes in nature and confessional writing in both poetry and creative nonfiction genres, delving into these personal styles to help awaken the tenderness of our natural world while also providing a voice for herself and others who have experienced trauma and live a life

Danyeris Lopez Danyeris Lopez is a 24-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic whose life has been shaped by resilience, faith, and a strong sense of purpose. Raised in a low income household marked by instability, she learned early on how to navigate challenges with resourcefulness and determination. As a Christian and active member of her church and community, Dany is grounded in service, compassion, and showing up for others in meaningful ways. She is a legal profes

Deborah Hunter Deborah J. Hunter is a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based multi-disciplinary poet and spoken word artist whose work has been commissioned for publication and performance. She received a 2020 Greenwood Art Project grant for her original play, Porches , a 2018 Women of the Year Pinnacle Award, and was a 2013 Oklahoma Poet Laureate finalist. Stalking I stalked the man who raped my daughter. I stalked him in my dreams after I Made her tell me what he looked like Pinned her dow

Atma Frans Atma Frans’ poetry won first prize in Quagmire Magazine’s Poetry Contest, second in Muriel’s Journey Prize and in SCEWS’s Beachcombers Contest, and was nominated for the (Canadian) National Magazine Award. Her work has been published in Arc Poetry Magazine, CV2, TNQ, FreeFall, Prairie Fire Magazine, Obsessed with Pipework , and Lighthouse Literary Journal, among others. Afterwards I Pick up Fire Eating Smoke curls in the cold cave of my mouth Heat scorches my wintr

Evgeniya Dineva Evgeniya Dineva is a poet from Bulgaria. Her works appear in Oxford Poetry Library , The Hong Kong Review , Ethel , Asian Cha and others. Her debut poetry collection Animals Have No Fathers came out in November 2023. Evgeniya is a fellow of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation for Creative Writing and the recipient of the Traduki Writer Grant, Tirana 2025. Emptyfull – the feeling of being uncertain about things surrounding you Things I Felt Emptyfull About This D

Mona Mehas Mona Mehas (she/her) writes from the perspective of a retired disabled teacher in Indiana USA. A Pushcart and Best New Poets nominee, her poetry books include Questions I Didn’t Know I’d Asked (LJMcD Communications, 2024), Hand-Me-Downs (LJMcD Communications, 2024), Calling to Shore (Cicada Song Press, 2025), Self-Centered (Bottlecap Press, 2024), My Colorful Heart (Bottlecap Press, 2025), and Breathing Through My Spine (Poptab Pres, 2025.) Her work has appeared

Jaxx Davis Jaxx Davis (they/them) is a trans fat queercrip writer, artist and activist. They often combine those elements and create around their live experiences as well as the state of the world. Jaxx unfortunately has multiple experiences around sexual assault, abuse, domestic abuse, and incest, so those themes regularly pop up in their work. Being mostly bedridden due to their disabilities, they mostly create from their bed. Healing Whoever said that healing was a line wa

Sam Harty Sam Harty is a poet living near New Orleans. Her work explores love, loss, survival, and the healing power of truth. She is also the author of Lost Love Volume I and Volume II. Sam has been published in several journals and anthologies and has just completed The Lost Little Series, a poetry collection about reclaiming voice after sexual trauma. In her spare time, Sam volunteers at a Louisiana Trauma Nonprofit. Sam Harty writes to breathe—and to help others do t

Valentine Cusin A student, currently based in the UK, Valentine is a French and Italian poet . Writing in her third language, she aims to take her works further out into the world in the hope that they help people the same way poetry has helped her, transcending through language and culture. Polaroid The young me wears one sock inside-out, ink stains glow on the sides of her frail knuckles. She whimpers like a creaking door and I cannot help but ask her where it hur

Valentine Cusin Valentine is a French and Italian poet currently based in the UK as a student. Writing in her third language, she aims...