SKETCHES

her comparisons were too intriguing
a deafening train, pillaging
along dark iron tracks
nearing the indistinguishable edge

with disdain, she said it must be her job
to hurl herself in front of it
and she often did

a sputtering plane nearing
impact with a mountain range
of teeth looming below a false
coverlet of vapor down

her voice could almost be
that of stern reason, even
with the wry lift of her lips

that silken night when logic
dodged a bullet and lay quietly, panting
on the monochromatic wool rug

mosquitoes hummed along
and time filtered though her irises
of a picture you hadn’t seen, with
the words you hadn’t written


© 2.22.12 heather brager

About Heather Brager:
Heather is a professional multi-tasker, mother and life-long procrastinator. She collaborates and co-habitates with writer A.g. Synclair in SW Montana, and her poetry and drawings can be found in a variety of online and print publications.

ANOTHER AUGUST

there is no formal harmony

between women and men

we do and are done to

some of us, our best

others are cruel and vindictive

often our intellect tells us we

are not strong, that

we have stepped too far

or are heading off the tracks, and

at times we are derailed

the moment we see the cliff’s edge

when there is no support

for the children

just rock, paper, scissors

and tough love,

we tell ourselves

that they will be victorious

we won’t know

until we see our lives

with the clarity of hindsight

and maybe there is

no genuine truth

no paths to pursue

no tracks to follow

no destination to reach

no chalice to acquire

manifestation is a new age fallacy

and it is just another august

About Heather Brager:

Heather Brager is a professional multi-tasker, mother and life-long procrastinator. While she collaborates and co-habitates with writer A.g. Synclair in southwestern Montana, she thinks far too much and drinks copious quantities of Americanos, or gin and diet tonic with a twist. Her writing and art have been published in a variety of online and print publications, including ETC with the Journal of Semantics, Deep Tissue Magazine, Red Fez, Microw (Full of Crow), The Montucky Review, Triggerfish Critical Review, A Handful of Stones, Mad Swirl, Three Line Poetry, Unlikely Stories and Heroin Love Stories.

*A Note From The Editor*

There are many challenges faced by editors and publishers when choosing pieces for their particular publication. At times, a conflict of interest may arise, and cries of favoritism may be heard above the din of submissions when an editor chooses to publish the work of someone on his or her own editorial staff. The fact is, sometimes a poem is just so good that all the rules must be abandoned. Good poetry must be made available to the masses. Such is the case with the following, a poem written by my Associate Poetry Editor, Heather Brager. It is too good not to publish. If it was all this good, my job would be easy...

pausing.

I wash my hands three times
wondering if they're clean
and pause twice,
smelling the soap

I ask myself if I washed them

I look out the back window
at mallard ducks in a pair

the male struts in his green iridescence

and I wonder
if their gender issues
affect their young this way

I forget

the conference this morning
turn right on red
leave the garage door wide open
my purse in the car

and my coffee is still
on the kitchen counter

I read somewhere once
that mallard ducks
mate for life

© april 2011 heather brager

injustice

the edge engraved, swiftly

a clean pale canvas
scenery, the glint and
warm silken crimson

quietly diffusing, elegant

dark water, a cautious glow
receding steadily
at dusk


© june 2011 heather brager

About Heather Brager:
Heather Brager is a professional multi-tasker, mother, lover and life-long procrastinator. While she collaborates and co-habitates with writer A.g. Synclair in southwestern Montana, she drinks copious quantities of Americanos, and gin and diet tonics with a twist. She is rather fond of music, snarkiness, food, art and words, and arranges her perspective on life into the occasional poem or drawing. She's been published in a variety of online and print publications, including ETC with the Journal of Semantics, Deep Tissue Magazine, Red Fez, A Handful of Stones, Mad Swirl, Three Line Poetry, Unlikely Stories and Heroin Love Stories. Heather likes people who don't take themselves too seriously because, well, that's annoying.