Robert Perret

the snow lies heavy
upon but one window sill
cold hearth cries cold blood

the fresh cut bouquet
conceals a hard diamond heart
as does the lady

the problem with sand
is that it gets everywhere
even to the truth

harvest apple pie
a sour secret message
for the rotten man

ROBERT PERRET is a devout Sherlockian and librarian living in north Idaho. His haiku have appeared in Frongpond and have been honorably mentioned at the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.

Janna Layton

The lucky cat figurine
wears a faded “I voted” sticker
and beckons the audience into the small lobby,
which smells of popcorn,
as any cinema should.

By the napkins,
a bubbling countertop fountain presents
a horse and dragon
in carnival-prize ceramic.

Hot tea,
cold mints,
old carpet.

The doorway leads to a shoebox diorama:
battered floorboards,
empty seats,
walls and ceiling a shade of burgundy
that warms the darkness,
the screen blank and waiting
and framed in gold.

All these will hold you
until the kung-fu kick or Appalachian rifle ends the fight,
until the credits roll over a desert or blackness
and you wander out onto Clement Street,
the fog lit by neon.

JANNA LAYTON lives in San Francisco. Her poetry and fiction have been published or are upcoming in various literary journals, including Mythic Delirium, Apex, Goblin Fruit, The Golden Key, and Star*Line. She blogs at readingwatchinglookingandstuff.blogspot.com.

William Greenfield

The contrast of stainless steel to ample breasts
far out trumps a sheer negligee and fluffy pillows.
The marriage of derrière to cherry wood
is an unexpected pleasure, like finding
Ben Franklin in a pair of worn and fading Wranglers.
No violins.
No scented oils.
The hum of the dishwasher
is pornographic foreplay.
I have got to find a new place
for this fucking spice rack.
Counter space is at such a premium.

Winner of Storyteller Magazine’s People’s Choice Award in 2012, WILLIAM GREENFIELD has had poems published in numerous literary journals, including The Westchester Review, Carve Magazine, The East Coast Literary Review, and others. After a long career in federal service, he is semi-retired and resides in Liberty, NY.