New Religion By John Drudge

In the modern world

Of newly formed 

Secular religions

The soul

Has been replaced

With identity

New canons

And inquisitions

Rabid condemnations

Of the guilty

And the damned 

In the name of 

Righteousness

And eternal punishment 

Sacrosanct in belief

While sacrificing 

Long diseased lambs

On altars

To the new gods of self

And internal relief

⁸

John is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology.  He is the author of four books of poetry: “March” (2019), “The Seasons of Us” (2019), New Days (2020), and Fragments (2021). His work has appeared widely in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies internationally. John is also a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee and lives in Caledon Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children.

 

Carrying By Gloria Mindock

What is it about destruction that is

 so easy but creating takes longer

 

 What is it about the sun beating on skin

 making you feel warm then the cold takes it away

 

 The ashes are blown to infinity

 wind carrying them continent to continent

 

 What is this all about

 memory that won't let go.

Gloria Mindock is editor of Červená Barva Press. She is the author of 6 poetry collections, and 3 chapbooks. Her poems have been published and translated into eleven languages. Her recent book is ASH (Glass Lyre Press, 2021) won 7 book awards and was translated into Serbian by Milutin Durickovic and published by Alma Press. Gloria was the Poet Laureate in Somerville, MA in 2017 & 2018. www.gloriamindock.com