Bette Hopper

blind date-
jaw dropping
along with the rest

— Bette Hopper

Scott Wiggerman

Day of the Dead
strands of spider webs
across the moon

— Scott Wiggerman

even after

six years at the dump

the sparkle of her shoes

— Scott Wiggerman

Jenn Ryan-Jauregui

dry heaves 
a spider tickles 
my tonsils

— Jenn Ryan-Jauregui

fresh meat

the organ grinder’s

side gig

— Jenn Ryan-Jauregui

Tracy Davidson

disarticulated 
his skeleton 
dances on my grave

— Tracy Davidson

Curt Linderman

from deep within
the topiary maze
their cries unheard

— Curt Linderman

DJ Tyrer

watching
dead-eyed dolls
moving

— DJ Tyrer

Minal Sarosh

grandma’s last words 
the spool of the well  
still creaking

— Minal Sarosh

cat fury

the pigeon’s feathers

all over the lawn

— Minal Sarosh

Debarati Sen

train accident —
a severed head 
rolls down the track

— Debarati Sen

burning ghat —

a sudden breath

on my nape

— Debarati Sen

Thomas Zimmerman

beheaded king
the crown
still rattling

— Thomas Zimmerman

Mona Bedi

haunted house
only the dust bunnies 
talk to me

— Mona Bedi

insomnia

a hand out of nowhere

pats me to sleep

— Mona Bedi

Bonnie J Scherer

your vile breath
cloaked as drops of nectar
fritillaria

— Bonnie J Scherer

leaky heart valve -

love loses

a beat

— Bonnie J Scherer

Daipayan Nair

a speeding train 

rams into another 

headline

— Daipayan Nair

security cordon

national flags jump over

the barricade

— Daipayan Nair

Joseph P. Wechselberger

the puppets audition
for the little boy
no strings

— Joseph P. Wechselberger

out of darkness

a child’s face

with bat wings

— Joseph P. Wechselberger

Chris Langer

fun house-
the face in the mirror
does not smile back 

— Chris Langer

desert sun

wind carries sand

from his lost bones

— Chris Langer

petro c. k.

midnight tide
another foot 
washes ashore

— petro c. k.

David C. Kopaska-Merkel

skeleton dance
his bony hands
creep lower

— David C. Kopaska-Merkel

Jerome Berglund

screaming child
a car alarm silenced abruptly
quarter to midnight

— Jerome Berglund

Greg Schwartz

tooth fairy—
the monster under the bed
Pounces

— Greg Schwartz

crawlspace his soul wriggles free

— Greg Schwartz

Roman Lyakhovetsky

freezing fog -
a hooded shadow descends
the watchtower

— Roman Lyakhovetsky

crossroads grave -

a skeleton strumming

the rusty strings

— Roman Lyakhovetsky

Kimberly Kuchar

click-click-click
she puts her teeth in
for hide and seek

— Kimberly Kuchar

dimming gaslights

the attic noise

inside her mind

— Kimberly Kuchar

Katherine E Winnick

dangerous thoughts
a knife
to the skull

— Katherine E Winnick

Eavonka Ettinger

getting
under her skin
formication

— Eavonka Ettinger

warm soak

taking a bloodbath

after work

— Eavonka Ettinger