Lorraine A Padden

crosscut saw 
the pattern
on a fitted sheet

— Lorraine A Padden

moonless

a crooked cut

scars the honey dew

— Lorraine A Padden

Eavonka Ettinger

bleeding teeth
he makes another
crack in them

— Eavonka Ettinger

waning moon

clips of yellowing

fingernails

— Eavonka Ettinger

Julie Bloss Kelsey

beneath his shoe
the cloudy globe
of your eye

— Julie Bloss Kelsey

David C. Kopaska-Merkel

horror show
the giant flytrap’s
human tongue

— David C. Kopaska-Merkel

Bryan Rickert

deep water 
nothing but bubbles
her scream 

— Bryan Rickert

crop rotation at the body farm

— Bryan Rickert

Kelly Sauvage Moyer

her lifeless lips
the bloom
of black roses

— Kelly Sauvage Moyer

Anne Fox

cold ash
where the fire was
just bones

— Anne Fox

C.W. Blackburn

at night
no longer relaxing –
the crunch of leaves

— C.W. Blackburn

first kiss –

deep breaths

from the empty closet

— C.W. Blackburn

Roberta Beach Jacobson

 pretending not to know . . . eye witness

— Roberta Beach Jacobson

Richard L. Matta

one hard bite
beneath the dripping eye
a bloodworm

— Richard L. Matta

Bette Hopper

home fireplace
he always wanted
to be cremated

— Bette Hopper

C.X.Turner

silent scream
I peel back wallpaper
and see my shadow

— C.X.Turner

pumpkin grin

hollow eyes gleaming

at the laughter inside

— C.X.Turner

John Hawkhead

dead growth
reaching through
the mortsafe

— John Hawkhead

valley whistle

the train turns darkness

into screams

— John Hawkhead

Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo

descending stairs
a cold hand
grasps his ankle

— Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo

Joshua St. Claire

new look,
same great taste!
Glasgow smile 

— Joshua St. Claire

HUSH!

the fingers of the Black Moon

grasping the planchette

— Joshua St. Claire

Jerome Berglund

organic recycling 
all of the evidence 
disposed of

— Jerome Berglund

petro c. k.

black dahlia
cracking the spine
of a true crime book

— petro c. k.