..

..

“Food banks: ‘It’s immoral but we have to support people’” (read more)

..

..

Food Bank—

the wall we lean against

worn smooth

..

..

Poem by Karma Tenzing Wangchuck. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Impact of War on Children and Imperative to End War” (read more)

..

..

spit polishing

her scuffed shoes—

war child

..

..

Poem by Stella Pierides. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Silverback gorilla Quito, 31, dies at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens” (read more)

..

..

late winter frost

i do the talking

for both of us

..

..

Poem by Michael Henry Lee. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“The Cypriot Financial Crisis Explained” (read more)

..

..

a single bill

from the bank machine…

spring frost

..

..

Poem by Susan Constable. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Cremation reveals WWII veteran’s shrapnel in leg” (read more)

..

..

whistling through deserted streets shrapnel

..

..

Poem by Stella Pierides. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Palestinian refugees from Syria struggle for recognition in Egypt” (read more)

..

..

deepening dusk—

tearfully, he counts

the tents

..

..

Poem by Rita Odeh. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Spain Halloween stampede kills three in Madrid” (read more)

..

..

hunter’s moon . . .

the final flicker

of the pumpkin’s smile

..

..

Poem by Claire Everett. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“Absolutely everything you need to know about the papal elections” (read more)

..

..

between Popes

I look for my place

in the Missal

..

..

Poem by Bill Kenney. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Pope Francis Against Rome” (read more)

..

..

the Church

thinks in centuries . . .

not this one

..

..

Poem by Bill Kenney. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Popeology 101: How to Interpret the Sistine Chapel Results” (read more)

..

..

habemus papam

waiting for the smoke

to clear

..

..

Poem by Bill Kenney. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Questions from a ‘Dirty War’” (read more)

..

..

new moon—

a pope emerges

from scandal

..

..

Poem by Ernesto P. Santiago. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“Endangered Sumatran tiger dies at Indonesia’s largest zoo” (read more)

..

..

caged tigers

marking territory—

they too

believe the world

belongs to them

..

..

Poem by Jenny Ward Angyal. Read more by this poet. First published in Atlas Poetica 11 (March 2012).

..

..

..

“Train cleaners vote for strike action on day of England and Wales rugby clash” (read more)

..

..

sweepers cleaning

day in, day out

I am reminded of Sisyphus

..

..

Poem by Manu Kant. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“A Veteran’s Assessment of the Iraq War” (read more)

..

..

morning walk…

i look for snipers

in a world

lit by candles

always burning

..

..

Poem by Robert D. Wilson. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Guantanamo Bay prison ‘must close’ – UN rights chief” (read more)

..

..

icy cold even in summer the walls of the prison

..

..

Poem by Johnny Baranski. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“‘Catfishing’: The phenomenon of Internet scammers” (read more)

..

..

thunderclap…

her silhouette escapes

into the light

..

..

Poem by Sandip Sital Chauhan. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Housing the homeless in vacants – why not?” (read more)

..

..

an abandoned house

surrounded by wild flowers…

deepening dusk

..

..

Poem by Rita Odeh. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“10 lies we’re told about welfare” (read more)

..

..

beans

for dinner, again…

no new jobs

..

..

Poem by Dick Whyte. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Elvis Presley’s Wife and Daughter Attend 35th Anniversary of His Death” (read more)

..

..

approaching storm—

at the monument

a candle sputters

..

..

Poem  by Michael Henry Lee. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“In This Recovery, the Rich Get Richer” (read more)

..

..

within this world

of poverty and murder

a brown bat

licking

her newborn

..

..

Poem by Laurence Stacey. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Who Owns, Shares, & Protects Your Personal Genetic Data?” (read more)

..

..

wind in the trees

if I could make a deal

with God

..

..

Poem by Alan Summers. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Immigrants Never Got Something for Nothing” (read more)

..

..

cab ride…

in the old country

she was a doctor

..

..

Poem by Dick Whyte. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Speech pathologist engages children in DVD chatter” (read more)

..

..

first talk . . .

my daughter echoes

every sound

..

..

Poem by Ramesh Anand. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“Unemployed ‘forced’ to join TA” (read more)

..

..

no longer a child

the G.I. Joe

no longer a toy

..

..

Poem by Al Fogel. Read more by this poet. First published in Chrysanthemum #11, April 2012.

..

..

..

“Young moon and comet low in west after sunset March 12″ (read more)

..

..

sickle moon…

carving demons and gods

out of stones

..

..

Poem by Arunansu Bandyopadhyay. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Lonely UK: Number of middle-aged people living alone rises dramatically as marriage continues to decline” (read more)

..

..

now who listens

for her homecoming step . . .

ears of wheat

..

..

Poem by Claire Everett. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Transgender Homelessness And My Visit With TRANS: THRIVE” (read more)

..

..

looking for my sibling

I search the faces

of boys and girls

at home

in the ferry terminal

..

..

Poem by Kath Abela Wilson. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“In Search of Darkness: the Battle Against Light Pollution” (read more)

..

..

a scattering

of bone-white stars . . .

winter’s end

..

..

Poem by Susan Constable. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“York Region high school in flap over Confederate flag” (read more)

..

..

white cotton fields

only the blues

remembered

..

..

Poem by Paula Moore. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Timbuktu, Islam’s Ancient Seat Of Learning, Loses Priceless Manuscripts” (read more)

..

..

ancient scriptures burnt . . .

a cat licks egg shells

from its paws

..

..

Poem by Sonam Chhoki. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Polarized Politics at Heart of US Budget Impasse” (read more)

..

..

winter sky

blanketed by clouds—

it’s not the gray

that distresses me

but the black-and-white

..

..

Poem by Janet Lynn Davis. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“A Rape a Minute, a Thousand Corpses a Year” (read more)

..

..

braiding

her sister’s hair

after the rape

so many

long dark strands

..

..

Poem by Jenny Ward Angyal. Read more by this poet. Honorable Mention, Tanka Society of America 2012 International Contest.

..

..

..

“Tibetan Farmer Is Eighth Protester To Self-Immolate This Month” (read more)

..

..

distant prayers…

the wind rekindles his

dying embers

..

..

Poem by Aditya Bahl. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Abortion Clinic Workers Answer Tough Questions” (read more)

..

..

autumn twilight

even the crows follow

me home

..

..

Poem by Steven Cottingham. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Is Your City Government Punishing Human Trafficking Victims?” (read more)

..

..

cattle car

between the slats

human eyes

..

..

Poem by Al Fogel. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

..

“Indian women pushed into hysterectomies” (read more)

..

..

stolen wombs—

the wind brings only dust

to the village well

..

..

Poem by Sonam Chhoki. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Venice palm trees are dying” (read more)

..

..

arctic chill—

I too, have caused

a flower’s death

..

..

Poem by Laryalee Fraser. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Syria rebels capture oil field and military base” (read more)

..

..

distant gunfire—

the flying geese

get louder

..

..

Poem by Rita Odeh. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“Good Riddance, 2012: An Open Letter to One of the Worst Years Yet” (read more)

..

..

New Year’s Day:

I finally sweep up

the dead bug

..

..

Poem by Janet Lynn Davis. Read more by this poet.

..

..

..

“HSIA in risk, due to the high-rise buildings” (read more)

..

..

new high-rise:

the burrowing owl

digs its own grave

..

..

Poem by Alicia Hilton. Read more by this poet.

..

..