The Global Federation of Leadership and High Intelligence, based in Mexico, is creating a Mother’s Day poetry anthology and invites submissions. They are also hosting a video contest for creative work with paper fibers.

Poet and essayist Abigail George, whom we’ve published many times, shares the fundraiser her book’s press has created for her. She’s seeking contributions for office supplies and resources to be able to serve as a speaker and advocate for others who have experienced trauma or deal with mental health issues.

Also, the Educational Bookshop in Jerusalem, a store that has the mission of peaceful dialogue and education, invites readers to donate new or gently used books (all genres) that have been meaningful to them, with a note enclosed for future readers about why the books were meaningful. (The books don’t have to be about peace or social justice or the Mideast, although they can be). Please send books here. US-based Interlink Publishing has also started a GoFundMe for the store.

We’re also having a presence at the Hayward Lit Hop festival this year, and we encourage everyone to attend this free, all-ages event! Many local writers will share their work and we will also host an open mic.

This month’s theme is Journeying Inward.

Lidia Popa seeks her true self, believing in the value of her quest. Samira Abdullahi acknowledges her scant resources and the obstacles before her, yet bravely forges ahead towards her life’s goals. Xavier Womack expresses determination to stay free of a relationship that has turned controlling and toxic.

Maurizio Brancaleoni crafts bilingual English/Italian introspective vignettes. Philip Butera reflects on noticing different types of flowers throughout his life, paralleling his different moods. Christina Chin of Malaysia and Paul Callus of Malta collaborate on haiku resplendent with action and sensory detail about the minutiae of human life, highlighting how even smaller thoughts matter.

Charitha Jammala’s mystical poetry probes the depths of the human mind and soul, celebrating our inner essence and integrity. In elegant poetry, Haroon Rashid reminds us to look inward to find joy and peace rather than expecting it from the outside world. Alex S. Johnson revels in the dreamscape of human consciousness in his expansive poem.

Beatriz Saavedra Gastelum probes the power of dreaming to explore human consciousness in Alfonso Reyes’ writing. Christina Chin and Uchechukwu Onyedikam collaborate on haiku capturing the delicacy and deliciousness of creative tension and human spiritual journeys. Fatima Anisa Ibrahim depicts the peace she finds upon sleeping, waking, and beginning a new day.

Stephen Jarrell Williams’ poetic cycle drums up a sense of urgency, evoking human mortality and spiritual quests. Peter Cherches speaks of time and memory, incidents that make us, small puny humans as we are, question all that we remember. Mykyta Ryzhykh renders the dissolution of language and identity through creative poems. Alaina Hammond probes the effect of present experiences to shift memory and identity in her drama, set at an art opening. J.K. Durick’s poems also address identity in a way, pointing out human experiences we face individually, yet share with many around the world.

Philip Butera’s lengthy poem explores existence, seduction, and morality through a lens of mutable personal identity and the archetypes of Greek mythology. Two literary critics, Dr. Selvin Vedamanickam and Grock, explore the struggle of individual people in a world that seems indifferent in Dr. Jernail S. Anand’s epic poem Geet: The Unsung Song of Eternity.

Bhagirath Choudhary’s piece honors and includes the feminine as well as the masculine in what it means to be human, and divine. Jacques Fleury, a Black man from Haiti, asserts his belonging to the universal human family regardless of racial distinctions.

Patrick Sweeney writes disconnected short pieces with an element of whimsy that explore our curiosities and obsessions. Duane Vorhees’ poetry revels in earthy sensuality and explores questions of personal identity, reality, and fantasy.

Kylian Cubilla Gomez’ images focus on fun and imagination in his images of children’s toys. Ochilova Ozoda Zufar shares a children’s story about travel, friendship, and new experiences. Abigail George reflects on her life’s trajectory, how circumstances made her the mother of words rather than human children.

Elan Barnehama’s short story places us back in our early twenties, when many of us were still making major life decisions. Still, many people past that age express similar sentiments. Tagrid Bou Merhi affirms the drive towards personal and artistic freedom. Anna Keiko reflects on how she has followed the call of poetry in her life. Chad Norman’s brash poetry celebrates the freedom to do and say and love as he wishes in his native Canada.

Doug Hawley relates his experiences in the natural vastness of mountainous and lesser-known eastern Oregon. Maja Herman Sekulic’s speakers lay exposed in the city, under the weight of human emotion as much as the heat of the sun and the relentlessness of the rain.

J.J. Campbell conveys regret, despair, and the lingering effects of a broken past. Mark Young’s poetry presents with wry humor dreams pursued and derailed. Susie Gharib’s work reflects the anxiety and discomfort of the human condition and her desire to find and choose peace. John Dorsey’s speakers seek various forms of comfort and stability.

Brian Barbeito reflects on the life and death of his beloved dog, Tessa. Taro Hokkyo’s short poems speak to grief and loss, ending on a note of regrowth.

David Sapp speaks to the lingering psychological impact of physical and mental loss during the American Civil War. Dennis Vannatta’s essay explores the wartime inspirations for some of Chopin’s music and compares that with his own Vietnam experience.

Fadwa Attia reviews Mohamed Sobhi’s new play “Fares Reveals the Hidden” which explores identity, homeland, and belonging. Dr. Kang Byeong-Cheol speaks to loneliness, nostalgia, and empathy.

Atabayeva Gulshan examines loneliness through the lens of Chekhov’s writings. RP Verlaine’s work posits speakers surrounded by maelstroms of feeling, unable to do more than watch. Dr. Kareem Abdullah reviews poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou’s work on the power of human emotion and the power of the individual to transcend it.

Nigar Nurulla Khalilova implores deities, and her fellow humans, for compassion towards struggling people. Eva Petropoulou Lianou misses human kindness and simple pleasantries of life.

Graciela Noemi Villaverde speaks to the physical coziness of true and long-term love. Isaac Aju writes of first love between a generous young man and a strong young woman who doesn’t feel conventionally feminine. Makhmasalayeva Jasmina Makhmashukurovna encourages love and respect for the wisdom of parents.

Poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou reminds us to be kind and show common courtesy. Greek poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou interviews Chinese poet Yongbo Ma about writing as a spiritual practice to seek goodness in a harsh world. Elmaya Jabbarova highlights the power of the poet to engage with the senses and cast a vision for the world. Eva Petropoulou interviews Egyptian writer Ahmed Farooq Baidoon about his hopes and dreams for the human literary imagination to guide and transform our world, and also Venezuelan poet Mariela Cordero, who celebrates the evolution of literature and the unnoticed acts of kindness around us daily.

Sayani Mukherjee rests within a Romantic poet’s verdant natural dreamscape. Bekmirzayeva Aziza’s tale reminds us not to forget as we grow up that we can find happiness through simple pleasures and days in nature. Maja Milojkovic reminds us to care for the planet, asking us some hard questions in the process. Writer and literary critic Z.I. Mahmud compares Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in its critique of humanity’s quest to micromanage and control nature.

Idris Sheikh looks to the awakening and rebirth of Nigeria from poverty and violence. Joseph Ogbonna mourns the Ottoman Empire’s genocide of the Armenian people. Marjona Bahodirova’s story illustrates the pain and loss many women in Central Asia endure, due to class prejudice and intimate partner violence. Bill Tope’s short story explores the evolution of a formerly open-minded person into a bigot and the long-lasting harm that does to his family and ultimately, himself. Taylor Dibbert recollects an encounter with an aggressive and clueless neighbor as Bill Tope and Doug Hawley’s collaborative short story humorously addresses social misunderstandings accentuated by our society’s prejudices. Patricia Doyne’s poem laments political aggression, power grabs, and the rise of autocracy as Daniel De Culla laments the political danger posed to democracies by a culture of brash ignorance.

Shahnoza Ochildiyeva explores the impact of literature on the lives of characters in Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief. Even though books cannot save them from the Nazis, they consider literature worth the risk of their lives. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa calls on humanity to seek knowledge and cultural advancement in the pursuit of peace.

Tarane Turan Rahimli speaks to the burgeoning literary scene and cultural heritage of her native Azerbaijan. Alex Johnson’s poem celebrates the enduring literary legacy of Patti Smith and William S. Burroughs and the Beat generation. Malika Abdusamat suggests possibilities for the role of artificial intelligence in language learning. Grock outlines the work and career of Indian poet Dr. Jernail S. Anand and considers his originality and suitability for a Nobel prize.

Christopher Bernard reviews Cal Performances’ production of William Kentridge’s The Great Yes, The Great No, praising the vibrant stagecraft while questioning the value of celebrating the absurd in a time of real political absurdity. Chimezie Ihekuna observes that the world’s ways have become upside-down, strange, and unusual.

Dr. Andrejana Dvornic, in a presentation at the Belgrade Book Festival, explores themes of love, longing, and loneliness in the works of Umid Najjari. Teacher Liu Xingli sends in poetry from the elementary school students of the Xiaohe Poetry Society in China’s Hunan Province, which explores themes of nature and society, love and compassion, and heroism and sacrifice.

Federico Wardal honors the legacy of actor Marcello Mastroianni. Texas Fontanella sends up some vibrant, avant-garde music. Cristina Deptula reviews the anthology White on White: A Literary Tribute to Bauhaus, edited by Alex S. Johnson with a foreword from Poppy S. Brite.

Vernon Frazer plays with splashy words and images. Rizal Tanjung situates the paintings of Anna Keiko in the developing history of world art. Scott Holstad probes Husserl’s philosophical understanding of phenomena and being.

Norman J. Olson evokes the wonderment and curiosity we can experience when we look at art and history. Isabel Gomez de Diego’s photography honors the Spanish heritage of faith and craft. Erkin Vahidov reflects on Uzbekistan’s proud cultural heritage. Toxirova Ruxshona highlights advances in modern world modern medicine in her piece on diagnostics and treatment for a variety of skin diseases.

Bangladeshi writer Mahbub Alam expresses his respect and humility before God in his Ramadan poem. Jake Sheff draws on mythology and history as he memorializes his family members and other figures from the past. Nilufar Anvarova’s poem tells the story of an elder encouraging modern people to remember the past.

Dr. Lalit Mohan Sharma reviews Dr. Jernail Anand Singh’s epic work “From Siege to Salvation,” comparing the battles of the Mahabharata with the siege of Troy and affirming commonalities of our human experience. Cristina Deptula interviews Nigerian poet Uchechukwu Onyedikam about transcending cultural barriers through his international haiku collaborations.

We hope that this issue will draw you out to peek at the world from different cultural and generational vantage points, then pull you inward to consider the value and wonder of your own thoughts and psyche.

RECIPES FOR A POWER-GRAB

Scenario #1

A country rich in minerals and trade

located on a gateway to the globe—

just might change hands if pressure is applied.

Attack! And say you’re bringing liberty.

Attack with well-armed troops, with drones and bombs.

Ignore all blood and grief. You come in peace.

Accept surrender. Now this goldmine’s won.

Scenario #2

Work from within. Don’t fire a single shot.

Build a base of angry guys with gripes.

Unite against a common straw-man foe:

immigrants, women, LGBTQ.

Repeat bold lies. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Once you’re President, usurp the power

of Congress, and the country’s highest Court.

When you own both—no checks, no balances.

Then bust departments one-by one; install

head honchos with no skills, in debt to you.

Appoint a scapegoat– purge department staffs.

You now pull all the strings. No oversight.

Then strangle the economy with tariffs.

A trillion dollars can be milked this way.

Populace will be beaten, fearful, broke.

The country’s yours, and you’ve not fired a shot.

Scenario #3 

By tactics fair or foul, gain full control

of weapons that could atomize the planet.

Use the threat of nuclear revenge

to bend all countries to your will. The Heads

of States who moan about earth’s climate woes

will buckle when you threaten Armageddon.

They know that you don’t bluff. You never lose.

You’ll own the biggest empire ever known.

Copyright 3/2025                Patricia Doyne

A LIGHT SNOWFALL ON THE SIDEWALKS

It is the time,

the Times,

to be writing

about…

the place I visit

as often as

Time allows–

Canada, to be

the place I write

about–

I know you

my country–

damn the politicians

and all the time

lies use their mouths,

to fool the clock,

fool us, fool the fools.

It is time,

the place I find

is my country–

Canada, I want

better for you–

can I speak of you

like you are a you?

Canada,

you allow me to know

travels, many times away,

as someone calls it–

“a time away”– I will

take it, Canada,

I want to write

about you–

damn the Liars!

All the time

it has taken me

to become, to merge

into the Times,

right here where we

can easily touch

something…or somehow

someone real close…

very real…please.

A DEFINITION OF FREEDOM

So far,

as a

Canadian,

I

can say

whatever

I want

to the

World.

WHY SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT LOVE

Robert Smith

unlike any other

Smith

has come through,

until this morning

his song titles

hadn’t reached me,

but today I

take upon me

the cure

and open

that which has always opened

when great songs

have reached me,

I have been through it,

and so have

so many others

who won’t allow themselves

to be shut down,

to be dumbed down,                            to be the witnesses,

to become the ones

you know you are,

as Allison Goldfrapp                            has asked us

to become, the ones

who must lead now,

the ones who knew

what to do with Love,

unlike me,

at the end

ready to walk endlessly

into all the voices

trying to be human,

but were fooled, were

led from their true voice,

were no different

than the voices of

the Wild, they didn’t know

they possessed,

the voices that led me

into a place

I never want to leave,

now the place, with you,

please stay with me.

Chad Norman, Truro, NS, Canada

His poems have appeared for nearly 40 years in literary publications across Canada, as well as a number of other countries around the world, also translated into Albanian, Spanish, Polish, Chinese, Turkish, Italian, Czech, Vietnamese, Portuguese,  and Hungarian.

In October 2016 he was invited by the Nordic Assn. for Canadian Studies to give talks on Canadian Poetry and read from his books at Borupgaard Gym in Copenhagen, and Risskov Gym in Aarhus, as well as other readings in both cities, and Malmo, Sweden. Because of that tour Norman started the manuscript, Counting Coins In Denmark And Sweden.

 In October of 2017 he read at various Eastern Canada venues in Kingston, Ottawa, and Montreal, reading poems from his Selected and New collection, published by Mosaic Press (Oakville, ON).

In October of 2018 he read at various types of venues from universities to cafes to pubs throughout Ireland, Scotland, Wales, while there he visited Swansea and slept three nights in the room where Dylan Thomas was born. A celebration of Canadian Poetry took place during this tour too.

His most recent books are a children’s picture book, B And Boy, 2023, Cyberwit. Net (India), and a new collection, Parental Forest,  out with AOS publications (Montreal).

Finally, Norman’s poem, The Shoulds, has been selected to be included in the Vagabond Lunar Collection, part of the time capsule scheduled for a Fall launch to the moon.

 He is currently a member of  The Writers Union Of Canada, PEN Canada, and a volunteers for 12 local crow families.

Critical Analytical Reading of “Voices” by Eva Lianou Petropoulou – Greece .

By : Kareem Abdullah – Iraq .

Introduction: Eva Lianou Petropoulou’s poem “Voices” offers a profound exploration of the paradoxical nature of human emotions and responses in different situations. The poem presents a series of thought-provoking questions, drawing attention to the complexities of human behavior in the face of both joy and suffering. Through its introspective tone and concise structure, the poem challenges the reader to reflect on the deep connections between emotional expression, the human mind, and the concept of free will.

Analysis:

Title – “Voices”: The title immediately introduces the theme of communication and internal dialogue. “Voices” can be interpreted as a reference to the various calls for help, freedom, and peace that people make, but also to the internal voices that dictate how we react to different emotional states. The plural form of “Voices” suggests the multiplicity of perspectives and experiences, implying that the poem is not only about individual experiences but also about collective human emotions and struggles.

Theme of Contradiction in Human Emotion: The central theme of the poem revolves around the contradiction in human emotional responses. The poet asks, “But why we cry in our happy moments / And laugh…..when we are in a very difficult situations?” This rhetorical question serves as a powerful paradox that challenges the reader’s assumptions about the nature of human emotions. Typically, crying is associated with sadness, and laughter with joy; however, the poet disrupts these associations to point out how human beings sometimes react in unexpected ways. This highlights the complexity of human psychology and the ways in which people navigate their emotional landscapes.

Self-Defense and Human Instincts: The poet suggests that perhaps this contradictory emotional behavior is a form of self-defense. The line, “Maybe this is the self defense of our organism,” introduces an interesting psychological concept: the idea that our emotions, even in their paradoxical forms, may serve as protective mechanisms. This idea evokes the notion of the fight-or-flight response and the instinctual ways in which humans protect themselves from stress, trauma, or emotional overwhelm. The reference to “self-defense” could imply that emotions such as crying or laughing in inappropriate contexts might be subconscious ways of coping with internal or external pressures.

Exploration of the Human Brain: The line, “Still discovering the human brain,” reveals the poet’s awareness of the ongoing research into human cognition and emotion. The statement highlights the mystery of the human mind, which is still being explored by science. It suggests that despite our advancements in understanding the brain and human behavior, there is still much to uncover about the complex mechanisms that govern our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The Concept of Free Will: The closing line, “What is certain… / It is that we have free will,” serves as a pivotal moment in the poem. After exploring the unpredictability of human emotions, the poet affirms the certainty of free will. Despite the paradoxical nature of human emotional responses, the poet suggests that we still retain the power to make choices and exert control over our actions. This line introduces an element of empowerment, emphasizing that, regardless of how complex or contradictory our emotions may be, we are not entirely at their mercy. The affirmation of free will serves as a reminder of human agency in a world that can often feel chaotic and uncontrollable.

Conclusion: Eva Lianou Petropoulou’s “Voices” offers a rich and thought-provoking meditation on the complexity of human emotions, the mysteries of the brain, and the role of free will in shaping our responses to life’s challenges. Through its paradoxical statements and rhetorical questions, the poem invites the reader to reflect on the deeper, often contradictory, nature of human behavior. The poem’s ultimate message—despite the uncertainty and unpredictability of human emotions—is that we, as individuals, have the capacity for free will and can exercise control over how we respond to the world around us. In doing so, the poem not only engages with deep psychological and philosophical questions but also affirms the resilience and agency of the human spirit.

Voices

So many people cry for help

Cry for freedom

Cry for peace

But why we cry in our happy moments

And 

Laugh…..when we are in a very difficult situations?

Maybe this is the self defense of our organism

Still discovering the human brain

What is certain…

It is that we have free will

Eva Lianou Petropoulou ( Greece )

She is an awarded author and poet from Greece with more than 25 years in the Literary field published more that 10 books.

Her poems are translated in more than 25 languages. She is President of creativity and art of Mil Mentes Por Mexico Association

Greece Mexico 

Official candidate for Nobel Peace prize

2024

Spokane

Disillusioned by

what was going

on around him

he tried to open

his life in another

window but was

never able to get

past the pop-ups.

Career Paths

At thirteen he decided to become a prophet. By nineteen he had died & been reborn five times. Nobody took him seriously. Youth is a hard barrier to overcome.

He then decided to emulate the form of regeneration that seemed to have been most successful for generating prophet recognition & had himself crucified. Unfortunately, one of the nails was rusty, & during the transition period he contracted tetanus. He came back unable to speak, & essentially illiterate since so certain had he been of his destiny he had neglected to acquire much of an education.

Nobody wants a prophet who cannot communicate his prophesies. He spent the rest of his allotted three-score & ten in silence. Alone.

nOne-step

Nothing ad-

ventured

nothing

gained

when you

rely on

toxicology

instead

of taste.

Otherwise

partly because the sun

was in an

inclement meridian

partially because

the moon was

in the wrong

quadrant of the sky

particularly because

the cusp between

daydream & nightmare

was a silver ribbon

with elastic properties

Ella in Budapest

Something I have always

found disappointing,

hearing a singer in concert,

hearing a recording of that

singer somewhere else, some

years later. The same song,

The Lady is a Tramp, music by

straight George, lyrics by gay

Ira, Ella Fitzgerald singing.

The voice a little harsher than

I remember but the phrasing is

the same. I sing along. We impro-

vise together. In unison. I know

what notes will come next.

B-SIDE

“Isn’t that your sister?” Harry said to Ben as they left school on a warm May afternoon.

“What,” Ben said. “Where?”

“Over there,” Harry said, pointing toward a green VW Bug. Emma was sitting behind the wheel, waving at the boys. “Did you know she was coming?”

“Why is she here?” Ben said, as they wove their way through clusters of junior high students released for the day.

“Hey guys,” Emma said as they approached.

“What are you doing here?” Ben asked.

“Are you hungry?” Emma said.

“I could eat,” Harry said.

Emma laughed. “I’m sure you could. But if it’s okay with you, I need some time with my little bro.”

“That’s cool,” Harry said. “I have a lot of homework.”

Emma pushed open the passenger door. “Get in. I’m starving. Let’s go to the Empress.” She reached into the glove compartment and removed a cassette, which she handed to Ben. “That’s for you. I made it last night.”

Ben read the names of the songs. “Fire and Rain, Gimme Shelter, Bird on the Wire, Universal Soldier. Cool. Can’t wait to listen.’

“You’re going to love Bird on the Wire.”

“What are you doing here?” Ben asked.

“I wanted to see you.” Emma turned up 68^th Street toward Queens Boulevard. “There’s a B side too.”

“Aren’t you in school?” Ben asked.

“I have a break before finals.”

“Do mom and dad know you’re coming?”

“I’m not coming home. I just came to see you.”

“Cool. Should I be worried?”

“You worry too much.”

“Maybe. But it’s a five-hour drive. Each way.”

Inside the Empress, they settled into a booth, and Emma ordered a grilled cheese and a slice of blueberry pie. Ben ordered the same.

“You don’t seem happy to see me,” Emma said.

“I am happy to see you.” Ben took a sip of soda.  “I just wasn’t expecting you.”

“It’s a surprise. That’s how surprises work.”

“Is that the only reason?” Ben asked

“How’s school?”

Ben shrugged. “Fine.”

“Junior high is the worst. High school sucks too. But you will love college.”

“Do you?”

“I do. The people I’ve met, the friends I’ve made are all interesting and full of ideas and goals. I like my classes. I just don’t know what I’m doing there. But you’ll know what you want to do. You love math. That’ll make a difference.”

“Everyone says that to me. I’m good at math, and it comes easy. But what if I want to do something else?”

“Then you’ll do something else.”

The waitress topped off Emma’s coffee. Ben watched as Emma poured and stirred the cream. He liked the sound of the spoon against the porcelain. He noticed that Emma’s pink nails were jagged and uneven. She put down her spoon and brought the cup to her lips.

“I’m not quitting,” she finally said. “Quitting is a bad habit that’s hard to break. That’s not what’s going on.”

“What is going on?” Ben said.

“If something is not good for you, then you need to leave it behind and find something else. I don’t have any clue what I’m doing, or what I want to do. And I’m lucky. I don’t have to worry about the draft if I quit.”

“Sounds like you’re quitting.”

“I’ll finish the semester and then figure it out. I need to find a purpose for being there. For my life. And I haven’t found it.”

“Yet,” Ben said.

“Yet,” Emma said. “Let’s go to the pond.”

Emma drove through the neighborhood to Flushing Meadow where they found a bench.

“Remember when dad took us here so he could teach you how to ride a two-wheeler?”

“Not really,” Ben said.

“You were only three,” Emma said. “It came so easy to you.”

“That means you were nine. That’s why you remember. I do remember the time you talked me into riding our bikes to Central Park. Down Queens Boulevard. Across the 59^th St. Bridge. It was awesome.”

“That was such a fun day,” Emma said.

They sat together in the park, looking out toward the pond. A breeze sent ripples across the water. Ben took the tape out of his pocket.

“The B-side is just as good,” he said, looking up. “I can’t believe you made a mix tape without a Dylan song. Might be a first.”

“I think you’re right. I wanted to add one from his new album, Nashville Skyline, but I need to listen to it more. Have you heard it?”

“They play a few cuts on the radio. I like the one with Johnny Cash.”

 Emma leaned back, staring at the sky and said. “I’ll go back for now.”

“What?”

“I’ll ace my finals,” Emma said. “Maybe I’ll go to law school and work pro bono for draft evaders and death row inmates.”

Ben looked at her. “Would that make you happy?”

“Happiness is fleeting. Purpose isn’t,” Emma said. “Maybe I’ll go live in Paris and be a writer like Baldwin.”

“Is he a friend of yours?”

“I wish,” she said. “He’s a great writer. You should read him. I’ll get you one of his books. Did you finish, On The Road?”

“Twice. I love it.”

“I’ll bring you The Fire Next Time, when I come back.”

“How would I see you, if you go to Paris?” Ben said.

“You should come back to school with me. Yes. That’s what you should do. We’d have so much fun.”

“You do realize I have school,” Ben said. “And we’d have to tell mom and dad. And don’t you have finals to study for?”

“I know. I know. I just thought it would be fun.”

“It would be fun,” Ben said.

Emma sighed and stretched her arms above her head. “I should take you home.”

As they walked back to the car, Emma jingled her keys. Ben watched her, memorizing the way she moved, the way her shoulders didn’t sway, as if she was holding onto something heavy, and didn’t want to let go.

Elan Barnehama has published two novels: Escape Route and Finding Bluefield. His flash fiction collection is forthcoming in January 2026 from Poets Wear Prada. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including ParisLitUp, Synchronized Chaos, 10×10 Flash Fiction, Boog City, Jewish Fiction, Drunk Monkeys, Rough Cut Press, Boston Accent, Red Fez, Syncopation Lit, HuffPost, public radio, and more. Elan served as the flash fiction editor at ForthMagazineLA, a radio news reporter, and was a mediocre short-order cook.

Seen In Eastern Oregon                                       

Eastern Oregon is defined as east of the Cascade Mountains.  The east/west divide is political and topographical.  The fauna and flora and climate differ as well.

Many years ago, it could have been 2010, I went with a group of nature guides from the Portland Oregon area to an interesting historical site close to the Northeastern Oregon city Baker.  The main attraction in nearby Sumpter was the remains of an odd gold mining operation that operated from 1934-1954.  A dry land dredge created its own stream while running rock through the dredge.  Workers picked gold from the rock that passed through.

As interesting as that was, what caught my attention was a scene at the yard of a Sumpter resident.  A dog on a leash was barking at a deer peacefully munching on edibles in the yard.  The drama looked like it could be a nightly show.  After he had enough of the relentless barking the resident of the house came out to shoo the deer away.  The dog relaxed.

That wasn’t the only example of games animals play.  When we visited the Malheur National Game refuge in Southeastern Oregon we witnessed a coyote stalking a pheasant.  When the coyote got close the pheasant would fly twenty feet way.  We watched the slow motion unsuccessful pursuit for a few minutes, but it looked like the show could go on all day so we moved on to other wonders of nature.  Imagine a slow motion version of Wiley Coyote and the Road Runner.  Beep Beep.

On another occasion we found what appeared to be a flattened road runner.  A coyote didn’t get it, but it may have failed to Dodge a Maverick, Cougar, Impala, or other animal-named automobile.

Going through South Central Oregon just north of Nevada, we have seen herds of antelope (more accurately pronghorns).  They are the fastest land animal in the USA.  They evolved when dire wolves were around so they needed to be a little faster, and the excess speed has survived the demise of dire wolves.

The bittern is a bird that stays safe by standing head tilted up in reeds and is hard to discern from its surroundings.  It is good at hiding but we saw one.

The landscape east of the Cascades is much different.  The trees are different and smaller.  The juniper, sage brush, and horned toads (actually a lizard made famous by Yosemite Sam – I’ve run across a few) won’t be found in Western Oregon.

The differences between East and West are partly from climate differences and extent and timing of volcanic activity.  Western Oregon has a moderate climate with a lot of rain.  Eastern Oregon is arid and much more extreme.  Volcanoes made both Crater Lake National Park and Newberry Crater National Monument, home to East and Paulina Lakes, a frequent summer vacation for my family in the 1950s.  On a much smaller scale, there are the lava tubes and ice caves which were formed by lava vents.  Lava River Cave is over a mile long and open to visitors.  The various ice caves can keep ice for much of the year when the outside temperature can reach 90F.  In earlier times they provided Bend Oregon with ice in the summer.

Eastern Oregon – it’s something else.