Issue 5 – June 2026 – Readers’ Choice


a faint scent
from her side of the bed —
alone and sleepless
I open the window
to let the darkness spill out

Chen-ou Liu

Sometimes the intensity of a feeling, the impact of it, the truth of it, is best conveyed by a description that is not simply literal. We expect the darkness at night to be outside but here the darkness is inside and spilling out into the night. I think we can all understand that.

Congratulations, Chen-ou Liu!




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