ARTIFACTS by Joan Glass

You keep a lock of his hair
in a box with photos and
the obituary, several
yellowing sympathy cards.
The lock of hair, it still
smells like him, you say.

How long, I wonder,
before that scent vanishes?
Do you only imagine it, even now?

I cannot bring myself to make
baby books for my children.
I did not save their teeth
in a silver box or bronze
their first pair of shoes.

Each day ends
and I am grateful.
For at night
I bury my face
in their sweet,
damp heads of hair,

cursing the idea
of artifacts.

JOAN GLASS lives and writes in coastal Connecticut. Her work has been published in Harpweaver, Conspire, Emprise Review, FZQ, Thunder Sandwich, Kota Press, Literal Latte, Precipice, and Smith College Alumnae Quarterly. She was recently accepted into the Fairfield University MFA program in Creative Writing.

BECOMING CAPTAIN AWESOME (based on a true story) by Laura LeHew

Hello my name is Greg, prepare to die. Hello my name is Greg Smith prepare to die. BORING! Hello my name is James. James Kirk. James T. Kirk, commander of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Been done. 00—Bond? Devon Christian Woodcomb, M.D. Ryan McPartlin, the actor portraying my bill-paying alter ego? I could get a hot chick.

Oh oh, I know! Forget the actors and their pseudonyms, I am Awesome! Captain Awesome. Awesome comma Captain. Mr. Captain (no middle initial) Awesome. Someday there’ll be a Mr. and Mrs. Captain (no middle initial) Awesome. Followed very shortly by Captain Jack Sparrow Awesome, Han Solo Awesome, Harry Potter, Captain Malcolm Reynolds Awesome, Clarice Starling Awesome, Ellen Ripley Awesome, Buffy The-Vampire-Slayer Awesome, and baby Lady Gaga Awesome.

I’m from Eugene, Oregon and I am no sheep, you can take that to the bank.

→☺←

That is too my signature. Is so.

LAURA LEHEW is an award winning poet with 250 poems appearing over 100 national and international journals and anthologies such as Alehouse, Filling Station, Gargoyle Magazine, The Line Up, Pank, Perceptions, and the 2010 edition of the Syracuse Cultural Workers’ Women Artists Datebook. Her chapbook, Beauty, Tiger’s Eye Press, 2009 is in its 3rd printing. Laura received her MFA in writing from the California College of the Arts, writing residencies from Soapstone and the Montana Artists Refuge, interned for CALYX Journal and was nominated for a Pushcart prize. She edits Uttered Chaos www.utteredchaos.org and was guest editor for The Medulla Review. Laura has one husband, eight cats [Nikita (la Femme), Tessa, Mr. Socks, Baby, Dorian (yes he is grey), and the Army of Darkness (Raven, Shadow and Smoke)] and never sleeps.

UNTITLED by Michael Garman

MICHAEL GARMAN’S work can be found at http://www.garmancartoons.com/.   In addition to his feature work, he has inked with The Review, DuPage Democrat, Daily Kos, ChicagoNow and theSouthtownStar. He is currently illustrating a book of poetry with writer Paul Handley and has been member of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists since 2008.