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By Annie Newcomer: The Flapper Press Poetry Café continues to feature the work of poets from around the globe. We also delight in sharing the work of poets who have been featured before here at Flapper Press. We call it Act Two, and you can read more about it right here. This week, we are thrilled to publish more gorgeous poetry from a frequent contributor to the site—Gillian Kessler! Gillian Kessler is a seeker and a feeler. She is mildly obsessed with the natural world and tries to spend as much time as possible walking the earth. She’s been teaching children for twenty-seven years and loves to help them find ways to express themselves creatively. She is also a very grateful mamma to two teenagers and two ridiculously wonderful dogs. She and her husband met as teachers decades ago and share a passion for education, travel, and being outside. Gillian is originally from Southern California but has spent the past twenty or so years in Missoula, Montana. She is the author of two poetry collections, Ash in the Tree and Lemons and Cement. We reached out to Gillian to talk more in depth about her work, inspirations, and her lovely poetry. Annie Newcomer: Welcome to ACT TWO, Gillian. We first interviewed you in September of 2022 with Part 1 and  Part 2. One of the changes we have initiated since that time is to ask our poets to describe their work in one word or in a short phrase. We ask this as a way of preparing our readers to enter the poems. Please explain why you chose "Alive" for your descriptive word. Gillian Kessler: “Alive” was the word that jumped right out of me in response to your question. I think that’s because so often my best writing comes from this breathing, yet unplanned place. I will see something, most frequently when I’m out walking in the woods, that will cause some sort of memory agitation and then association; the words will then flow from there. I know to trust those very alive moments because they are such gifts. It’s like all these parts of my spirit—my memory and my physical self and where I am in the natural world—fuse together to create something. It’s a very alive and magical process. AN: 2024 marks the third anniversary of our Poetry Café. I thought it might be interesting for our readers to learn some of the ways that our poets "found" us. You have a lovely relationship with our editor, Elizabeth Gracen. Might you share how you two met and what the Flapper Press Poetry Café means to you? GK: If I remember correctly, Lizzie and I met first at Lineage Dance, my sister’s wonderful performance space. She had been part of the Lineage family for some time. I was reading from my first collection, Lemons and Cement (again, if memory serves!). She became interested in my poetry from there and then shared more about Flapper Press. Since then, I’ve had the absolute honor of watching Lizzie play my mom in my sister’s play Mother Places. Trust me when I say that watching such a gifted and gorgeous human so perfectly embody your no-longer-living mother is quite remarkable. I’ve been able to see Lizzie in other Lineage productions and was even able to host her here in Missoula this past June as part of a performance of After Roe that I helped produce. AN: In our first interview, you shared that "I write to feel, to see, to wonder, to hold"; "I" statements show what you desire poetry to do for you and is internal. Later in that interview, you mentioned that "I hope that my work helps people see themselves just a bit," which, of course, is external and explains the relationship you intend to develop with your reader. Why are both important? GK: Great question! Both are so vitally important, both gifts in different sorts of ways. One is this glorious vessel for processing all that comes through our senses, our memory. The other is the gift of sharing a piece of ourselves with the hope that it resonates with others. I’ve had people tell me that the poems I wrote about processing my grief after my mother’s death helped them remember and heal in new ways. That’s an incredible compliment. AN: Do you have some general pointers to share with our Flapper Press readers that might best help them enjoy the poetry-reading experience? GK: I would say, take a breath and breathe it in. Stay with the whole poem and enjoy that moment full of images and free from other distractions. Our lives are so full these days, and information is always at our fingertips. Reading a poem feels like a sacred act that needs to be preserved with intention and reverence. AN: In 2022, you included three poems from your collection Ash in the Tree, published by FootHills Publishing. At that time, you shared that "Ash in the Tree is a memoir-esque collection of musings and memories, heartbreaks and noticings following the death of my mother in November 2019." Fast forward to 2024, and two of the poems you submitted for ACT TWO address the loss of your mother-in-law. Please share how poetry, either in the writing or the reading, helps us process grief and loss. GK: Oh wow, that’s a big question. I only know how to process grief in the way that makes sense for me and that seems to be through words. The poems I wrote for my mom began while she was dying in the hospital when my older sister said something like, “Well, you better write this all down.” We were riding the elevator with her up to the room where she would die. It was this very true and maudlin and raw statement from my sister that gave me a purpose for the next five days while we watched her slowly decline. My mother-in-law’s death was a very different process. With her, I actually had the opportunity to write a letter to her when we learned that she only had a few months left to live. Writing down what she meant to me was such a powerful way for me to prepare for her to leave the world. The poems included here are more snapshots from that time in our family life and less about her. The letter was about her, and for her. Perhaps one day I’ll make that one into a poem as well. Ultimately, being able to process my feelings in the moment helps me move through them and helps me understand them later. I’m so deeply grateful for every word I’ve ever written about someone or something I’ve lost. AN: Your poem "Getaway" reminded me of a poet who spoke at the Kansas Book Festival last summer (2023). She said that instead of writing sentences that detail her past twenty-four hours in her journal, she creates a poem that describes her life each day. I tried to do this, and it was so difficult. Do you rely on memory or do you "journal in" experiences such as the one you share in "Getaway" and later go back to use to create your poem? GK: I usually write those sorts of memory-based poems pretty close to the moment that they happen. I don’t remember things as much as I would like to anymore, so the more I write down, the better! I love the process of the poet you reference, though. I certainly don’t write these sorts of memory poems every day. That’s a great challenge! AN: Share a little about your first collection, Lemons and Cement. How long did it take to write? GK: Lemons and Cement was written over a period of six or so years. I had returned to poetry after a decade or so away and was taking community workshops with some really wonderful teachers. One of the final workshops during that time involved putting ten or so poems into a small chapbook. I had more than that, and so they morphed into a full collection. I was fortunate enough to have tremendous help with those poems, both through mentors, peer feedback, and even local help in typesetting and binding. I’m very proud of that book. AN: How was writing your second collection different from your first? GK: When I wrote the second collection, Ash in the Tree, I was on a deadline because it was part of a poetry series. These poems are much more raw and less workshopped. In some ways that fits with the content, as the book follows the year-long aftermath of my mother’s death. AN: What are some of your poetic plans, hopes, and dreams for the future with your literary work? GK: Ha! That’s a great question. Right now, I’m just happy when a poem comes to life. I’m even happier if I revise and refine that poem, even more delighted if it actually gets to the point where I can share it with others. I write a lot of essays and memoir-esque things as well, so I have lots of little writing projects going, just nothing that feels totally pressing. I have a pretty full life with a full-time teaching job and two teenage kiddos to love on, so—at least at this point in my life—my writing is more for me and less for the world. I do have some poems that I’m really proud of that aren’t in either of the first two collections, so I'm currently trying to gather them together in their own place for something in the future. AN: Thank you so much for helping us launch our new initiative, ACT TWO, Gillian. We are looking forward to sharing "Elegy of an Elegy to an Elegy," "The Only Sky Beyond Them," and "Getaway" with our readers, who can find these poems below. Please keep sending us your work and know that we feel so blessed to have you as one of our Flapper Press Poetry Café alumni. GK: Thank you so much for helping me put my words into the world! I appreciate everyone at Flapper Press immensely and their commitment to bringing more perspectives into the world. Elegy of an Elegy to an Elegy Like a burning effigy, the greening of trees and the way my daughter keeps rearranging her room. What’s left of the hummus, the water in the bottle. The color of my hair. Don’t let me continue on the body, it’s all elegy there. Even my feet are widening, dying, taking on a new form. I want to paint an elegy for time, to red wine, to the square cones of ice cream at Thrifty’s, thirty five cents a scoop. An elegy to anything that costs thirty five cents. Another elegy to the way milk tasted through a thin straw out of a little square carton. How much I loved milk, the dough of flour tortilla at Senor Fish, an elegy to scallops, thin ribbons of cabbage, saving money. And elegy to all the songs, to the way you apologize to the neighbor whose dog is barking at yours. An elegy to never saying sorry again. I want to hurl this dirty sea of clothes across the room. I can’t believe all I have yet to do: unpack the suitcase of a dead mother’s things to fill it again to bring a bunch of kids who aren’t yours to another country for a week to live with new families. An elegy to this sofa in my own home with my own dog. A dog who never barks but I still apologize for. An elegy to the word nice. To the word good. About the poem: An elegy is typically a poem of lament for someone who has died. My mother-in-law, a very healthy, dynamic woman, died last April after a January diagnosis. It was fast and furious and horrible but life, as it does, just kept moving as swiftly and strangely as ever. This poem was written after we returned from burying her. It holds the energy of life’s movement, of aging, of the constant pulse for all that suddenly felt lost. The Only Sky Beyond Them There are daffodils here now. White blossoms and unhinged moss, pink magnolias that drip with gossip. Chicks are handfed, tractors tumult. Who would have thought she’d die on a farm? The priest talks about Elmhurst General Hospital, the pulse of the Bronx, each step equally vital when doors swung, stretcher lurched, spun, and in that moment, wooden pew, there was nothing stronger than that, his voice, you. I went to speak at the pulpit. Is a pulpit still a pulpit if you’re not a preacher, don’t believe? Is it just a microphone, a vertical coffin, another death? I don’t want to leave but I can’t stay. The cover on the pool looks like the pool. When the tennis ball accidentally lands in the center, the dog races toward it, walks on water, so to speak. The plastic gives a bit and she gets that wild cartoon look when creatures run off a cliff, over air, through the only sky beyond them, the way we all want to keep her yellow urn that has to go in the ground this morning, the way my daughter wants to buy another one, just to stand empty in her room. A reminder. Will spring actually show this time? He slept beside the vessel, alone with her, in the room where she died. I slept better than I have in weeks, frogs grinding their wild things in the pond and beyond that, coyotes’ din, they will come for her in the morning. To me, they are wild cousins, ceremony behind vestments, cars up Angeles Crest, a twist around the knees, the raucous chorus before she’s swallowed back up by the canyon. About the poem: My mother-in-law died at her daughter’s farm, in the hills above Portland. It was a gloriously maudlin setting, the juxtaposition of the greening of spring with the heavy darkness of grief.  There was something terribly surreal, disjointed, and powerful about the whole experience. Getaway I. The last time we saw these colors the babies were babies and Solomon teeter tottered wavy across the path like a drunk his little legs so fast down the ramps bubbling sulfuric madness echoed on either side I saw nothing but everything that could incinerate peril heavy through steam Today he still leads the way strong calves and a jaunty sass she is soft curl of lashes of smiling despite herself In the best bits they walk the paths together read the signs out loud: Cistern Geyser Whirligig Geyser Green dragon Spring Pork chop Spring They laugh again at the danger sign posted at every turn the cartoon image of a little boy falling from the boardwalk flailing arms the mother's panicked face make fun of me for taking too many pictures for mishearing everything for always falling behind because there's so much to hold II. While it was tricky capturing them pulling them from schedules and boyfriends their basement lair of phone chargers and dirty laundry we somehow finagled  them south to the Yellowstone River on a Saturday morning in late fall the way she moves slowly the trees goldening on her banks sparkles fly like the hatch of midges iridescent wings and tiny neon bodies they appear like dust from an old blanket here and then gone all of it metaphor all of it breathing About the poem: This fall we took a long weekend from where we live in Missoula down to the Paradise Valley, just outside of Yellowstone National Park. We hadn’t visited this section of the park since the children were small, and returning with them as teenagers brought up so many memories of how precarious and fleeting this time of parenthood has been. Annie Klier Newcomer founded a not-for-profit, Kansas City Spirit , that served children in metropolitan Kansas for a decade. Annie volunteers in chess and poetry after-school programs in Kansas City, Missouri. She and her husband, David, and the staff of the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens are working to develop The Emily Dickinson Garden in hopes of bringing art and poetry educational programs to their community. Annie helms the Flapper Press Poetry Café—dedicated to celebrating poets from around the world and to encouraging everyone to both read and write poetry! The Flapper Press Poetry Café Presenting a wide range of poetry with a mission to promote a love and understanding of poetry for all. We welcome submissions for compelling poetry and look forward to publishing and supporting your creative endeavors. Submissions may also be considered for the Pushcart Prize.

By Annie Newcomer: As an an online magazine featuring original poetry & writing, art, advice, opinion, in-depth interviews, flash interviews, & inspiring content from writers and artists around the world, Flapper Press seeks to be in the forefront of offering our writers new initiatives and ways to engage with our readers. To achieve this goal, our Flapper Press Poetry Café editors have devised  a program designed to welcome back, after a year away, poets who have previously published a flash interview with us. It's exciting for our "alumni" to update us on where they and their creative work is currently "landing" in the literary world. To this end, we have named our initiative "ACT TWO." ACT TWO "So how do you write an interesting second act? How do you make sure your audience stays captivated as well as keep the story going?" — Callum Scambler, "Writing Act Two: The Conflict—An Essential and Simple Breakdown" Not surprisingly, these are the same questions our editors wrestled with as we sought a way to encourage previously published Flapper Press poets/writers to know that they are welcomed to continue sharing their work with us. Our response? The Act Two initiative. When you see the tag ACT TWO in the Poetry Café, this will immediately signal that the poet has an interview on file in our archives in the Flapper Press Poetry Café. We encourage you to enjoy all our previously published poetry through contests, My Favorite Poetry, and flash interviews. In ACT TWO, a poet can update their work, share new poems with backstories, ask for a second interview, and/or share ideas on writing craft. These poems will also be eligible for Best of the Net and Pushcart nominations. Since one of our mission statements here at Flapper Press is to educate and assist our readers in the joy of "coming to poetry," we value the unveiling of writing ideas that poets share about their craft as a means to help increase our love of poetry. For centuries, poetry has shown itself to be a magical form of expression. "It is difficult to get the news from poems. Yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there." — William Carlos Williams, "Asphodel, That Greeny Flower" If you would like to resubmit your work to the Flapper Press Poetry Café, take a look at our Submission Guidelines and make sure to add the following email subject line: Subject line: NAME - ACT TWO - DATE Send your submission to: info@Flapperpress.com Annie Klier Newcomer resides in Shawnee Mission, Kansas where she teaches poetry and coaches chess in Kansas City L.I.N.C. After-School Programs. She is honored to work with Elizabeth Gracen to help showcase poetry through the Flapper Press Poetry Café initiative. When not writing, swimming or walking her Aussiedoodle, you can find Annie sailing, camping or traveling with David, her husband of 44 years. The Flapper Press Poetry Café Presenting a wide range of poetry with a mission to promote a love and understanding of poetry for all. We welcome submissions for compelling poetry and look forward to publishing and supporting your creative endeavors. Submissions may also be considered for the Pushcart Prize. Please review our Guidelines before submitting! Submission Guidelines

By Elizabeth Gracen: "National Women’s History Month honors the successes and sacrifices of U.S. women. It dates to March 8, 1857, when hundreds of women from New York City garment and textile factories rallied to protest harsh working conditions. In 1909, New York City became the site of the nation’s first Women’s Day celebration, a year after 15,000 women there marched to demand shorter working hours, better pay, an end to child labor and the right to vote. More than seven decades later in 1981, Congress set aside the second week of March as National Women’s History Week. Six years later, Congress expanded the week to a month. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we reflect upon the advances women have made, including increased earnings, educational attainment and job opportunities." — "Women's History Month: March 2024," census.gov As Women’s History Month of 2024 comes to an end, I thought I would share a project that I worked on recently with Hilary Thomas and the Lineage Performing Arts Center. Hilary and I are long-time collaborators, so when she asked me to participate in an immersive theatre experience she was producing that would eventually become the production Matter of Time, I could tell immediately that it was going to be a big project and that I wouldn't have the time to do it. I was packed and ready to hit the road to continue principal photography on Natural State of Drag— a new documentary feature film produced by Flapper Films about the history of drag in Arkansas. I always hate to decline Hilary’s creative offers, but it was regretfully not going to be in the cards this time. A couple days later, Hilary reached out again and asked if I would consider making a short film that would be projected on a wall in the show’s room dedicated to the 1950s. The source material came from an actual article in McCall’s magazine in 1958. I had recalled seeing something about the article, “129 Ways to Get a Husband,” when it made a viral circuit on several platforms a couple years ago, but when Hil sent the article, a literal flash of inspiration hit me. I could immediately see the path of how to create the complete project. I’d never had that happen before, so I had to respect the vision and took it as a challenge to see how fast I could make it happen. With Betty White as was my guiding star, I started the experiment. One Amazon order for a “Rizzo” wig, a quick trip to a local thrift shop, some red lipstick, a ring light, and my iPhone15 and I was ready to go. From there, it was just a matter of riffing on some of the most ridiculous suggestions I have ever read. I mean, really? Have you read the 1958 article where a sixteen-member panel of men and women were asked to spit-ball suggestions to unmarried women in the United States? “In the United States today there are sixteen million women over the age of seventeen who are still waiting for a marriage proposal. Presumably the vast majority of them would like to be.”  — “129 Ways to Get a Husband,” McCall's, 1958 You can find the complete list of suggestions on how to snag a husband here to discover all 129 enlightening tidbits, such as: No. 2: Have your car break down at strategic places. No. 30: Learn to paint. Set up [an] easel outside [an] engineering school. No. 33: Carry a hatbox. No. 61: When you are with him, order your steak rare. It is more than possible that the ludicrous suggestions in the article were made tongue in cheek at the time. It's also highly likely that more than a few cocktails were imbibed during their session. However, one cannot dismiss the fact that when Herbert Mayes assumed editorship in 1958, McCall's magazine was rebranded as "The First Magazine for Women," with a readership that peaked at 8.4 million by the early 1960s. That's a lot of women reading this crazy stuff! As funny as some of the bullet-point ideas sound to us now, the truth is that after World War II women in the 1950s were expected to marry, stay at home, and raise their children. These rigid gender roles were designed to bring back "normalcy" to American culture after the hard years of the Depression were followed by another global conflict for which women stepped up to take jobs in munition factories and other industries designed to support the war effort. When men returned from service, women were expected to return to the role of homemaker. In the 1950s, getting and keeping a man was tantamount to success as a woman. Since that time, women have found their own success outside the home and the traditional roles assigned to them. The stifling gender roles of the 1950s have loosened and become much more fluid. Nowadays we don’t have to get married if we don’t want to. We don’t even have to love a man, and we can choose whether or not to have children. Yet, according the Pew Research Institute, even today (over 60 years since that McCall's article) women are still paid 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. And an even more frustrating reality is that in the United States, women's reproductive rights continue to be threatened, with our right to govern our own bodies in very real jeopardy since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, threatening to pull us backward to the time when we did not have the right to choose. "Reproductive rights are essential for women to enjoy their human rights. These rights are centered on women’s ability to make the best choices for their lives, including around the number of children they have, if any, and the spacing between their children’s births. Reproductive rights include prenatal services, safe childbirth, and access to contraception. They also include access to legal and safe abortion. Abortion bans violate the rights to be free from violence, to privacy, to family, to health, and even the right to life. And bans are most devastating for people of color, young people, and marginalized communities, who already have trouble accessing health care and other needed services. Governments should trust women to know what is best for their bodies, their physical and mental health, and their lives." — "Reproductive Rights and Abortion," Human Rights Watch It is more important than ever that our voices be heard. If you have not registered to vote, here is a link for more information on vote.org. Come November, please vote! There is nothing nostalgic about reversing course on the timeline when it comes to rights, whether for equal pay or reproduction. After all, women's rights are human rights. To go backward is a concept as ridiculous as being told "129 Ways to Get a Husband." Enjoy the film! Elizabeth Gracen is the owner of Flapper Press & Flapper Films.

By Annie Newcomer: The Flapper Press Poetry Café staff is dedicated to encouraging our youth to write and to volunteer as ways to make a positive difference in our world. After meeting Indira "Ira" Hiyas Tiongson at the 2023 Kansas State Book Festival held at Washburn University last summer, I was drawn to learn more about her poetry and to hear about the ways her devotion to her writing enriches her world. The enthusiasm and the respect Ira demonstrated  toward the presenters throughout the day at this event reminded me that poetry does indeed influence others. Signing Ira's yellow volunteer shirt along with all the other presenters reminded me that working poets are role models, and this includes how we mentor emerging poets. Could there be any greater reward for a poet than to observe the curiosity for poetry reflected in the eyes of the youth? If you agree, then to witness that sparkle—as I did with Ira—is to be assured that the future of poetry is in good hands. In Indira's own words: "My name is Indira Hiyas M. Tiongson, but I go by Ira. I’ve been writing since I was ten years old and [have] participated in various writing competitions. My mother was the first person to spark my love for books and words as she herself is passionate in writing. I currently live in Topeka, Kansas, where I am in my senior year of high school. I’ve only published one original book online in Wattpad and mostly write as a mental outlet, which is shown through my poems and essays. I love connecting with people, especially sharing their creatives." *Update: Recently, Ira earned a scholarship from the Martin Luther King "Living the Dream'"Inc. I recently reached out to Ira to talk to her about her poetry and her life. Please Meet Indira "Ira" Hiyas M. Tiongson! Annie Newcomer: Welcome to the Flapper Press Poetry Café, Ira. We met in September this year (2023) at the Kansas Book Fair in Topeka at Washburn University where you were a volunteer and I was on Dennis Etzel Jr.’s Collaborative Writing Panel. You lit up the room with your sweet demeanor and willingness to assist all the poets and writers. Might you share with our readers why you believe it is important for students to volunteer at events such as this? Indira Hiyas Tiongson: I first heard about the book festival from my librarian, Ms. Karns, in Topeka West where the poetry slam is held and hosted by my school. Due to my love for reading and writing, I saw this as an opportunity to try something new. As a fellow young writer and a passionate teenager, it is so important to build connections with your community because those offer the kind of support that pushes you to grow. Being involved in volunteer events such as the Kansas Book Fair opens so many doors to learn from mentors and friends that you can use in the future. All my best writings come from the experiences I’ve gained. AN: Please share a little about yourself and how the way poetry is taught in Qatar may differ or be similar to the curriculum in the U.S. schools. IHT: Growing up in Qatar taught me so much about myself. I fell in love with that country to the point that I learned Arabic and aimed to be fluent with it, which I am now! There are some differences in the way poetry is taught in Qatar compared to the United States. Here in the U.S., there are several technicalities in grammar and skill associated with poetry, whereas in Qatar, the curriculum is much more focused on the idea and style of writing. There, they write from right to left because it follows Arabic. In the U.S., we write from left to right because it follows English. Otherwise, the two are similar. AN: Who brought you to poetry? Who are some of your favorite poets from Qatar? Do you have a poet laureate in Qatar? Might you share a line of two from one of their poems? IHT: I learned poetry through my English teacher, who also taught me the language. Poetry wasn’t anything new to me; however, writing poetry was. Once I got the hang of poetry, I began to use it as an outlet for my emotions and experiences. I don’t really have a favorite poet from Qatar, but one of my favorites poets is Mahmoud Darwish, a Palestinian poet, who wrote so beautifully in Arabic. The poet laureate in Qatar though (as far as I know) is Mohammed al-Ajami, who created a lot of political poems that touched the hearts of many. I’m unfamiliar with his work, so I’ll offer up Mahmoud Darwish instead, since this is one I remember by heart. “They asked me, do you love her to death? I said, 'speak of her over my grave and watch how she brings me back to life.' ” AN: Ira, those are beautiful poetic lines. And thank you for giving us some insight into your background. Would you now describe why you think writing poetry is important for students of your age? IHT: With all the issues going around the world, poetry is one of the many ways for teenagers like me to express themselves safely. This is how they are able to bond with like-minded people, be vulnerable, and tell their story to others in a creative way. Poetry isn’t just a form of writing but an outlet for the youth to find themselves and solidify their identity. AN: Who is your "go-to-person" in your family for poetry? IHT: As a teenager trying to navigate my relationship with my mom, I shared my love for writing with her. I like reading poems because of her and searching through Tumblr. I first discovered poetry in tumblr and discovered this beautiful and raw way for people to express themselves. I learned just from copying the writing style of those tumblr posts until I became vulnerable with my poems and began to write in my own voice. AN: As an active and involved high school student, when do you find time for poetry? IHT: Because my weekdays are always full, I usually take advantage of my free time on the weekends to just sit down and write everything I need to express. Sometimes I’ll have projects or exams to do on the weekend, so my time and creative juices both end up occupied. When that happens and I get too busy, I like to write one or two lines at night before bed just to allow myself to note any idea or feelings, and then I just revise them when I’m free again. AN: When people read your poetry, what do you hope they will experience? IHT: I always tell myself to write in my voice and to write from the heart, so I wish that readers of my work get a sense of validation or hope from my poetry. I want people to be able to say that they felt the same way; that they’re not wrong for crying over a boy, for missing their ex-best friend, or for being scared of speaking up, and that the world isn’t going to end if they do feel that deeply. Those emotions are what makes us human, and I want people to find the beauty in that because they aren’t alone for feeling, and to feel deeply is actually a great privilege. AN: Please share how living in different countries has shaped how you write. IHT: Getting to study Arabic poetry and Asian poetry, and even writing a few myself, has made me lean on writing freely. I realized that patterns, rhymes, and techniques were all actually subjective to the kind of audience that I have. Certain poems I write aren't going to make sense in Tagalog or Cantonese. The Arabic poems I write aren't going to come out the same when in English. Now I can write in a variety of styles and choose the one that I think will best show how I feel and what I want to say to my readers in the moment. AN: Who are your favorite poets, and why? IHT: I have a couple but I’ll name my three favorites: Mahmoud Darwish, Sylvia Plath, and Ocean Vuong. Mahmoud Darwish was one of the first Arabic poets who I fell in love with, and I always come back to the way he writes Arabic poems in such a breathtaking fashion. Sylvia Plath introduced me to the world of poetry back in tumblr, and I’ve loved her work since then. Ocean Vuong is a more recent poet and notable in this century. I adore all his poems. As an Asian immigrant, Vuong often writes about the nuanced relationship he had with his mom, which I resonate with as well. AN: What are some of your goals in poetry? IHT: My poetry goal is to write something that is true to myself and something that is bare. My English teacher once told me that the kind of poems that always connect with others are ones where the writers strips themselves naked to present their thoughts and feelings. I always aim for my poetry to be vulnerable and open for readers in order [for them] to see themselves and their experiences in every line. AN: When we met at the Kansas State Book Fair last summer, I was impressed by your spirit of volunteerism. Please share how volunteering at an event such as this inspired your own writing. Might you share about why you wanted the presenters at the Book Festival to sign your t-shirt? IHT: Volunteering for big events like the book fair is just a refreshing way for me to find new inspiration in my writing by experiencing the festival and meeting new people. I often notice the littlest things when I’m at big events. For example, the poetry slam section in the festival helped me write about my stage fright as I presented there in front of all those people. As a goal-oriented person, I also like to have a small project when I volunteer for festivals. In this case, it was the authors’ signatures, which helped me put myself out there when conversing with the presenters as well as enjoying the moment better since there was a goal to achieve. AN: Do you have a plan for how you will continue to develop your poetry in college? IHT: I know there’s no perfect plan when it comes to writing, but I’m hoping to take writing classes that will at least help me with writing technicalities as well as develop a style that may be better for me to express myself in with my future poems. I’d like classes that foster my imagination. In addition, I want to experience classes that have a certain requirement to meet when I write poetry since, to date, I’ve been freestyling most of my poems. AN: If you could explain your poetic journey, thus far, in a phrase, what might that phrase be? And why? IHT: "All the Claw Marks I Carry" encompasses significant moments in my life that I'll always remember. I've always struggled to let go of things for many reasons, but as I grow with every passing season, I learn to overcome those fears and let each claw mark heal with time. AN: We are so pleased that you came into our Flapper Press Poetry Café for this visit, Ira. Wishing you everything good as you pursue your studies. Now is the time for you to select poems to share with our readers. IHT: Thank you Annie and Elizabeth and the Flapper Press Poetry Café for this opportunity. This country robbed my father of his limbs. He no longer walks with his head up or holds me like home. Instead his palms are firm and calloused from work so my small, soft ones can carry the world weightlessly. My father cut his legs off, tied them into a ribbon of sacrifice, and gifted them for my feet to slow dance in places he could only dream of seeing. About the poem: The people in my life have nurtured, guided, and cheered for me, most especially my dad. I recently got into a fight with my dad, and this was a particularly difficult week for me. I was getting all my projects and homework due this week before finals. My argument with my dad really opened my eyes to how strict he had to grow into living as an immigrant and why he constantly pushed me to try harder (which was what we fought about) since he grew up from nothing and simply wanted me to seek what was best for me. I was always aware of my father’s sacrifices as an immigrant, but it’s only ever dawned on [me] how fortunate I truly am to get to do all of the things I am passionate about without financial worries or real-life consequences, unlike my father. I remember especially crying in the bathroom when my College English teacher praised me for my essay that I really enjoyed writing, and the fact that I could say I had access to this kind of education was already a privilege my dad did not have. Despite his anger towards me that moment and still apologizing to me after, I was able to just soak in everything my dad has done for me and it made me humanize his frustrations and nagging that I used to always hate. Unspoken Words I have written threads of poetry time and time again. I am a girl of stardust and love stories–to show the world my heartaches and butterflies come as easy as breathing now. But this silence that linger between each intertwined words that I don’t dare to speak, drown me in an endless ocean of misery I put myself in. I choose not to write love about you, and for you, and of you. Until my papers begin to whisper the chances I missed, Until my name parallel yours on letters I wish I sent, Until there was a maybe in the middle but never an us in the end. Because even in this poem, I hesitated to just tell you I love you until it was too late. About the Poem: "Unspoken Words" shows the perspective of a young first love as someone who was afraid to speak up because of rejection. I was the kid who never raised her hand in class, the friend who never shared her thoughts, and the girl who never took the chances presented in front of her. My experience with my first love taught me the moments I lose when I don’t use my voice. As I closely enter adulthood, I am louder in expressing myself to my loved ones and my passion. While I am no longer that fourteen year-old terrified over a rejection from my boy best friend, I hold this memory with me as a good reminder to just say it. Even My Pen Misses You I can’t stop writing about you but can you blame me, when only in my poems do you exist as beautiful as I once thought you were. About the poem: "Even My Pen Misses You" is the day I was taught to see the good in people even when they aren’t good to me. Despite my young age, I’ve been betrayed a lot and lost a lot with the boundaries I set. To me, letting go of people doesn't mean I contain harsh feelings against them, although it is admittedly difficult. I wish them well, and I only ever write beautiful things about them because there was a time where I loved them and I don’t regret loving my people. I’ll keep the good moments with me to write about, but all those bad ones are not my baggage to carry. You've Had to Have Known, Right? I have always loved in silence. I rather have ten thousand letters hidden on the side of my shelves, all folded and neatly stacked together. I rather have one hundred-something pictures hanging on my walls, all dust-covered and untouched. I relish the moments when time pauses and all I can hear are your laughs, all I can see are your smiles, and everything goes on to live yet doesn’t quite matter as much as you existing now. In that split second, I take twenty more photos in my head and write forty more letters in my heart before time melts and my love is invisible again. For someone who weaves words into clothes and iron them out into sentences on a daily basis, I never make enough words to express my adoration for you. I don’t tell you about any of the love sitting in the pages of my journal waiting for the next poetic phrase to describe you again. I’ve always loved people better in secret anyways in case they don’t love me back because then what do I do with all these poems? About the poem: "You Had to Have Known, Right?" is based on the drawer of little things in my vanity. I am a memory-holder. No matter how awful things become, I’ll always have the letter or the polaroid or the keychain with me for safekeeping. I hold a lot of love for people and therefore have plenty of claw marks constellating me. It is hard to express everything I feel, so I show them through every memory stored in my drawer. This means I never fully let go of everyone, but I’ve embraced that wonderful thing about me. Everything I felt behind always has a part of me, and I always treasure what others leave behind. Annie Klier Newcomer resides in Shawnee Mission, Kansas where she teaches poetry and coaches chess in Kansas City L.I.N.C. After-School Programs. She is honored to work with Elizabeth Gracen to help showcase poetry through the Flapper Press Poetry Café initiative. When not writing, swimming or walking her Aussiedoodle, you can find Annie sailing, camping or traveling with David, her husband of 44 years. If you enjoyed this Flash Poet interview, we invite you to explore more here! The Flapper Press Poetry Café Presenting a wide range of poetry with a mission to promote a love and understanding of poetry for all. We welcome submissions for compelling poetry and look forward to publishing and supporting your creative endeavors. Submissions may also be considered for the Pushcart Prize. Please review our Guidelines before submitting! Submission Guidelines

By Alex Manugian: In 2019, Martin Scorsese gave an interview to Empire magazine in which he differentiated between movie franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and true "cinema." This caused a bit of an uproar, so he took the time to write a clarification of his stance a few months later in an opinion piece in the New York Times. He said he didn’t intend to disparage the Marvel movies but rather that they weren’t for him. The movies he responds to are about “aesthetic, emotional and spiritual revelation.” And about characters. Speaking of the movies he fell in love with growing up, he says, "It was about confronting the unexpected on the screen and in the life it dramatized and interpreted, and enlarging the sense of what was possible in the art form. And that was the key for us: it was an art form." Martin Scorsese is a legendary filmmaker and one of my favorites. The work he has done in the area of film preservation is downright heroic. I respectfully disagree with his position on movies versus cinema. He goes on to make other points in the piece, some of which I feel the same about, and more of which I’d dispute. To me, Scorsese perpetuates two misguided beliefs as old as film theory. The first: there are all sorts of movies, many enjoyable, but very few achieve the level of art. This leads to the second belief: film as a whole must be considered a lesser art form. My position on the second point is that all art forms are equal. Ranking them is a perfectly valid exercise to express one’s own taste, but I can’t see how anyone can suggest one art form is objectively superior to another. As for the first point, I think all movies are art. Many may be lousy art, but lousy art is still art. It can be constructive to compare movies and try to determine if one is more impactful, rewarding, or meaningful than another. It’s probably the subject that takes up more space in my brain than anything else. But just like every song, every sculpture, every drawing, it’s all art. What possible value can there be in arguing otherwise? Plenty of us feel that film is equal to any other art form, but plenty more don’t. And prominent among those who don’t are many of the most accomplished filmmakers and critics since the moving image first moved. To me, art is simply any creative endeavor made with the hope of eliciting a thought or feeling in the person experiencing it. Not every movie succeeds, but even the most poorly or disingenuously executed ones still carry that intent. The traditional view describes seven art forms: architecture, literature, dance, theater, film, sculpture, and painting. It’s probably safer to say there are an infinite number, with more—such as digital and AI art—arriving all the time. Do other art forms have this inferiority complex, especially among their most lauded practitioners? Isn’t it usually the other way around, where the great composers or poets might tend to prefer their own medium to the rest? I don’t remember a time I didn’t love movies obsessively. The first film I can remember seeing was a screening of the original 1932 King Kong. It played in a movie theater in Boston when I was four years old. (Do I actually remember this or have I done that thing where I’ve combined photos, fanciful memories, and a narrative I like into a so-called memory? Probably the latter. But if so, I’m fairly certain this is a victimless crime.) I couldn't believe my eyes, couldn’t get over how it made me feel to sit in that vast auditorium. Yet my awareness of the positioning of most movies as beneath true art most likely began that same day. The movie was being shown in part because a lumbering, modestly well-received new version of King Kong had just been released. No doubt most of those attending our Kong screening were actively bemoaning Hollywood’s insistence on remaking an artistic accomplishment as a piece of commerce. You could argue that film theory got off to a perfectly doomed start. In 1896, French philosopher Henri Bergson possibly supplied the first published word on the brand-new medium. He recognized that the moving image—or as he coined it, the “movement image”—would need a new language to assess it. Yet, ten years later, he rejected movies as an example of what he had in mind. Presumably, they weren’t artistic enough to bother with. Early twentieth century American poet Vachel Lindsay was more willing to embrace movies, though he was a bit narrow in his definitions. He argued there were three kinds: action films (which he described as sculpture-in-motion), intimate films (painting-in-motion), and films of splendor (architecture-in-motion). Now we were getting somewhere! But Lindsey was primarily a poet (and aspiring anti-racist). Though many credit him with publishing the first book on film criticism in 1915 (The Art of the Moving Picture) his disarming theories were soon overtaken by other, sterner voices. Though Siegfried Kracauer’s Theory of Film was published in 1960, he first presented many of the concepts in the early 1930s. Here’s how the preface begins: "It would be fair to advise the reader at the outset that this book does not include all the things he may be looking for. It neglects the animated cartoon and avoids broaching problems of color. Certain recent developments and extensions of the medium are left undiscussed also. There are doubtless still other omissions; indeed, some of the topics which loom large in most writings on film have either been relegated to the background or completely dropped. But the reader himself will not be slow in discovering the gaps, if gaps they are. What does the book deal with? Its exclusive concern is the normal black-and-white film, as it grows out of photography. The reason I confine myself to it is rather obvious: Film being a very complex medium, the best method of getting at its core is to disregard, at least temporarily, its less essential ingredients and varieties. I have adopted throughout this sensible procedure." Kracauer is still considered one of the essential voices of film theory. His work is filled with invaluable perception and analysis. And my arbitrary cut-off point doesn’t do justice to the fact that he has practical reasons to stick solely to black-and-white films. But I’d argue that Kracauer is also the grandfather of the dismissive attitude toward so much of the art form. He describes color film—which some might argue represents the way things look in the actual world—as a "problem." Color films, animation, and movies utilizing special effects are sideshows of film that he doesn’t consider worth studying. So much for my transportive experience watching the original King Kong. More than 60 years after Kracauer first posited his theories, film students like me were still reading them. And we were firmly scolded for thinking that all filmed content might at the very least start out on equal footing. And by pronoun choice alone, Kracauer’s preface establishes clearly who has dominated the creation and critiquing of films since their creation—white men. When it comes to how most of us perceive the artform, the most prominent influencers have long been movie critics. Beginning in the 1930s, journalists Mordaunt Hall and then Bosley Crowther for the New York Times established the film review template of the next two decades. Hall and Crowther did not consider themselves theorists. Neither strove to position film as an art form in need of analysis. Yet, somehow, both managed to help ingrain the concept that there were junk movies, enjoyable Hollywood entertainment, and, on very rare occasions, a film one might classify as art. The most influential of all film journalists arrived on the scene in 1952 and did more than anyone else to make us feel ashamed for loving a movie she looked down on. New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael defined modern film criticism. She brought a conversational approach that freed critics to lend more of themselves to the role and to make reviews more accessible. She once explained: “I worked to loosen my style, to get away from the term-paper pomposity that we learn at college. I wanted the sentences to breathe, to have the sound of a human voice.” This was a welcomed step forward, and Kael is a skilled, deeply insightful writer with a true gift for turning a phrase. From my perspective, Kael loved film, but she didn’t love movies. And that set the tone for nearly all reviewers and "cineasts" (watch your back with anyone who describes themselves this way) who followed. Somehow she took Kracauer’s disdain for commercial aspects of the medium and doubled down. How dare the studios produce movies intended to please the masses? The number of delightful mainstream films that Kael disliked is much, much longer than the movies she loved. And, at least to me, it became apparent that she was somewhat intoxicated by her influence. Reviews became unnecessarily cruel. Pauline Kael invented the modern "pan." I was a film critic for fifteen years. All critics learn quickly that it’s much easier to explain why a movie is bad than why it’s good. Luckily, another voice was arguably as prominent as Kael from the 1970s until his death in 2013; Roger Ebert wrote about movies with comparable skill and insight. And yes, he panned plenty of films. The difference is that he liked so, so many more movies than Kael. (For the record, Ebert thought Kael was nothing short of brilliant. Every film reviewer or filmmaker I’ve ever read about or spoken with thinks Kael is brilliant. But then again, most of them also agree that only a tiny portion of movies are art, so here we are again.) Ebert became the model for the kind of movie watcher I wanted to be. He made sure to find the positive even in the most mercenary of commercial projects, and struggled far less to differentiate between "movies" and "cinema." He was still susceptible to believing in this concept, but at least he managed to include a lot more accessible films in the "cinema" category. Now, there are the post-Kael film critics and the post-Ebert critics. The proliferation of online critics mostly follow Ebert’s style, though certain pompously contrarian sites such as Slate and Salon bend over backward to avoid appreciating popular commercial movies. And Kael’s style has been passed mostly intact to successive New Yorker critics such as David Denby and Anthony Lane. Lane has perfected a particular pretention: when he finds himself actually enjoying a studio release that veers more toward commerce than artistic intentions, he makes sure to word it in a way of patronizing bafflement. Until his retirement in 2022, the Pulitzer Prize–winning Wall Street Journal critic Joe Morgenstern approached his segments on NPR with similar condescension. I think it’s their way of making sure we understand that these moments are the exceptions, not the rule. Apparently, even Hollywood gets it right every once in a while. What’s behind this love-shame relationship? My best guess is that it comes down to the insistence that true art in any form must never be too accessible. That if it doesn’t take some real work to comprehend, require deep reflection, or provoke a lively debate, it must fall short of the mark. I think this holds true in the assessment of most art forms. It’s the same ingrained reverence that ensures a bland symphony is on a higher pedestal than a great pop song, or a dazzling gourmet meal above a perfectly executed grilled cheese. It’s okay to feel and think differently about the symphony and gourmet meal, because they’re almost as unlike the pop song or grilled cheese as each other. It’s okay to argue that a symphony—ten times the length of an average song, with ten times as many instrumental parts—is a far greater accomplishment. But that doesn’t mean one is art and one is not. Maybe the fear is that calling every movie, song, or grilled cheese a work of art diminishes the entire concept of art itself. I don’t think that’s true. I think that’s the age-old snobbish belief that the less we classify as art, the more discerning and clever we seem. This is the real shame—to appreciate less of the beauty of the world so we can feel more erudite than others. Whereas the more we embrace the artistry of any endeavor, the more fulfilled and better off we are. Art should not be defined by the amount of labor that seems to have been put into it or how complex it is. Those are all valid variations within an art form. But art is simply a creative expression, no matter how small or large, how simple or sophisticated. For Scorsese, it’s about aesthetic, emotional and spiritual revelation, and characters. I and many consumers of movies can find all of these in a vast range of movies that the Kracauers and Kaels would not dare call art. Including more than a few Marvel movies. Alex Manugian fell in love with movies at four years old, when his father took him to see a screening of the original King Kong. He has written original screenplays and adaptations for Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount, New Regency, and others. Alex co-wrote and co-starred in James Ward Byrkit's 2013 film Coherence, which has achieved worldwide cult status. In 2017, Alex joined the writing staff of Grey’s Anatomy for two seasons. Most recently, he began teaching Script Analysis at Pepperdine University. He has also been a film critic, development executive at Cartoon Network, and a highly sought-after housepainter on both sides of the country.

By Jon Cohen: The golden years should be a time to savor the melody of life, not a constant hum of worry. Yet, for many seniors and their caregivers, the desire to age in place clashes with anxieties about safety and well-being. Like a conductor bringing harmony to an orchestra, Nomo SmartCare emerges, gently bridging the gap between independence and support with its innovative blend of technology and human connection. As a technology journalist, I've seen many gadgets and apps that promise to make life easier, safer, and more connected for older adults who want to stay in their own homes. But most of them require constant monitoring, invasive cameras, or complicated installation. That's why I was intrigued by Nomo, a new smart-care system that uses motion and sound sensors to track daily routines and alert caregivers when something is out of the ordinary. More Than Just Monitoring: A Discreet Guardian in Daily Life Forget the harsh spotlight of intrusive cameras. Nomo employs discreet motion sensors and tags, acting like silent guardians throughout the home. Think about the relief that is felt daily by knowing your loved one safely made it to the kitchen for breakfast or in receiving an alert if they haven't taken their morning medication. This unobtrusive monitoring provides peace of mind without compromising privacy, allowing seniors to retain their dignity and freedom. Caregivers Are Empowered While Their Lives Are Enriched: A Daily Chorus of Support The Nomo SmartCare app is user-friendly and is the heart of the whole experience, a versatile conductor orchestrating a symphony of care. Picture receiving an alert if your loved one hasn't left their room for an extended period, allowing you to check in discreetly. Or imagine the comfort of knowing you can initiate two-way voice communication through the hub, offering a reassuring voice whenever it is needed. This platform fosters collaboration, allowing family, friends, and neighbors to join the Care Circle, creating a supportive network that enriches daily life. A Scalable Solution for Every Note: A Personalized Symphony Nomo SmartCare adapts to the evolving needs of each senior, ensuring the melody of care stays in tune. Whether it's starting with a basic kit to track daily routines or expanding with additional sensors and tags to monitor specific areas such as the kitchen or bathroom, the system seamlessly integrates into daily life. Set medication reminders that chime through the hub, ensuring timely adherence, or create activity zones to track movement in key areas, providing peace of mind without being intrusive. Nomo offers a comprehensive suite of features tailored to individual preferences. Beyond Monitoring: A Supportive Chorus for Daily Joys Nomo SmartCare transcends the role of a passive observer, evolving into a supportive chorus that uplifts the lives of both caregivers and seniors. Imagine how it will feel knowing that your loved one can maintain their independence with the comfort that help is readily available. Picture the freedom they experience knowing their privacy is respected, fostering a sense of security and comfort within their own home. With Nomo SmartCare, the journey of aging transforms into a beautiful composition of confidence and companionship, conducted with care and compassion. The Future of Caregiving: A Symphony of Possibilities As the population continues to get older, innovative solutions such as Nomo SmartCare are here to help reshape the landscape of caregiving. By prioritizing privacy, personalization, and empowerment, Nomo represents a paradigm shift in how we can support our loved ones as they age. With its commitment to dignity and independence, Nomo SmartCare paves the way for a future where aging in place is not just a dream but a reality, sung in perfect harmony with technology and human connection. In the symphony of life, Nomo SmartCare offers a reassuring melody, guiding caregivers and seniors toward a future filled with confidence, comfort, and connection. Jon Cohen’s contributions can be found on radio, TV, and print media. Jon makes “geek speak” understandable for the masses and has been a voice in the tech community for over 20 years. A former “Geek Squad” member as well as an “Apple Genius,” he offers a fresh perspective on technology, photography, and social media. Twitter: @cohenHD

By Elizabeth Gracen: First of all, I can’t believe that it’s been ten years since the very talented James Ward Byrkit first invited me to join seven other actors for an evening of improv for a film idea he was considering. It would turn out to be a fortuitous moment where I met what would become my “comet cohorts” and would serve as a most unique acting journey that I’m pretty sure I will never experience again—at least in this particular timeline (Coherence humor). Hosted by the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in downtown LA, the venue’s event sold out 3 shows and Q&A sessions on the evening of February 3, 2024, to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the film. It gave the entire Coherence cast, cinematographer, director, and producers a perfect excuse to see each other again, reminisce about our experience, and celebrate a film that has received international acclaim as “one of the best sci-fi movies of the century.”* As you can imagine, a good time was had by all. Left to Right, Standing: Maury Sterling, Hugo Armstrong, Elizabeth Gracen, Alex Manugian, Seated: Nichols Brendon, Lorene Scafaria, Jim Byrkit, Emily Baldoni, Lauren Maher If you haven’t seen Coherence—a mind-bending film about eight friends, a dinner party, an astronomical anomaly, and the strange goings-on that ensue, it is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and you can pick up your own copy of the film on the Oscilloscope Laboratories distributor website. Word to the wise: you might not want to watch it alone if you are easily “spooked," but I heard from a fan at the recent event that it’s a perfect theme for a film-viewing dinner party—especially if you include hijinks of your own making. After a bit of research online, I found a Reddit thread that suggested that you could make the dinner truly trippy by adding glow sticks to the dining table and playing eerie music to set the mood. Maybe you go all in and change shirts when someone goes to the bathroom and insist that you’ve been wearing it the whole time. Some even suggest that edibles should be involved . . . and if you’re really in the know, you might want to add a “whisper of ketamine” to the menu. You’ll have to watch the film to get all the references, but I think it sounds like a great party. In fact, I know it is. Conceived during a typical creative brainstorming session between Byrkit and his writing partner, Alex Manugian, who plays “Amir” in the film, the duo entertained Byrkit’s  “What if?” idea based on the concept of being “watched” through their office window by a version of themselves. Over the next year, they expanded the idea into a mysterious quantum-physics-inspired puzzle of a film that continues to have audiences pondering the possibilities of perceived reality. Considered the ultimate mumblecore cinema magic trick, Coherence debuted with great success in 2013 at Fantastic Fest and serves as Byrkit’s first feature film as a director. It quickly became a critically lauded sci-fi classic that rates 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and continues to be honored on sci-fi best-movie lists, with Indiewire declaring it one of the 62 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 21st Century. With a budget of only $50,000 and a determination to venture a cinematic experiment that shaved away the typical trappings of crew and script, Byrkit instinctively curated a cast of his friends to film in his own home over five nights, working from a 12-page treatment and the bare-essential film requirements of professional audio and DSLR cameras, with luminous magic fashioned by cinematographer Nic Sadler. Before each night’s shoot, Byrkit emailed each actor “clues” that had to be interjected into the upcoming night’s work—a supremely structured improvisational game, where no actor knew what to expect. It made for a fresh, exciting atmosphere where literally anything could happen. “It seemed very far-fetched when I started,” said Byrkit. “So many things had to coalesce for it to work. It felt like a long, unlikely journey, but it all came together just a month before we did it—basically because my wife decided that she wanted to have a home birth and told me that I could have five nights to shoot it in the house before the baby came. I mean, what are the odds that the actors would be available? How was I going to make it all happen that quickly? . . . And then it all just fell into place. Ten years later I’m just filled with gratitude all the time. Just overwhelming gratitude . . . because it turned out even better than I hoped.” The anniversary event was the first time since film production that the entire cast was available to get together. My comet pals indulged me that evening, answering questions for this article, further cementing my appreciation for their talent, our collective experience, and our binding connection as artists, friends, and fellow players. “As a performer, it was amazing, because I was totally in my skin. I didn’t have a choice. You had to pay attention. I genuinely did not know what was happening. I mean, you had a little clue like, ‘You’re going to say this when they say that,’ but the experience was so visceral and authentic, and I think that plays in the final film. It transcends every time you see it. It’s totally infectious,” said Hugo Armstrong, who plays “Hugh” in the film. Emily Baldoni, who plays “Em,” had the unique experience of knowing just a tad more than the other actors as the film production progressed; but like the rest of us, she had no idea what the final film would reveal. “To me it all felt like eight toddlers coming together and playing in the sandbox, trying out new toys. It was nothing but play. Sometimes terrifying play, but it was fun. It was joyful and experimental.” Maury Sterling, known for his role of “Max” in the series Homeland, plays “Kevin” in the film. When I asked him what he remembered most about the experience, he said, “I thought it was a terrible idea at first. When Jim called me and said let’s get eight actors together to improv, I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? You’re going to let eight actors just improv . . . with no containment?’ I should have known that there was an absolutely painstakingly creative, meticulous spine behind what we were doing. He knew there was a structure. Our improv was hanging off this incredibly choreographed skeleton.” Lauren Maher, the “naughty girl” in the film, serves as a perfect nemesis for my character, Beth, who takes a dislike to Maher’s “Laurie” from the moment she walks in the door. “In real life, you know that I adore you,” I told her at the event. “But for some reason, I decided from the get-go when we started filming that I was going to be mean as hell to you to see what would happen. I treated you like such a harlot. You were wicked!” “Oh yeah, I was the odd man out for sure. It was so much fun,” replied Maher. “Because Jim wasn’t giving us a lot of story information, I remember there would be times where I would mention to him that the continuity was all off with what I was doing from the last shot, and he would tell me that it was fine, that it didn’t matter. I would be thinking, Really? Is that professional? I mean, normally that is not fine . . . but I had no idea that I was shooting a scene in an alternate reality!” Nicholas Brendon, who played “Mike” in the film, flew in from Virginia to attend the event. He told the Q&A crowd after one of the screenings that he had been up in the air about coming back for the event because of his recent health issues, but as he was sitting in his car at a drive-through to get coffee one afternoon, ready to call Jim and tell him that he wasn’t coming, he flipped through his socials and a random article popped into his feed that listed Coherence as the top sci-fi film of the decade. “I mean, I had to come back. It was a sign.” Writer and director Lorene Scafaria stepped into the project just before filming began, replacing Byrkit’s very pregnant wife. “You know, I don’t consider myself an actor. I was working on a comedy punch-up with a group of writers for the Gore Verbinski film Rango (Byrkit served as co-writer, artist, and actor on the film), and I think Jim thought I was funny. He called me up and said, ‘I’ve never seen you act, but I feel like you can,’ and he invited me to join the production. He told me that Nicholas Brendon was going to be in it. I was already a huge fan of Nick’s from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I told him ‘yes!’ The whole thing was just so much fun. I got to play Nick’s wife, and we really hit it off. It felt like we were husband and wife who had actually been together for so long. I was blown away by everybody in the cast, and I really had no idea what were were doing or how it would look in the end. I remember attending the screening with a friend and saying, 'We have to be nice. We have to say that it’s great, even though it's probably not going to be great.' And then, honestly, ten minutes in, my friend was on the edge of his seat, leaning forward. He turned all the way around to say to me, ‘Is this amazing or what?’ It was amazing, and by the end I was even more blown away by the unfolding.” Having been part of the Highlander franchise and witnessing the international love for that film and television series, I gradually came to understand why a story and its characters resonate with people, especially in the fantasy/sci-fi community. But, I was curious . . . Why does Coherence hold sway over its fans? "I don’t know a lot of people who are willing to put in the fanatical, detailed brain power into working something out so far in advance like Jim did," said Armstrong. "Something that you can actually plug people in to and just kick the blocks off and watch the thing roll. One of the really cool things about this film is that it doesn’t do anything but respect the viewer’s intelligence enough to be four steps ahead, trusting that the viewer is going pay attention. So, by the time you leave the movie, no matter how much of the puzzle that you’ve figured out, you’re the one who’s figured it out. There’s a wonderful cerebral participation that is happening simultaneously with this sort of physical interaction that all of us are going through on screen." “I think it's really grounded. It’s about people and relationships. It actually sticks to its own rules. As a director, it inspires me to keep things as fresh as possible and give people intentions that maybe the other actors don’t know. Also, it's a micro-budget film, but no mater what you make (Scafaria's impressive film resumé includes Hustlers, The Meddler, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and directing credits on episodes of Succession), it’s never enough money or time. So it’s inspiring in that no matter what level you’re working at, what scale you’re working with, it’s a reminder of how much you can do with what you’ve given.” So, what have my comet buddies been up to these days on their own special timelines? Maury Sterling has recently appeared in the second episode of Byrkit’s new brainchild, Shatter Belt—another mind-bending series of episodic stories that journey to the edge of consciousness and back. But Sterling has ventured behind the camera as a producer since the Homeland series ended. “I was on Homeland for a long time, and when that ended, I knew I needed a new skin. Being a producer has been really rewarding and exciting.” Emily Baldoni reunites with Hugh Armstrong in the first installment of Shatter Belt, playing a mysterious agent from the future. But the majority of her time is devoted to her own young children and to her lifestyle brand, We Are Amma—a company dedicated to celebrating mammas—to support, uplift, and nurture them. The company’s Cocoon nursing cover has met with great success and has allowed her to wear the entrepreneur hat and dive into studies about the sacred feminine. “Our motto is ‘A nurtured mamma changes the world.’ I’m now learning about ancient technologies of circle and ceremonies and the blood mysteries. It's amazing and empowering. I’m interested in blending sound, movement, healing touch, and all the things that gather women in circle again, like we’ve done for eons." Hugo Armstrong continues to work in theatre productions and as a voice-over actor. “It’s funny, but I’ve been doing a lot of short-film projects lately that have introduced me to a whole new generation of young filmmakers who are awesome . . . and of course, every one of them knows about Coherence. The film inspired them and gave them confidence to make their own movies.” Lauren Maher’s life has taken a giant leap forward since the film. Now a licensed psychotherapist focusing on anxiety management and trauma therapy, she has written an incredible book, Mindfulness Workbook for Panic Attacks. “My next step is to create really accessible mental health tools that people can use. I want to create online content, because I feel like a lot of people can’t afford therapy or don’t have access to it. My passion is helping people learn how to regulate their nervous system in a very accessible way. I draw on yoga training . . . even some acting techniques. I want to help people answer the questions: How do we become embodied? How do we take back control of our body, mind, spirit?” Alex Manugian continues to write and flesh out new ideas with Byrkit, as well as teaching classes in script analysis at the prestigious Pepperdine University. I'm excited to announce that he is joining the Flapper Press roster of writers in the near future, and rumor has it that he's also planning his own directorial debut with an upcoming genre film, a ghost story set in Massachusetts. Can't wait! Nicholas Brendon continues to act and write, but he's also has branched out into fine arts as a painter. His vibrant work is now available nickybrendon.com. Nic Sadler continues to make beautiful art and stir the pot as activist and artist. When I checked out his LinkedIn page, I couldn't help but laugh at his "About," which says: "I make stuff. You might like it. If you don't, please don't tell me." As for me, here at Flapper Press we continue to feature and support artists, writers and visionaries from around the globe. I'm also spinning all my creative plates, finishing up Ms. Meriwether— a documentary feature film about the incredibly fabulous Lee Meriwether—and I continue to film and archive work for the ongoing The Gen Z Collective project; we're proud to be launching a "get out the vote" push in the coming weeks. I've also opened Fortuna Thrift & Vintage with my friend Maria Sarno, and I've been working steadily on principal photography with a crack team of producers on Natural State of Drag, a documentary feature about the long history of drag in Arkansas. And as for our fearless leader? What has the creative mind of Jim Byrkit concocted next for our entertainment? “I’m shopping Shatter Belt at the upcoming Marché du Film market at Cannes, hoping to get funding to continue the series. We might also revisit a Coherence television idea that is based on a whole different idea from the film. We’ll see what happens.” As we finished our final Q&A session for the night, there was really only one question left unanswered: Will there be a Coherence sequel? "Alex and I have been trying for years to figure out what that would be. We really have tried," said Byrkit. "For the original film, within five minutes of talking about it, we were like, 'Yeah. I'm gonna do it. That's going to work.' There's a feeling you get when you know it's right, and we're waiting for that feeling." Well, comet lovers, here's hoping that the stars align into another brilliant astronomical anomaly and that that special Coherence feeling finds its way back to us. Until then, we remain ever watchful, glow sticks at the ready. Elizabeth Gracen is the owner of Flapper Press & Flapper Films.

By Hiram Larew: Historic Woodlawn Plantation in Northern Virginia, USA, was built in 1805 by relatives of George Washington on property that he owned. In its heyday, Woodlawn was home to 9 white individuals who were served by 90 enslaved people. In 2019, I took a week-long writer’s residence (sponsored by The Inner Loop) at Woodlawn. I invited African-American friends/poets to join me there for a day of reflection. The result was an amazing outpouring of poetry, artwork, and music that, over the last years, we’ve presented as a program called Voices of Woodlawn, both locally and across the world via Zoom. In the program, we imagine the tragedy of slavery at Woodlawn, as well as at most all of America’s historic plantations. But, just as significantly, we also explore the impact of slavery’s legacy on our lives today. Here is one of the recorded 1-hour programs: The artwork below, titled Royalty, was created by Voices of Woodlawn artist and poet Diane Wilbon Parks. Here is an excerpt from one of the Voices of Woodlawn poems by Sylvia Dianne Beverly, aka Ladi Di: Mama Oh Mama By Ladi Di (c) 4-14-21 Mama! Is Master gonna sell you from us today? Mama! I surely pray not, cause I don’t know what me and Nettie Clisstie and Jimmy would do, would do Mama, without the comfort of your touch and the sweetness of your voice. Oh Mama we would be sad, Sadder than sad, so sad Mama if we didn’t have you. Here’s what one viewer said about Voices of Woodlawn: Through incredibly eloquent and powerful words, the four poets gave voice to the Woodlawn slaves who were forgotten and invisible. Accompanied by a harmonicist who passionately played his instrument, the performance was a prime example of the special relationship between words and music. I highly recommend the Voices of Woodlawn program. — Dr. Michael Anthony Ingram, Host and Producer Quintessential Listening: Poetry Online Radio podcast To contact Voices of Woodlawn, email us at VoicesofWoodlawn@gmail.com Hiram Larew founded the informal Poetry X Hunger initiative in 2017 as a way to bring two areas of interest—poetry and hunger prevention—together. Upon retiring from the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he helped guide international agriculture programs, he noticed that relatively little poetry about hunger was available. Believing in the power of poetry to touch hearts and minds, he launched Poetry X Hunger as a way to encourage poets to write about hunger.

By Kimberly Hayes: As a busy professional, it is common to feel stressed, overwhelmed, and burnt out. Often, the long hours and the pressure to succeed may lead to neglecting your personal life, which eventually leads to unhappiness and dissatisfaction. However, achieving career success and maintaining a fulfilling personal life is possible with the right strategies. In this article, shared below by The Gen Z Collective, we’ll discuss ways to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Practice Positive Thinking Our thoughts greatly impact our emotions and actions. Positive thinking is a powerful tool that helps to change our attitudes toward challenges and obstacles. As a busy professional, it is important to stay motivated despite the long hours and demanding workloads. By adopting a positive attitude, you can approach work with enthusiasm and optimism. Embrace positive affirmations, visualize your goals, and focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. This will boost your confidence levels and increase your resilience. Effective Communication Effective communication is the key to any successful relationship. As a busy professional, you need to build strong relationships with your colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. Communication helps you to understand their needs, expectations, and concerns. It also helps solve conflicts and misunderstandings. Active listening, clarity, and empathy are fundamental skills that you need to master. Ensure that you are approachable, responsive, and respectful in your communication. Prioritize Quality Time In the pursuit of career success, it is easy to neglect your personal life. However, spending time with your loved ones is crucial for your well-being and happiness. Make an effort to create quality time for your family and friends. This could include having dinner together, going for a weekend getaway, or simply spending time watching a movie or playing games. Prioritizing quality time with your loved ones keeps you connected and strengthens your relationships. Take Up a Hobby Finding a hobby is a vital strategy for professionals striving to balance career success with personal fulfillment. Engaging in activities outside of work offers an escape from the demands of a hectic professional life. For example, learning how to nurture houseplants, a seemingly simple pursuit, not only provides a much-needed avenue for relaxation and mental decompression but also enhances the aesthetics of your living environment. Hobbies like these can serve as a reminder of the growth and nurturing potential in all aspects of life, reinforcing a sense of accomplishment and personal well-being. Update Your Cover Letter and Find a Better Job If you are not happy in your current job, it is time to consider finding a more rewarding job. A job that aligns with your passions, skills, and values will give you a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. Start by identifying your career goals, and then tailor your job search to these goals. Boost your chances of landing an interview with a solid cover letter and resume. When you create a PDF online of your resume, you safeguard the format, regardless of the device or operating system used to read it. Moreover, this format is compatible with a variety of online tools that provide options to convert, compress, edit, and rearrange the content, making your resume more versatile and easier to handle. Consider Going Back to School If your current job starts to feel like a dead end, consider going back to school. Online programs are ideal for working professionals who are looking to enhance their skills and knowledge. Pursuing an advanced degree can open up new career opportunities. It can also make you more marketable and add value to your resume. Going back to school is an investment in your future and can help you achieve your career goals. Work with a Life Coach Stuck in a rut? Working with a life coach can help you gain clarity and focus. A life coach helps you identify your goals, strengths, and challenges. They also help you create actionable strategies that enable you to achieve your goals. A life coach provides accountability, support, and guidance throughout your career journey. They help you to overcome your limiting beliefs, develop new habits, and create a sense of purpose and fulfillment. In conclusion, achieving career success does not have to come at the expense of your personal life. Finding a rewarding job, creating a positive work environment, going back to school, and other strategies are effective ways to achieve your career goals while maintaining a fulfilling personal life. It is possible to have it all—just remember to stay focused, motivated, and committed to your well-being. Join The Gen Z Collective in championing the causes that matter to you. Discover organizations and connect with like-minded individuals dedicated to making a difference. Visit our website and start making your impact today! Kimberly Hayes is Chief Blogger for Public Health Alert as she studies to become a crisis intervention counselor. She enjoys writing about health and wellness and created Public Health Alert to help keep the public informed about the latest developments in popular health issues and concerns.

By Angel Lopez: The next chapter of your life is in full swing, whether you recognize it or not. And it’s important at this point to ask yourself, “Am I being guided by fear or intuition?” These two voices sound so alike sometimes that it’s hard to differentiate. We all want to believe that we are so deeply in tune with our inner selves that we can tap into our deepest truth and know what is best. But fear can be strong, and it masquerades so beautifully as a voice of truth that you believe it instantly. And it makes sense, because that fear is usually rooted in something that’s accompanied you for much of your life; a trauma that’s calcified and built a structure of protection around your heart; a mean lie that you innocently believed and gave life to as a full-fledged insecurity. These traumas and lies can start to rule your life and show up as the loudest voice in your decision-making process. Meanwhile, intuition is in the back row, shouting for someone, anyone, to listen. Your goal for Pisces Season is to boot that fear-based voice to the back of the room. It can chime in when you’re in a physically dangerous situation and tell you to turn around. But when it comes to facing your goals and dreams dead in the eyes, you need intuition at the helm, calling the shots and guiding you in the direction of your heart and soul. Read for your Sun sign, but also check your Rising, if you know it. ARIES You’re in the process of growing to an even greater and clearer sense of self-worth, and that can make the demons of your personal uncertainty even louder. They’re squirming because you have the power right now to release old doubts and insecurities to the point of banishment. The trick in doing so lies in presence. You must work hard to grow so present in your life right now that it’s difficult for the past to be seen—or more so, felt. Because you do need your past to measure how far you’ve come and to remember what you’ve overcome, but you also need to feel how good it is to let something go and move beyond adversity. Don’t get caught up in any feelings of your past. Instead, attach yourself to a feeling of triumph that comes when you accomplish something. Your attention should be focused toward any and all of the successes you've made . TAURUS This is a good time to look to your community as a sense of how you’re progressing on your path. Are you feeling supported and strengthened, surrounded by folks who nurture your sense of belonging? Or are you in a place of isolation, where you can stay steeped in an old version of you, free from growth? If it’s the latter, you may find you’re struggling to find your footing in any of the new projects or directions you’re trying to manifest. Recognize that you don’t need to go it alone. In fact, going it alone is going to amplify all of your old ways and inhibit the new growth that wants to come through. You need help in the form of people who can spark your creativity and speak your spiritual language. Soul friends are all around you—embrace them. GEMINI Something soulful and surprising has come along and helped ignite you with a greater sense of purpose. Your natural spirit of curiosity is up and about, wondering how to lasso you a more distinct next chapter. The truth is, you need to get a little lost in the mystery of what’s to come. Approach this current life like the detective in a playful, pre-teen book. You have an idea where you’re headed, and some things are in process, but don’t feel the need to have all the answers and know all the details just yet. Explore any chaos around you. Take time to ponder the current insights and swim in the wonder of what could be. And take some tangible steps in the land of your dreams without needing to feel like you’ve reached the goal. Know that the smallest of strides gets you closer to the horizon. CANCER There may be some new dreams for your life that you didn’t even consider as a want or possibility before. You can be somewhat stubborn, so it’s been easy to create a sense of your life and how it’s meant to work without leaving much room for growth or change. And you’ve probably put structures in place that have been working, so there hasn’t been a need to explore much beyond the way you’ve been living. However, life has recently thrown you some new experiences that have shifted the landscape of your philosophy, discovering truths you didn’t believe had pertained to you. It’s time to get comfortable shifting the way you see yourself. Perhaps there’s actually a bigger life out there for you than you even cared to dream. Challenge yourself to change beliefs and welcome in some new, exciting adventures. LEO You’re being called to deepen your sense of life by integrating any of the hard or growth-inducing lessons you’ve recently experienced. You may have to go within and make sure that you fully allowed yourself to feel all you needed to during a difficult situation. You may have gone through it, but there’s still some lessons to dig in to so that you can take the gifts of the adversity and truly utilize them. You’re aching to engage more passionately with your purpose or career in a way that infuses it with more joy. Know that all of your greatest challenges offer valuable insights into how you tackle your aspirations. There may even be a part of yourself you didn’t know existed that rose to the top when you needed to face something hard. That piece of you can now be your ambition’s secret weapon. VIRGO You would benefit from some strong relationships in your life, so it’s important you spend more time alongside people whose life philosophy aligns with yours. This means pulling back on that desire to nurse those wounded birds who nest in your life. And it also means to pay more attention to your own wounded sensibilities and how much credit you give them. You may be in a torrid relationship with one or more of your own inner injuries. You may have gotten so used to nurturing your own traumas that they’ve just taken root and colored your view of the world. That’s not to say there aren’t tangible and painful circumstances existing in your sphere, but how you look upon and internalize them controls your ability to motivate yourself on a daily basis. And you need motivation right now to continue learning how to make a better, more-powerful you. LIBRA The discipline you seek to commit to a transformation for your life is ready for duty, but you’re gonna have to let go of some aspects of yourself that have lingered for too long. This doesn’t have to be some difficult process. In fact, you’d benefit from employing a “fake it ‘til you make it” mentality. Just start to do the things you want to have in your life, even if it feels like you’re playing pretend. The more you can force yourself to engage with your desires and goals, even in a sloppy way, the better you’ll find yourself building the actual routine of it. And that will help create some belief that what you want can be tangible. This is important because it’s really some outdated beliefs that need to be released. So just smother them with any activities and habits that will help produce your new reality. SCORPIO You’re engaging in some new partnerships that will challenge you because they will find their way into your heart and life more quickly than you usually like to move. Try not to fight it. You are naturally weary of people and don’t trust easily, but sometimes if someone just makes sense, you can’t avoid just letting them in. This also may not be someone brand new. There may be people in your life who’ve been around for a minute, but current experiences are creating a new narrative for your relationship where you’re able to rewrite your feelings for them. Surprise yourself by evolving and giving them a second chance. And know that this can work in two ways. Some are rushing in while others are being exposed, therefore ushering themselves out of the deepest part of your heart. Let them go too so you can make room for the new. SAGITTARIUS You can’t rewrite your history. You can only learn from and embrace it. But be aware of where you’ve maybe told yourself you’ve moved on when you really have not. Grudges and feelings of resentment can build up and turn into nasty anxiety and pain. Now’s a great time to find creative ways to forgive any pieces or people of the past who still make you cringe. That disgust you feel comes from a place in your heart that’s housing hurt, and you don’t need it anymore. This isn’t to say you have to love those who’ve hurt you, but you have to either make amends or leave them behind. Just make sure it’s your intuition and heart deciding the outcome. Because if ego or anger are calling the shots, then you’re not releasing, you’re retaliating. And that just keeps the cycle in motion. CAPRICORN It’s time to drum up your most insightful, creative self. To allow your inner child to step forth and play. To let go of any need to control so you can get more comfortable with the mystical. Yes, we know you’re the one who relies more greatly on a tangible reality rather than on the invisible hand. But if you can welcome more of the magical into your life right now, you’ll find there are some really exciting opportunities and excursions to be had that can wildly challenge your outlook on life. And to be honest, you could use a little shake-up of your mentality. There’s only so long that you can hold on to any beliefs before they start to grow stale and leave you standing behind the curve of your growth. It’s time to get more present with your purpose, but that comes with an adjustment on how you receive change. AQUARIUS You’re in the midst of a personal revolution, when you’re feeling an inspiring wave of shift and enthusiasm coming toward your shore. But in order to fully feel it wash over you, you’re going to have to galvanize a greater sense of discipline, value and commitment for the projects and ambitions that you’re striving to bring into fruition. Try your best to be in service to the future you who is excitedly waiting to share in the rewards of your endeavors. Picture them rooting you on from the future’s finish line, in all their triumphant glory. It’s kind of a sci-fi scenario, which should speak to your soul’s quirky nature. It could also help you to feel like you’re on more of a narrative, heroic journey, which you are. But if you can really let yourself approach life like that, then you’ll be better able to feel into the motivational energy that’s trying to guide you. PISCES It’s time for you to pause and acknowledge all of the hard work that you’ve been putting in to crafting the next chapter of your life. Even if it doesn’t feel like you’ve fully made the headway you were aspiring to, or if you can’t entirely see what’s ahead of you, please recognize how you have found ways to push some new, beautiful flowers of growth through the concrete challenges of your life. You’re also birthing a new version of you that is so much more aligned with the most authentic expression of your soul that you can trust a bit more in all you do. That's because your choices are coming from the deepest part of you, for your highest good. To solidify this direction, feed yourself some really loving thoughts, reminding yourself that you are capable. You are deserving. You are a wish of the Universe ready to come true. Angel Lopez is a film producer, writer, astrologer, and co-host of the podcast, THE SPIRITUAL GAYZ alongside his husband, our Spiritual Guru Brandon Alter. Angel has been studying and working with both tarot and astrology for twenty years. He hosted the astrology web-series, ASTRO TALK WITH ANGEL, and writes the blog ASTROLOGY REALNESS. He has also had pieces published on Upworthy.com and The Huffington Post. On the film side, Angel produced the Sundance Film Festival award winning film DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, as well as the features THE DINNER and STATE LIKE SLEEP. He also wrote and directed his own short film, I CAN’T WITH YOU, which had its premiere at the 2016 HollyShorts Film Festival, and he recently finished producing filmmaker Justin Simien’s second feature, BAD HAIR. Visit www.thespiritualgayz.com to learn more. To sign up for The Spiritual Gayz newsletter click here.

By Yvonne Osborne: I dreamt I was dragging the garden hose across my mother’s yard in the heat of summer to water her geraniums and her climbing rose. It was covered with bursting buds but also, oddly, clumps of ice and snow were trapped amongst the thorns. There was a dreamscape darkness over the yard, as before a gathering storm, and the grass was overgrown. Nobody was home, but I wanted Mother to know I had watered her flowers. I dropped the hose under the rose bush and left it dripping, like an open mouth, to give it a good soaking, the way she said you should. The bush was full and shoulder height, and a clump of melting snow rested aberrantly between a thorn and a bud about to open. I awoke sucking the prick from a finger wet in my mouth. I dug up a clump of that old bush and transplanted it to another place before the old place was demolished. Before the talons of a crane clawed through the roof and swallowed it, chomp chomp, as I watched from my kitchen window. It took ten eighteen-wheelers to haul those nooks and crannies, those stairs and cupboards, the porch facing north, and the office facing south to a landfill I hope isn’t too close to the coastline and rising waters. I water the fledgling rose bush and feed it, but it is gangly and unhappy in its new location. A rash of buds in spring but then nothing as summer lengthens into dog days of sweltering heat. It preferred the old foundation and her ministrations, a rising sun over the setting one it now faces. One cane grows tall above the rest, reaching east over the railing. There is a darkness over the yard. Yvonne Osborne is a fifth-generation Michigander who grew up on the family farm under the tutelage of a grandmother who loved Shakespeare before Shakespeare was cool. She is a Pushcart-nominated poet, and her poetry and writing can be found in The Slippery Elm literary journal, Third Coast Review, Full of Crow, Midwest Review, Great Lakes Review, and in several anthologies. Let Evening Come is her debut novel. yvonneosborne.com goodreads.com/Yvonne_Osborne

By Flapper Press Poetry Café: The Flapper Press Poetry Café continues a series of articles about favorite lines of poetry and the poets who wrote them. We’re reaching out to poets, writers, and lovers of poetry to submit their favorite lines of poetry and tell us why you love them. Check out our submission guidelines and send us your favorites! We'll feature your submission sometime this year on our site! This week, our submission comes from poet Grete Mouret. "Du Som Har Tændt Millioner Af Stjerner" From Grete: In Denmark, we have a very long tradition of poetry set to music. Therefore, I tried to find a translation of either a Danish hymn or a song of which we have a multitude. You can hear my selection on YouTube for "Du som har taendt millioner af stjerner” by Johannes Johansen (text) and Erik Sommer (composer). This poetic hymn is very popular. The popularity, for  the poem and the music, is evident by the fact that the Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark had pre-chosen this hymn for his funeral that was held in 2018. As to the poem, it is a much-played yet "plain" poem, liked by children as well as adults, better of course in Danish than translated. It contains so many "pictures," easily understood. English translation of the lyrics: You who have lit millions of stars, kindle in our darkness a sparkling faith. You are our light, and you guard and cherish us, so that we sleep in security and peace. Thank you for the bright day that has passed, the gift to us your hands have reached. Forgive us what we didn't get, forgive all evil we have done or said! Thank you for every joy that filled our heart, every time you made our life a party. Help us bear every burden, every pain, you alone know what serves us best. Thank you for the people who became our support, when we found the way difficult to walk. Help us tomorrow to help associate, meet us ourselves in the weak and small! You who have lit millions of stars, you will defy the darkness of the world. You are our Father, the one who guards and cherishes, light in the darkness that comes from us. Grete Mouret was born in Aalborg, Denmark, and resides in Assens, Denmark. Educated at the School of Languages and Economics of Copenhagen, she worked as a translator in English, German, and French at the University of Copenhagen, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, for 40 years, half of which she served as Editorial Manager of an International medical journal. The Flapper Press Poetry Café Presenting a wide range of poetry with a mission to promote a love and understanding of poetry for all. We welcome submissions for compelling poetry and look forward to publishing and supporting your creative endeavors. Submissions may also be considered for the Pushcart Prize. Please review our Guidelines before submitting! Submission Guidelines