Poem by A.J. Huffman

I Am Smoking

gun, unflinching
testimonial of guilt.
I am difficult
to hide in corners
when warrants are flying
& dogs are drooling
along the floorboards.
I am not circumstantial,
not easily explained away
to the jury of your peers.
I am neon noose, trying
to pass as necklace.
I am your undoing,
your gavel-struck conviction.
I am the sound of a lifetime
sentence, but at least I am
an attractive cell.

Unfired Bullet

Silver destruction. Powder keg.
Tickless time bomb holding
stasis in closet corner, out of reach.
Isolated from designated soul
mate, slick steel firing trigger,
it stands sentry, obelisk, gatherer of
dust. Tiny monument to potential,
undercurrents, anger, aggression.
Repressed. Concealed.

A.J. Huffman has published twelve full-length poetry collections, thirteen solo poetry chapbooks and one joint poetry chapbook through various small presses. Her most recent releases, Degeneration (Pink Girl Ink), A Bizarre Burning of Bees (Transcendent Zero Press), and Familiar Illusions (Flutter Press) are now available from their respective publishers. She is a five-time Pushcart Prize nominee, a two-time Best of Net nominee, and has published over 2500 poems in various national and international journals, including Labletter, The James Dickey Review, The Bookends Review, Bone Orchard, Corvus Review, EgoPHobia, and Kritya. She is also the founding editor of Kind of a Hurricane Press.

Roger Leege started out as a painter, printmaker and analog photographer, earning BA and MA degrees in Visual Arts from Goddard College. During postgrad university study in computer science, he was an early adopter and evangelist for digital art and artists’ tools. With gallery, print, and online publishing credits in the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom, he especially enjoys working with writers and the “literate” press.