culture – POETRY and PLACES

Setia by James Penha

Setia by James Penha Somewhere between Melak and Tanjung Isuy along Borneo’s Mahakam River we entered the house of an old fisherman. He led us into a sitting room divided by a short board fence protecting a shallow pool of water where, against the wall, beneath a crucifix of black ironwood, steeped a crocodile, peacefullyContinue reading “Setia by James Penha”

Kobe, Japan by Rafaella Del Bourgo

Kobe, Japan by Rafaella Del Bourgo Under a sky the color of mica and freshly cold, the first home of my father’s father, I sit on the platform skirting a temple, its yard, earth packed by a thousand years of feet. On the margins, gravel and rock; a monk drags bamboo tines to create concentricContinue reading “Kobe, Japan by Rafaella Del Bourgo”

James Sutherland-Smith, A Snail in Istanbul

A Snail in Istanbulby James Sutherland-Smith The sultan of moisture creepsOn a flagstone shadowed by nettles.He carries his turban on his backAnd shows his tentacles, a scholarBareheaded out of the mosque.No doubt his hidden mouth is primThough his tongue, rough with hungerNot prayer, will rasp on greenery:One foot, one lung, one kidney,One gonad, mostly male,Continue reading “James Sutherland-Smith, A Snail in Istanbul”

Fragment 9: The Netherlands by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Fragment 9: The Netherlandsby Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) Water and windmills, greenness, Islets green;—Willows whose trunks beside the shadows stoodOf their own higher half, and willowy swamp:—Farmhouses that at anchor seem’d—in the inland skyThe fog-transfixing spiresWater, wide water, greenness and green banks,And water seen— PHOTO: Kinderdijk, Netherlands. Photo by Giuseppe Bandiera on Unsplash. NOTE: KinderdijkContinue reading “Fragment 9: The Netherlands by Samuel Taylor Coleridge”

Shaker Orchard by Mark Doty

Shaker Orchardby Mark Doty Holding even flowers subjectto the principle of use,the Shakers inventedthe notion of packaged seedsand a steam-powereddistiller for rosewater.They uncluttered roomstill space filledwith Universal Light—white walls, a chest, a chairhung on pegs beside a broomso perfect in its simplicityas to become a pure channel:there was nothing in those linesto impede the flowof theContinue reading “Shaker Orchard by Mark Doty”

The Igloo by Matthew Sweeney

The Igloo by Matthew Sweeney Outside the igloo he waited for an invitation to come inside. There was no knocker, no doorbell. He coughed, there was no reply. He crouched down and peered in. He felt the warm air from a fire pat his cheeks and ruffle his hair. Hello he said quietly and repeated it.Continue reading “The Igloo by Matthew Sweeney”

Alone in Barcelona by Ellaraine Lockie

Alone in Barcelona by Ellaraine Lockie I was forewarned about Barcelonian bandits Who specialize in stick-up artistry that rivals the genius in Picasso’s gallery and Gaudí’s buildings But I’m pilfered not by pickpockets But by an Ugly American complex that steals my security That incites anxiety of tyrant talk refusing to recognize any English FanningContinue reading “Alone in Barcelona by Ellaraine Lockie”