Tightrope Walk Team, by S.J. Perillo

by | May 16, 2022 | Issue 2 poems

Me Pharaoh ant Queen of Spain Fritillary caterpillar Golden Silk Orb Weaver spider Umbrella cockatoo Ring-tailed lemur Emerald tree boa Leopard slug But Leopard slug – best you go last       S.J. Perillo is a poet and botanist. S.J. lives and works in...

Honey, Best Cat in the World, by Michael Shann

by | May 16, 2022 | Issue 2 poems

Sometimes, when I’m feeling sad, I like to think about Honey. You know how it is, when everyone else seems to have lots of friends and you’re standing on your own in the playground chatting quietly with a goalpost, and then your mum picks you up and asks how was...

I am Fionnula, by Sophie Kirtley

by | May 16, 2022 | Issue 2 poems

after The Children of Lir, an Irish myth I was turned into a swan yesterday; it still stuns me, still stings. But my stepmother let me keep my voice, so I can sing. Sad songs like this, well wouldn’t you? Nine Hundred Years with nothing more to do than swim in...

The School Cats, by Catherine Olver

by | May 16, 2022 | Issue 2 poems

The library cat climbs, balancing on pauses quieter than commas, slinking inkily as print. Her name is missing from the catalogue. To look her up, look up between the spines: two olivine eyes. Her insubordinate claws draw in the library’s dusty margins. She twines...