Carolina Muse IV.III : simplebooklet.com

From the Editor This summer Carolina Muse has its very first art exhibit on display at the Artistry Gallery in Greenville South Carolina To select art for the showing our magazine hosted a juried art competition under the theme What is your muse Aptly named MUSE A Carolina Creatives Art Competition the artists who submitted work to us answered this question each with their own unique interpretation What we have in the final collection is a beautiful comprehensive picture of what inspires these Carolina based artists from the natural world its creatures to the community culture spirituality and activism alive in this special section of the South As I ve worked on both the gallery and this issue of Carolina Muse I ve been reflecting on what inspires us to create What fuels us to translate our ideas into something we can hold or watch or read or listen to I think part of it stems from our innate drive to understand and to be understood We create not only to make sense of the world but to bring sense into the world We notice patterns reflections contrast and imbalances We feel deeply For those who have that creative itch our lived experiences noticings incite such strong emotions that they claw inside of us until they re released through our selected art form In this issue you can see where our creators found inspiration in death love nature mental health and social injustice A creator s muse can permeate through their whole practice or it can be fleeting within an individual piece The purpose isn t for a muse to stay static but to grow change as we do Each release day I ask our featured creators about their muse as a recurring last interview question Now as you flip through this issue I encourage you to ask yourself what is your muse And how can you translate your inspiration into creation Madison From the Editor This summer Carolina Muse has its very first art exhibit on display at the Artistry Gallery in Greenville South Carolina To select art for the showing our magazine hosted a juried art competition under the theme What is your muse Aptly named MUSE A Carolina Creatives Art Competition the artists who submitted work to us answered this question each with their own unique interpretation What we have in the final collection is a beautiful comprehensive picture of what inspires these Carolina based artists from the natural world its creatures to the community culture spirituality and activism alive in this special section of the South As I ve worked on both the gallery and this issue of Carolina Muse I ve been reflecting on what inspires us to create What fuels us to translate our ideas into something we can hold or watch or read or listen to I think part of it stems from our innate drive to understand and to be understood We create not only to make sense of the world but to bring sense into the world We notice patterns reflections contrast and imbalances We feel deeply For those who have that creative itch our lived experiences noticings incite such strong emotions that they claw inside of us until they re released through our selected art form In this issue you can see where our creators found inspiration in death love nature mental health and social injustice A creator s muse can permeate through their whole practice or it can be fleeting within an individual piece The purpose isn t for a muse to stay static but to grow change as we do Each release day I ask our featured creators about their muse as a recurring last interview question Now as you flip through this issue I encourage you to ask yourself what is your muse And how can you translate your inspiration into creation Madison

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Poetry 7 8 11 18 19 21 23 24 38 40 44 On Sentimentality and Contact Lenses Arden Stockdell Giesler Bumbles Micah Brewer Doe James E Stephenson A Sonnet for the Souls of Flowers Haley Jameson She Billows Restless Matthew Anderson Here on the Bayou James E Stephenson Walking Meditation on Sycamore Trail Angela Heiser Heuristic for Pr gnanz Pastoral Behind Latigo Farms Patricia K B Manley theme variations on the roadkill trope Macie Hayden Living Room Playing Cards Keyana Dayev grief grows scales Macie Hayden Short Stories 14 17 27 35 The End of History s an Abattoir Zander Lyvers Woodworking for Beginners Andrew Haynes Other Acknowledgements 1 2 3 4 5 45 49 49 50 51 52 Front Cover artwork by Emily Shelton Hanna Gelwix Masthead Letter from the Editor Table of Contents Meet the Creators Meet the Team Credits Back Cover artwork by Emily Shelton Carlynn Ferguson and Hanna Gelwix Poetry 7 8 11 18 19 21 23 24 38 40 44 On Sentimentality and Contact Lenses Arden Stockdell Giesler Bumbles Micah Brewer Doe James E Stephenson A Sonnet for the Souls of Flowers Haley Jameson She Billows Restless Matthew Anderson Here on the Bayou James E Stephenson Walking Meditation on Sycamore Trail Angela Heiser Heuristic for Pr gnanz Pastoral Behind Latigo Farms Patricia K B Manley theme variations on the roadkill trope Macie Hayden Living Room Playing Cards Keyana Dayev grief grows scales Macie Hayden Short Stories 14 17 27 35 The End of History s an Abattoir Zander Lyvers Woodworking for Beginners Andrew Haynes Other Acknowledgements 1 2 3 4 5 45 49 49 50 51 52 Front Cover artwork by Emily Shelton Hanna Gelwix Masthead Letter from the Editor Table of Contents Meet the Creators Meet the Team Credits Back Cover artwork by Emily Shelton Carlynn Ferguson and Hanna Gelwix

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Poetry Dance Bumbles Micah Brewer My body of bees a buzzing belligerence deep in my bosom tingle through my fingers and toes for search of warmth a morning sunray on purple yellow viola petals 8 The frost numbed ground holds us tight and the bees in my body burrow deeper down through the ventricles of my heart They palpitate there in velvet slumber until the knock of spring muddles drowsed antennae They barrel out of arteries and my trachea as I release a long concocted sigh of relief and bees and butterscotch schnapps their winter rations until pollen s plentifulness They re drunks now buzzing about bopping into one another dissociated they slur Spring s too bright Take us back to your lungs The nougat smoke sucked from your pipe puts us at restful ease Let us return I shake my head the bees claw at my lips they re blinded by another sigh of nougat and drift away to find a sun kissed petal to sleep on Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Poetry Dance Bumbles Micah Brewer My body of bees a buzzing belligerence deep in my bosom tingle through my fingers and toes for search of warmth a morning sunray on purple yellow viola petals 8 The frost numbed ground holds us tight and the bees in my body burrow deeper down through the ventricles of my heart They palpitate there in velvet slumber until the knock of spring muddles drowsed antennae They barrel out of arteries and my trachea as I release a long concocted sigh of relief and bees and butterscotch schnapps their winter rations until pollen s plentifulness They re drunks now buzzing about bopping into one another dissociated they slur Spring s too bright Take us back to your lungs The nougat smoke sucked from your pipe puts us at restful ease Let us return I shake my head the bees claw at my lips they re blinded by another sigh of nougat and drift away to find a sun kissed petal to sleep on Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Stories The End of History s an Abattoir Zander Lyvers S he told him she was like one of the trailers here in the park born to roam but forced to stay put He smiled his dimples punctuating her confession like a comma as if always waiting for more exposition more backstory more rising action When they kissed amidst the pines a hundred or so birds were raptured to the heavens a great whooshing sound of flaps and flutters one second and falling detritus the next feathers and leaves leisurely zig zagging down to earth riding the crest of the westward wind That was crazy he said She had obviously felt him flinch when he pulled back from her face to stare at the sky his braces nearly catching her lower lip It s okay she said Happens all the time Do you know why He asked They just found somewhere better to go Or she mused while placing her freckled pointer finger on her freckled chin they felt like they were in danger They reciprocated grins as if asking each other are you sure this is a good idea As if their union was upsetting the delicate balance of nature Although neither was exactly what you d call selfaware let alone class conscious at sixteen years old both of them felt love and fear burbling inside them a Machiavellian dissonance all but undermined by the latent understanding that a whole world of sybaritic indulgence lie beyond their respective property lines in the bosom of the woods Then came the rain Trish began to shiver so Noah pulled her close into his hoodie Strange for such a sunny day he said before a thunderclap flipped a switch Soon he would have to head back through the brush and over the felled oak tree to traverse the swelling creek to reach his home the McMansion on the hill She would cross the deer tracks back to the park where her supper would be waiting for her on a paper plate 14 But for now they clung together drinking each other in giving shelter from the storm before coming in from the wilderness Black rain during the wedding seemed a bit too cliche of an omen a little too on the nose She felt like a stranger since most kith and kin perceived her as nothing more than an interloper The only thing worse than her presence here would have been if Lucifer himself had clawed his way out of Hell and strolled into this particular Lutheran church late of course Starbucks cup in hand taking a seat before casually flipping through the Bible Googling himself in the most prosaic sense as Pachelbel s canon boomed from the organ The crowd was made up of a cross section of Southern society debutantes Huguenots and the nouveau riche on the groom s side and the salt of the earth the down to earth and even a few of the wretched of the earth thrown in on the bride s side Whether or not she was invited was irrelevant She was a part of him She first brushed her hand across Noah s face in fourth grade Her family had just moved into town from the foothills of Appalachia and that s exactly how she described her origin story to acquaintances the foothills of Appalachia had a Tolkienesque quality to it and after all she was from a place where the trees seemed to move and everything felt rooted in Jesus y undertones Trish had been invited as had everyone from her homeroom to McDonald s for a birthday party There in the ball pit she swam pretending she was in the middle of the Atlantic plunging her hand deep into the greasy macroplastics only to be pulled down from the undertow Shhhh said the boy who was hiding It was calm on the ocean floor safe from the din of screaming children There they explored combing through crumbs and fossilized French fries occasionally Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Stories The End of History s an Abattoir Zander Lyvers S he told him she was like one of the trailers here in the park born to roam but forced to stay put He smiled his dimples punctuating her confession like a comma as if always waiting for more exposition more backstory more rising action When they kissed amidst the pines a hundred or so birds were raptured to the heavens a great whooshing sound of flaps and flutters one second and falling detritus the next feathers and leaves leisurely zig zagging down to earth riding the crest of the westward wind That was crazy he said She had obviously felt him flinch when he pulled back from her face to stare at the sky his braces nearly catching her lower lip It s okay she said Happens all the time Do you know why He asked They just found somewhere better to go Or she mused while placing her freckled pointer finger on her freckled chin they felt like they were in danger They reciprocated grins as if asking each other are you sure this is a good idea As if their union was upsetting the delicate balance of nature Although neither was exactly what you d call selfaware let alone class conscious at sixteen years old both of them felt love and fear burbling inside them a Machiavellian dissonance all but undermined by the latent understanding that a whole world of sybaritic indulgence lie beyond their respective property lines in the bosom of the woods Then came the rain Trish began to shiver so Noah pulled her close into his hoodie Strange for such a sunny day he said before a thunderclap flipped a switch Soon he would have to head back through the brush and over the felled oak tree to traverse the swelling creek to reach his home the McMansion on the hill She would cross the deer tracks back to the park where her supper would be waiting for her on a paper plate 14 But for now they clung together drinking each other in giving shelter from the storm before coming in from the wilderness Black rain during the wedding seemed a bit too cliche of an omen a little too on the nose She felt like a stranger since most kith and kin perceived her as nothing more than an interloper The only thing worse than her presence here would have been if Lucifer himself had clawed his way out of Hell and strolled into this particular Lutheran church late of course Starbucks cup in hand taking a seat before casually flipping through the Bible Googling himself in the most prosaic sense as Pachelbel s canon boomed from the organ The crowd was made up of a cross section of Southern society debutantes Huguenots and the nouveau riche on the groom s side and the salt of the earth the down to earth and even a few of the wretched of the earth thrown in on the bride s side Whether or not she was invited was irrelevant She was a part of him She first brushed her hand across Noah s face in fourth grade Her family had just moved into town from the foothills of Appalachia and that s exactly how she described her origin story to acquaintances the foothills of Appalachia had a Tolkienesque quality to it and after all she was from a place where the trees seemed to move and everything felt rooted in Jesus y undertones Trish had been invited as had everyone from her homeroom to McDonald s for a birthday party There in the ball pit she swam pretending she was in the middle of the Atlantic plunging her hand deep into the greasy macroplastics only to be pulled down from the undertow Shhhh said the boy who was hiding It was calm on the ocean floor safe from the din of screaming children There they explored combing through crumbs and fossilized French fries occasionally Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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She glanced at the disgruntled parishioners in the front row a baroque painting pulsating from the pews She gazed up at the ceiling which was carved to resemble an inverted ark They were all now tangled and tethered in the same boat so to speak as the words I do flew out of her lips like a dove soaring over the hawks perched in the nave Her father smiled a tear of joy streaking down to his mustache as if racing the tears of sadness that were pouring from the other side of the aisle She searched for acceptance in the faces of her in laws only to find contempt when she scratched the surface As she dodged the daggers that Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 Stories Visual Art were shot her way her eyes wandered to the safety of the building s perimeter She surveyed the stained glass vignettes that lined the walls of the cathedral Sunday school lessons brilliantly brought to life by thunderbolts history written with lightning Trish tried to focus on the gentle words of the pastor as he quoted scripture In all fairness he was doing his best to shepherd her into the family despite her inevitable designation as the black sheep Trish was not simply some hick who married in but something far more menacing to the blue bloods of the county To them she was the succubus who convinced Noah to go vegan to take a gap year to travel around South America to drop out of business school and join the Blooms Carlynn Ferguson unearthing antique Happy Meal toys and other sorts of mass produced bottom feeders At school they were distant yet their fates were destined to intertwine with each passing year Their inevitable coupling was like two trains headed for each other at different speeds merely a math problem to be solved There were hurdles along the way One of the boys in the locker room started calling her Trailer Trish an epithet that would follow poor Patricia like a shadow into young adulthood Noah did not partake nor did he speak up He didn t even really understand the insult assuming that most people grew up like he did with his parents struggling to meet the monthly minimum at the country club dining room constantly failing to spend enough money as both were teetotallers with eating disorders while others relied on scraps to scrape by That all changed when he first visited her neck of the woods 15 She glanced at the disgruntled parishioners in the front row a baroque painting pulsating from the pews She gazed up at the ceiling which was carved to resemble an inverted ark They were all now tangled and tethered in the same boat so to speak as the words I do flew out of her lips like a dove soaring over the hawks perched in the nave Her father smiled a tear of joy streaking down to his mustache as if racing the tears of sadness that were pouring from the other side of the aisle She searched for acceptance in the faces of her in laws only to find contempt when she scratched the surface As she dodged the daggers that Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 Stories Visual Art were shot her way her eyes wandered to the safety of the building s perimeter She surveyed the stained glass vignettes that lined the walls of the cathedral Sunday school lessons brilliantly brought to life by thunderbolts history written with lightning Trish tried to focus on the gentle words of the pastor as he quoted scripture In all fairness he was doing his best to shepherd her into the family despite her inevitable designation as the black sheep Trish was not simply some hick who married in but something far more menacing to the blue bloods of the county To them she was the succubus who convinced Noah to go vegan to take a gap year to travel around South America to drop out of business school and join the Blooms Carlynn Ferguson unearthing antique Happy Meal toys and other sorts of mass produced bottom feeders At school they were distant yet their fates were destined to intertwine with each passing year Their inevitable coupling was like two trains headed for each other at different speeds merely a math problem to be solved There were hurdles along the way One of the boys in the locker room started calling her Trailer Trish an epithet that would follow poor Patricia like a shadow into young adulthood Noah did not partake nor did he speak up He didn t even really understand the insult assuming that most people grew up like he did with his parents struggling to meet the monthly minimum at the country club dining room constantly failing to spend enough money as both were teetotallers with eating disorders while others relied on scraps to scrape by That all changed when he first visited her neck of the woods 15

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Stories Peace Corps torching his CV along the way Throughout the whole ceremony Noah s nuclear Tell me about your Dad He seems like a cool guy family could not actually believe that he loved this Noah said as they traipsed through the woods a No woman No he was doing this to spite them to publicly Man s Land separating their deeply entrenched lifestyles bite the hand that fed him and worldviews He s done a lot of odd jobs Trish explained He said his career is chasing the American Dream He puts a lot of pressure on himself but he never quits Mom jokes In seventh grade Noah and Trish were both in a that it s more like he s hunting the American Dream language arts class where they were assigned to put like all of his hustles are traps he s laid out Eventually on a one act play about Pandora s Box To prepare he just might catch something the teacher gave them a box full of mothball scented Sounds ambitious Noah said costumes and a script that was likely laminated during He is He s a glass half full kind of guy He s always the Reagan administration She was to play Pandora talking about The End of History and Noah was slated to embody Epimetheus Noah Like Armageddon asked if she wanted to practice after school and Trish No it s like we don t have to worry any more As suggested her place since they would have plenty of a species We re entering a period of no more fighting space Noah soon realized that plenty of space meant more jobs for everyone and so on He keeps saying the great outdoors as the mobile home that Trish s good times are just around the corner family occupied was dwarfed juxtaposed to the auxiliary All but abandoning Pandora s Box the two willingly clubhouse that allowed themselves to Noah s family be swallowed up into had just finished the belly of the beast remodeling out back voluntarily shielding Noah knocked themselves from seeing on the aluminum the forest through the door eliciting a trees As they drifted tinny echo instead further away from their of a dignified thud respective comfort zones Trish s dad came to of the country club and the door a handsome yet shaggy man He had a warm trailer park they embarked into terra inc gnita This smile framed by a handlebar mustache with curling could be Middle earth their own private Pangaea wings like two arms reaching in for a bear hug As Noah Trish was a seasoned traveler of these woods while walked in he couldn t help but feel like he was inside a Noah had to cloak any apprehension cinching it tightly Tupperware a space typically reserved for housing the behind his stiff upper class lip ephemeral After weaving through a colonnade of cedar trees As the two shook hands and exchanged introductions they were spit out at a scene most disturbing Trish Noah couldn t help but notice an unusual constellation let out a scream and Noah stepped back breaking a tattooed on the old man s right arm branch further disorienting the two of them Is that Xenomorph Noah asked thinking that Before them lie a pyramid of slaughtered hogs Each perhaps the two could bond over movies while Trish one boasted grotesque features that were all pointed in finished getting ready He had just watched Alien on different directions like a piled up Guernica with the VHS a few nights before exception of the eyes which were staring straight at the That good sir is the Philippines An archipelago of two of them shattering the fourth wall 7 641 islands Airforce 1968 1969 They held hands and ran like Hell through the Sweet Noah responded as Trish emerged swiftly forest not stopping once to look back ushering him down the cinder block steps As Noah walked in he couldn t help but feel like he was inside a Tupperware a space typically reserved for housing the ephemeral 16 Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Stories Peace Corps torching his CV along the way Throughout the whole ceremony Noah s nuclear Tell me about your Dad He seems like a cool guy family could not actually believe that he loved this Noah said as they traipsed through the woods a No woman No he was doing this to spite them to publicly Man s Land separating their deeply entrenched lifestyles bite the hand that fed him and worldviews He s done a lot of odd jobs Trish explained He said his career is chasing the American Dream He puts a lot of pressure on himself but he never quits Mom jokes In seventh grade Noah and Trish were both in a that it s more like he s hunting the American Dream language arts class where they were assigned to put like all of his hustles are traps he s laid out Eventually on a one act play about Pandora s Box To prepare he just might catch something the teacher gave them a box full of mothball scented Sounds ambitious Noah said costumes and a script that was likely laminated during He is He s a glass half full kind of guy He s always the Reagan administration She was to play Pandora talking about The End of History and Noah was slated to embody Epimetheus Noah Like Armageddon asked if she wanted to practice after school and Trish No it s like we don t have to worry any more As suggested her place since they would have plenty of a species We re entering a period of no more fighting space Noah soon realized that plenty of space meant more jobs for everyone and so on He keeps saying the great outdoors as the mobile home that Trish s good times are just around the corner family occupied was dwarfed juxtaposed to the auxiliary All but abandoning Pandora s Box the two willingly clubhouse that allowed themselves to Noah s family be swallowed up into had just finished the belly of the beast remodeling out back voluntarily shielding Noah knocked themselves from seeing on the aluminum the forest through the door eliciting a trees As they drifted tinny echo instead further away from their of a dignified thud respective comfort zones Trish s dad came to of the country club and the door a handsome yet shaggy man He had a warm trailer park they embarked into terra inc gnita This smile framed by a handlebar mustache with curling could be Middle earth their own private Pangaea wings like two arms reaching in for a bear hug As Noah Trish was a seasoned traveler of these woods while walked in he couldn t help but feel like he was inside a Noah had to cloak any apprehension cinching it tightly Tupperware a space typically reserved for housing the behind his stiff upper class lip ephemeral After weaving through a colonnade of cedar trees As the two shook hands and exchanged introductions they were spit out at a scene most disturbing Trish Noah couldn t help but notice an unusual constellation let out a scream and Noah stepped back breaking a tattooed on the old man s right arm branch further disorienting the two of them Is that Xenomorph Noah asked thinking that Before them lie a pyramid of slaughtered hogs Each perhaps the two could bond over movies while Trish one boasted grotesque features that were all pointed in finished getting ready He had just watched Alien on different directions like a piled up Guernica with the VHS a few nights before exception of the eyes which were staring straight at the That good sir is the Philippines An archipelago of two of them shattering the fourth wall 7 641 islands Airforce 1968 1969 They held hands and ran like Hell through the Sweet Noah responded as Trish emerged swiftly forest not stopping once to look back ushering him down the cinder block steps As Noah walked in he couldn t help but feel like he was inside a Tupperware a space typically reserved for housing the ephemeral 16 Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 to vibrate in the pews Trish s mind wandered as she and Noah walked hand in hand towards the narthex adjacent the segregated graveyard out front that housed sharecroppers confederates civil rights activists a signatory of the Declaration of Independence and two authors of the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession There was nowhere to go as they approached the entrance where a cataract cascaded down the church steps Noah smiled at her with eyes that said your guess is as good as mine Who knows she thought The rising water might cause the spirits to be swept away from their resting places their echo chambers so they might finally listen to one another Stories Music After consummating the occasion with a kiss she walked back down the aisle with her new husband catching glimpses of the crowd flanking her on the left and right imagining them all with thought bubbles emanating from their heads the words GOLD DIGGER fixed in the middle in a crude font spray painted in all caps followed by a manic and slapdash slew of exclamation marks But this was a spurious claim She was an alchemist Before Trish he was just a base metal with a trust fund She created gold in Noah Some would say she cast a spell on him that day in the McDonalds but in truth she breathed life into him Trish knew what her detractors would say but how could she be a gold digger when it was her love that transmuted his essence into something precious The downpour was straight out of Genesis or possibly Revelations A current of electricity jolted the guests pockets as a flash flood warning caused phones 17 Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 to vibrate in the pews Trish s mind wandered as she and Noah walked hand in hand towards the narthex adjacent the segregated graveyard out front that housed sharecroppers confederates civil rights activists a signatory of the Declaration of Independence and two authors of the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession There was nowhere to go as they approached the entrance where a cataract cascaded down the church steps Noah smiled at her with eyes that said your guess is as good as mine Who knows she thought The rising water might cause the spirits to be swept away from their resting places their echo chambers so they might finally listen to one another Stories Music After consummating the occasion with a kiss she walked back down the aisle with her new husband catching glimpses of the crowd flanking her on the left and right imagining them all with thought bubbles emanating from their heads the words GOLD DIGGER fixed in the middle in a crude font spray painted in all caps followed by a manic and slapdash slew of exclamation marks But this was a spurious claim She was an alchemist Before Trish he was just a base metal with a trust fund She created gold in Noah Some would say she cast a spell on him that day in the McDonalds but in truth she breathed life into him Trish knew what her detractors would say but how could she be a gold digger when it was her love that transmuted his essence into something precious The downpour was straight out of Genesis or possibly Revelations A current of electricity jolted the guests pockets as a flash flood warning caused phones 17

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Poetry Dance She Billows Restless Matthew Anderson She climbs the corners of buildings feels them scrape against her hears their howling at her passing form She has twirled through the flags and banners and laundry along these streets has long enjoyed the resistance of the glass towers like the deep immobility of mountains but with a smooth sharp texture only known to the wind and only offered by people She whips and dances among the lumber the concrete we have dragged into standing free and reckless like some anonymous god who needs no belief She knows the tousle of our each and every hair just as she knows the tangle of our flying ropes as she blew our sails and ships across our fleeting empires The wind has swallowed the final cries of legions of soldiers as gently as she has grasped the whispered prayers of children found floating through warm windows and carried them up to the indifferent sky with the same precious faith of a moth who is certain it will land upon God s finger Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 19 Poetry Dance She Billows Restless Matthew Anderson She climbs the corners of buildings feels them scrape against her hears their howling at her passing form She has twirled through the flags and banners and laundry along these streets has long enjoyed the resistance of the glass towers like the deep immobility of mountains but with a smooth sharp texture only known to the wind and only offered by people She whips and dances among the lumber the concrete we have dragged into standing free and reckless like some anonymous god who needs no belief She knows the tousle of our each and every hair just as she knows the tangle of our flying ropes as she blew our sails and ships across our fleeting empires The wind has swallowed the final cries of legions of soldiers as gently as she has grasped the whispered prayers of children found floating through warm windows and carried them up to the indifferent sky with the same precious faith of a moth who is certain it will land upon God s finger Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 19

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Poetry Here on the Bayou James E Stephenson There are things that will eat you in the water in the air in the dirt If not you then someone something sometime soon They have to eat and they will and then sometime later be eaten You know you do too and you will too You can see places where the water comes and goes covers the dirt and then doesn t goes up stealthy all day long into the air and then rains down on the dirt and the water You can kneel in the dirt here the dirt that dries up and blows as dust as far away as it must the dirt that muddies its sneaky way into the water that comes and goes then drifts down to dirt again or slips up with the water into the air or stays right there in front of you in the water so you can t see the eating in there You can cut the air here the air that carries the dusty dirt as far as it can then breathes the water up fluffs and kneads it and casts it back down by turns with gentle caresses and fierce towering tantrums Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 21 Poetry Here on the Bayou James E Stephenson There are things that will eat you in the water in the air in the dirt If not you then someone something sometime soon They have to eat and they will and then sometime later be eaten You know you do too and you will too You can see places where the water comes and goes covers the dirt and then doesn t goes up stealthy all day long into the air and then rains down on the dirt and the water You can kneel in the dirt here the dirt that dries up and blows as dust as far away as it must the dirt that muddies its sneaky way into the water that comes and goes then drifts down to dirt again or slips up with the water into the air or stays right there in front of you in the water so you can t see the eating in there You can cut the air here the air that carries the dusty dirt as far as it can then breathes the water up fluffs and kneads it and casts it back down by turns with gentle caresses and fierce towering tantrums Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 21

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Poetry Walking Meditation on Sycamore Trail Angela Heiser we snake along a path embedded with speckled quartz all hues and sizes ferns grow like a wreath carpet around tree trunks downed trees remind me of battleship guns sun scattered across the trail moss skirted live oaks look guys a stick bridge Mom is this tiny rock perfect I want to come back in the spring it s a little shortcut just crawl on it don t stumble on the roots fallen trees with emaciated fingers like limbs grasping eternity before developers dig up what remains my kids crawling like lizards across a downed tree mucus trails leading up both fleece jacket sleeves now I m almost there how do we get to that side take your time five woodpeckers tap taptap tap taptap a different tune to the woodpeckers at home my son settles noiselessly at the base of a tree and awaits bird companion building trust plunging pockets replete with rocks collecting sticks amassing treasure keepsakes remind us why we came here why we preserve Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 23 Poetry Walking Meditation on Sycamore Trail Angela Heiser we snake along a path embedded with speckled quartz all hues and sizes ferns grow like a wreath carpet around tree trunks downed trees remind me of battleship guns sun scattered across the trail moss skirted live oaks look guys a stick bridge Mom is this tiny rock perfect I want to come back in the spring it s a little shortcut just crawl on it don t stumble on the roots fallen trees with emaciated fingers like limbs grasping eternity before developers dig up what remains my kids crawling like lizards across a downed tree mucus trails leading up both fleece jacket sleeves now I m almost there how do we get to that side take your time five woodpeckers tap taptap tap taptap a different tune to the woodpeckers at home my son settles noiselessly at the base of a tree and awaits bird companion building trust plunging pockets replete with rocks collecting sticks amassing treasure keepsakes remind us why we came here why we preserve Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 23

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Somerville woman dies after falling into Fresh Pond Reservoir DA says By Angela Chiang Globe Correspondent Updated January 7 2024 7 52 pm A 57 year old woman from Somerville drowned Saturday afternoon after she fell through the ice on Fresh Pond in the Cambridge Highlands officials said Around 1 35 p m police received a 911 call reporting a woman in distress in the freezing water according to a statement released by the district attorney s office A bystander attempted a rescue but was unsuccessful A police dive team later recovered the body of the woman Elizabeth Thornton and she was pronounced dead at 4 10 p m according to the statement No foul play is suspected the police said The official cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner With the recent spate of unusually warm weather MassWildlife recommends no one go out on the ice When leaving the house for a trek in the wilderness MassWildlife recommends notifying a friend or relative about your plans including where you are going and when you expect to return Carry a cellphone in case of emergency W ade Thornton scooped the hot water from the basin and splashed his face Still unsatisfied he stooped over the sink for a minute and inhaled the steam He lifted his head and ran a moist hand over his scalp forcing the wild gray hairs to obey In the dull mirror he Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 Stories Woodworking for Beginners Andrew Haynes opened his mouth noticed debris between the two front teeth and picked it away with a thumbnail He forced a smile but it was no good like bending lumber and he scratched at the stubble lining his chin and cheeks He exhaled into his hand brought the palm under his nose and winced at the smell of rotting oak Well it was too late now He returned to his seat in the waiting room and the yellow light from the buzzing tubes above made him uneasy as though exposed He scanned the walls for a dimmer switch but the other patients in the room seemed content enough with their phones so Wade checked his own Another missed call from work He would call back eventually The students hadn t arrived yet he still had time It had only been three days or was it four now The staff would be forced to attend interminable meetings all day anyway so he wasn t missing much What else He saw there was a text from Laura his daughter but before he was able to respond his name was called The nurse checked Wade s weight and blood pressure before sending him along to the doctor s room He settled on top of the examination table placed a hand beneath a buttock to smooth out the paper beneath but accidentally tore it He inched a thigh over to cover the mistake and waited with his hands beneath his legs until Doctor Sandoval entered in an unbuttoned white coat looking trim and neat The doctor smoothed the few remaining hairs over the top of his scalp and greeted Wade He located the swivel stool in the corner sat down and using only the heels of his feet dragged himself toward Wade He raised the stool to its maximum height to better meet Wade s eye So it s been another year Dr Sandoval said Yep Wade said Do anything over the summer Go anywhere special Dr Sandoval asked No not much Wade said Okay well let s start Let me listen to your heart Dr Sandoval said placing the stethoscope around his head He stood up and gently kicked the stool away Wade unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the chair next to the examination table Dr Sandoval asked Wade to lie flat and Wade slowly unfolded himself like a water hose unkinking with pressure As Dr Sandoval began to auscultate and palpitate Wade s body stiffened Just relax Dr Sandoval said his fingers pressing against the grain of Wade s stomach 27 Somerville woman dies after falling into Fresh Pond Reservoir DA says By Angela Chiang Globe Correspondent Updated January 7 2024 7 52 pm A 57 year old woman from Somerville drowned Saturday afternoon after she fell through the ice on Fresh Pond in the Cambridge Highlands officials said Around 1 35 p m police received a 911 call reporting a woman in distress in the freezing water according to a statement released by the district attorney s office A bystander attempted a rescue but was unsuccessful A police dive team later recovered the body of the woman Elizabeth Thornton and she was pronounced dead at 4 10 p m according to the statement No foul play is suspected the police said The official cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner With the recent spate of unusually warm weather MassWildlife recommends no one go out on the ice When leaving the house for a trek in the wilderness MassWildlife recommends notifying a friend or relative about your plans including where you are going and when you expect to return Carry a cellphone in case of emergency W ade Thornton scooped the hot water from the basin and splashed his face Still unsatisfied he stooped over the sink for a minute and inhaled the steam He lifted his head and ran a moist hand over his scalp forcing the wild gray hairs to obey In the dull mirror he Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 Stories Woodworking for Beginners Andrew Haynes opened his mouth noticed debris between the two front teeth and picked it away with a thumbnail He forced a smile but it was no good like bending lumber and he scratched at the stubble lining his chin and cheeks He exhaled into his hand brought the palm under his nose and winced at the smell of rotting oak Well it was too late now He returned to his seat in the waiting room and the yellow light from the buzzing tubes above made him uneasy as though exposed He scanned the walls for a dimmer switch but the other patients in the room seemed content enough with their phones so Wade checked his own Another missed call from work He would call back eventually The students hadn t arrived yet he still had time It had only been three days or was it four now The staff would be forced to attend interminable meetings all day anyway so he wasn t missing much What else He saw there was a text from Laura his daughter but before he was able to respond his name was called The nurse checked Wade s weight and blood pressure before sending him along to the doctor s room He settled on top of the examination table placed a hand beneath a buttock to smooth out the paper beneath but accidentally tore it He inched a thigh over to cover the mistake and waited with his hands beneath his legs until Doctor Sandoval entered in an unbuttoned white coat looking trim and neat The doctor smoothed the few remaining hairs over the top of his scalp and greeted Wade He located the swivel stool in the corner sat down and using only the heels of his feet dragged himself toward Wade He raised the stool to its maximum height to better meet Wade s eye So it s been another year Dr Sandoval said Yep Wade said Do anything over the summer Go anywhere special Dr Sandoval asked No not much Wade said Okay well let s start Let me listen to your heart Dr Sandoval said placing the stethoscope around his head He stood up and gently kicked the stool away Wade unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the chair next to the examination table Dr Sandoval asked Wade to lie flat and Wade slowly unfolded himself like a water hose unkinking with pressure As Dr Sandoval began to auscultate and palpitate Wade s body stiffened Just relax Dr Sandoval said his fingers pressing against the grain of Wade s stomach 27

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Stories 28 While Dr Sandoval observed checked and queried Yes all good Wade said and though it was only Wade offered answers that discouraged further probing three words he was proud He had prepared Elizabeth At the end Dr Sandoval removed the stethoscope from used a different doctor so as long as Dr Sandoval hadn t his neck the latex gloves from his hands and stood at read the article in the paper Wade figured Dr Sandoval the computer would know nothing of her passing Well your blood pressure s too high Dr Sandoval And what about exercise Dr Sandoval asked said his voice rising and I see you ve lost a lot of I take walks Wade said crossing his feet weight too He stepped back as though to consider How many times a week Dr Sandoval asked Wade from afar Oh and you can sit up now Oh I don t know Wade said suddenly interested Wade lifted his weight onto his elbows before in the tile floor maybe a couple dropping his legs off the table Once properly upright I see Dr Sandoval said holding the bottom of he eyed the contents of the blue countertop across from his chin between his thumb and index finger I m just him bandages tissues tongue depressor a bottle of trying to account for this change in your vitals he hand sanitizer thermometers urinalysis cups said You ve lost weight your blood pressure is high it Any headaches Dr Sandoval asked shifting his sounds like your digestion has been giving you problems weight from one leg to the other as well as your sleep and to be totally honest you don t Sometimes Wade admitted look very good How bad Dr Sandoval asked fingers on the Oh you know just work and stuff Wade said keyboard locking the fingers of his hands together I m just Not very Ibuprofen works Wade said which was tired true enough How s work going Dr Sandoval asked How many do you take Dr Sandoval asked It s good Just busy Wade said A couple Wade Any problems at said a better answer Yes all good Wade said and work What do you do than the handful he Dr Sandoval though it was only three words again routinely ingested asked Dr Sandoval he was proud He had prepared I teach Wade nodded in confirmation said his back stiffening And how s your stomach Constipation Diarrhea Oh so that can be stressful What do you teach Nausea Social studies Wade said I guess Wade said and in the silence that followed What grade Dr Sandoval asked the smallness of his reply tugged at him Seafood Middle school Wade said doesn t agree with me he added pleased with the lie Oh that s got to be tough Do you like it Dr Shellfish Dr Sandoval asked Sandoval asked Yeah can t handle it Wade said It s not that bad Wade said And how about sleep Getting enough Dr Kids these days are a handful Dr Sandoval said Sandoval asked typing away again Some Wade said They can be Wade said Okay and how much is some Dr Sandoval asked How have you been feeling lately Dr Sandoval looking over the top of the computer screen while still asked Have you been experiencing any anxiety Any typing bouts of sadness Any loss of interest I don t know Wade said irritated I try Wade saw he had no choice but to offer something You try Dr Sandoval said lifting his fingers from Well I ve been a little absent minded he said the keyboard Do you take anything to help you sleep How so Dr Sandoval asked Melatonin Wade said instead of alcohol and You know can t find my keys wallet Can t marijuana remember words Little things like that Wade said Any major changes in your life recently Dr Really Dr Sandoval asked his brow reflecting Sandoval asked Still working Everything s good with the alarm in his voice the family It s nothing Wade said Just you know busy at Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Stories 28 While Dr Sandoval observed checked and queried Yes all good Wade said and though it was only Wade offered answers that discouraged further probing three words he was proud He had prepared Elizabeth At the end Dr Sandoval removed the stethoscope from used a different doctor so as long as Dr Sandoval hadn t his neck the latex gloves from his hands and stood at read the article in the paper Wade figured Dr Sandoval the computer would know nothing of her passing Well your blood pressure s too high Dr Sandoval And what about exercise Dr Sandoval asked said his voice rising and I see you ve lost a lot of I take walks Wade said crossing his feet weight too He stepped back as though to consider How many times a week Dr Sandoval asked Wade from afar Oh and you can sit up now Oh I don t know Wade said suddenly interested Wade lifted his weight onto his elbows before in the tile floor maybe a couple dropping his legs off the table Once properly upright I see Dr Sandoval said holding the bottom of he eyed the contents of the blue countertop across from his chin between his thumb and index finger I m just him bandages tissues tongue depressor a bottle of trying to account for this change in your vitals he hand sanitizer thermometers urinalysis cups said You ve lost weight your blood pressure is high it Any headaches Dr Sandoval asked shifting his sounds like your digestion has been giving you problems weight from one leg to the other as well as your sleep and to be totally honest you don t Sometimes Wade admitted look very good How bad Dr Sandoval asked fingers on the Oh you know just work and stuff Wade said keyboard locking the fingers of his hands together I m just Not very Ibuprofen works Wade said which was tired true enough How s work going Dr Sandoval asked How many do you take Dr Sandoval asked It s good Just busy Wade said A couple Wade Any problems at said a better answer Yes all good Wade said and work What do you do than the handful he Dr Sandoval though it was only three words again routinely ingested asked Dr Sandoval he was proud He had prepared I teach Wade nodded in confirmation said his back stiffening And how s your stomach Constipation Diarrhea Oh so that can be stressful What do you teach Nausea Social studies Wade said I guess Wade said and in the silence that followed What grade Dr Sandoval asked the smallness of his reply tugged at him Seafood Middle school Wade said doesn t agree with me he added pleased with the lie Oh that s got to be tough Do you like it Dr Shellfish Dr Sandoval asked Sandoval asked Yeah can t handle it Wade said It s not that bad Wade said And how about sleep Getting enough Dr Kids these days are a handful Dr Sandoval said Sandoval asked typing away again Some Wade said They can be Wade said Okay and how much is some Dr Sandoval asked How have you been feeling lately Dr Sandoval looking over the top of the computer screen while still asked Have you been experiencing any anxiety Any typing bouts of sadness Any loss of interest I don t know Wade said irritated I try Wade saw he had no choice but to offer something You try Dr Sandoval said lifting his fingers from Well I ve been a little absent minded he said the keyboard Do you take anything to help you sleep How so Dr Sandoval asked Melatonin Wade said instead of alcohol and You know can t find my keys wallet Can t marijuana remember words Little things like that Wade said Any major changes in your life recently Dr Really Dr Sandoval asked his brow reflecting Sandoval asked Still working Everything s good with the alarm in his voice the family It s nothing Wade said Just you know busy at Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 Doctor Sandoval said scratching the side of his head Wade pursed his lips together as though learning how to apply his mouth to a wind instrument but said nothing I think maybe you should Doctor Sandoval said Wade resettled himself atop the examination table the paper producing an irritable sound beneath Oh I see You think I see Wade said Talk therapy can help Doctor Sandoval said Yeah I don t think that s for me Wade said rising No Dr Sandoval said emerging from behind the computer And why is that I didn t come here to talk Wade said I see that Dr Sandoval said This is what concerns me It s nothing Wade said Well it s not nothing It s definitely something It s there in your vitals Just stress Wade said Work Stress at work I get it Dr Sandoval said But it s got to be an awful lot of stress to make the changes I m seeing I ll exercise more Wade said reaching for his shirt in the chair What I m saying is that you might be dealing with something beyond my expertise Dr Sandoval said There might be someone else who can help you deal with your stress better than I can Got it Wade said fastening the buttons Listen this is my professional advice which is what you came here for right Dr Sandoval said I m here for my usual check up Wade said tucking his shirt into his pants All I m saying is you might want to talk with someone if your life is stressful Dr Sandoval said so stressful that it causes significant changes in your vitals Got it Wade said moving for the door Let me give you the name of someone I think could help Dr Sandoval said Fine Wade said stopping at the threshold Dr Sandoval extracted a business card from a small pile beside the computer and handed one to Wade She works in the same building right here Dr Sandoval explained I ve referred many of my patients to her before Thanks Wade said shoving the card into his pants pocket You should talk to her Doctor Sandoval said approaching closer She s good She deals with all kinds of issues Stories work and stuff Any trouble breathing Shortness of breath Dr Sandoval asked Wade remembered the panic attack last night the choking in the dark No he said No problems there Yes I m sure it s nothing We all forget There s nothing out of the ordinary about that It s called nominal aphasia Dr Sandoval said drawing out the term as if the Latin itself allayed all fears Aphasia Wade said The word was familiar ominous Nominal Dr Sandoval said In name only Let me just ask a few questions Have you been forgetting important appointments or lost your train of thought in conversation No nothing like that Wade said squeezing the table edge Okay we ll do a quick cognitive test here just to make sure everything s good Dr Sandoval said Oh I don t think that s necessary Wade said Probably isn t but it s quick easy Just routine Bear with me please I want to be able to rule out as much as I can Dr Sandoval said I have to check all the boxes you understand Okay then let s check those boxes Wade said On the test Wade had to describe how a watch and a ruler were similar say how many nickels were in fifty cents write the names of a dozen different animals identify a wreath and a volcano and draw the face of a clock There were other tasks but Wade put the pencil and clipboard down I m actually in kind of a hurry he said Okay let me just take a look at what you ve done so far Dr Sandoval said scanning Wade s responses and making notes on the computer Honestly it wasn t necessary Wade said I can tell the time Yes I see that I just need to check all the boxes Dr Sandoval said I understand Wade said Well there s nothing here that indicates anything degenerative Dr Sandoval said Good to hear Wade said Dr Sandoval bit his lower lip before asking But have you thought about talking to someone Wade froze before replying I am talking to you right now No I mean talking to someone about your life 29 Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 Doctor Sandoval said scratching the side of his head Wade pursed his lips together as though learning how to apply his mouth to a wind instrument but said nothing I think maybe you should Doctor Sandoval said Wade resettled himself atop the examination table the paper producing an irritable sound beneath Oh I see You think I see Wade said Talk therapy can help Doctor Sandoval said Yeah I don t think that s for me Wade said rising No Dr Sandoval said emerging from behind the computer And why is that I didn t come here to talk Wade said I see that Dr Sandoval said This is what concerns me It s nothing Wade said Well it s not nothing It s definitely something It s there in your vitals Just stress Wade said Work Stress at work I get it Dr Sandoval said But it s got to be an awful lot of stress to make the changes I m seeing I ll exercise more Wade said reaching for his shirt in the chair What I m saying is that you might be dealing with something beyond my expertise Dr Sandoval said There might be someone else who can help you deal with your stress better than I can Got it Wade said fastening the buttons Listen this is my professional advice which is what you came here for right Dr Sandoval said I m here for my usual check up Wade said tucking his shirt into his pants All I m saying is you might want to talk with someone if your life is stressful Dr Sandoval said so stressful that it causes significant changes in your vitals Got it Wade said moving for the door Let me give you the name of someone I think could help Dr Sandoval said Fine Wade said stopping at the threshold Dr Sandoval extracted a business card from a small pile beside the computer and handed one to Wade She works in the same building right here Dr Sandoval explained I ve referred many of my patients to her before Thanks Wade said shoving the card into his pants pocket You should talk to her Doctor Sandoval said approaching closer She s good She deals with all kinds of issues Stories work and stuff Any trouble breathing Shortness of breath Dr Sandoval asked Wade remembered the panic attack last night the choking in the dark No he said No problems there Yes I m sure it s nothing We all forget There s nothing out of the ordinary about that It s called nominal aphasia Dr Sandoval said drawing out the term as if the Latin itself allayed all fears Aphasia Wade said The word was familiar ominous Nominal Dr Sandoval said In name only Let me just ask a few questions Have you been forgetting important appointments or lost your train of thought in conversation No nothing like that Wade said squeezing the table edge Okay we ll do a quick cognitive test here just to make sure everything s good Dr Sandoval said Oh I don t think that s necessary Wade said Probably isn t but it s quick easy Just routine Bear with me please I want to be able to rule out as much as I can Dr Sandoval said I have to check all the boxes you understand Okay then let s check those boxes Wade said On the test Wade had to describe how a watch and a ruler were similar say how many nickels were in fifty cents write the names of a dozen different animals identify a wreath and a volcano and draw the face of a clock There were other tasks but Wade put the pencil and clipboard down I m actually in kind of a hurry he said Okay let me just take a look at what you ve done so far Dr Sandoval said scanning Wade s responses and making notes on the computer Honestly it wasn t necessary Wade said I can tell the time Yes I see that I just need to check all the boxes Dr Sandoval said I understand Wade said Well there s nothing here that indicates anything degenerative Dr Sandoval said Good to hear Wade said Dr Sandoval bit his lower lip before asking But have you thought about talking to someone Wade froze before replying I am talking to you right now No I mean talking to someone about your life 29

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Stories I ll think about it Wade said reaching for the door Oh before you go Dr Sandoval said let me give you something to help you relax a little Help you sleep Wade released the handle and turned around I d appreciate that he said Stress lack of sleep You know what that can cause Memory problems Wade said relieved Okay I m going to give you something Dr Sandoval said writing out a prescription We ll start with the minimum dosage which should be plenty And if you walk more get more exercise you ll sleep better Sounds good Wade said reaching out for the prescription And give our psychiatrist a call She can help Dr Sandoval said Wade turned the paper over in his hand What if the minimum dose doesn t work he asked Then I m going to insist you go talk to our psychiatrist Dr Sandoval said Wade texted Laura and they settled on six o clock that evening The Berklee College of Music was only thirty minutes away by public transit and fifteen by car but that made little difference He couldn t ask her to commute What s the point of college and living independently for the first time in your life if you still live at home If she hadn t received scholarships that covered the cost of tuition plus room and board he could have argued that staying home would save all kinds of money but he couldn t so he had no choice but to drop his daughter off at the Residence Hall on 150 Massachusetts Avenue a squat unremarkable structure of red brick in the heart of the Fenway neighborhood with all her things outside the opened doors of the minivan spilling over onto the sidewalk She invited him up to see the dorm and meet the roommate but he offered a stiff hug and a cautious wave goodbye instead The call didn t come through until 6 23 p m Wade affected nonchalance I m sorry I couldn t call earlier Laura explained I just got so busy talking to everybody and getting settled Here take a look 30 She turned the tablet s camera around and showed Wade the view through her window down to the crowded sidewalk and the bare mattresses in frames on either side of the room and the desk pushed up against a wall with books askew and a mass of clothes on the floor and an acoustic guitar on a stand in a corner and a stranded keyboard in the opposite corner and some cardboard boxes blocking the doorway Looks a little tight Wade said Yeah but everybody tells me I ll never be in here Laura said I ll be spending all my time in the classrooms the studios and the practice rooms But not out partying Wade said deepening his voice masking fear with sarcasm Yeah right Laura said How was orientation Wade asked Good I ve met so many people already Laura said How s your roommate Wade asked She seems fine Laura said Cool actually Mei seems like the same person I was chatting with over the summer so no surprises Her flight got delayed and she didn t get here until this morning so I m sure she ll crash soon I m hoping she can tell me which of the Chinese takeout spots here are legit I think we re going to get along She seems very chill Chill is good Wade said Chill is good Laura said Let s see what else Oh and I talked to a bunch of people about my classes my schedule the professors and stuff Laura added What did you find out Wade asked Well I mean and I already knew this but sometimes the instructors will get this incredible gig in the middle of the semester and they ll just disappear to do a tour Laura said They have to because the money s too good and then somebody else fills in so I m not sure how that s going to work You ll handle it Wade said I know I ll handle it Laura said but it doesn t exactly sound ideal True Wade said And I m a little worried about the music theory classes Laura said Everyone says they re really hard and they assume you already know a lot But you do know a lot Wade said My ear s really good Laura said but I ve never studied theory like I should Wade thought of Elizabeth who struggled teaching theory to her students at the high school You ll learn Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Stories I ll think about it Wade said reaching for the door Oh before you go Dr Sandoval said let me give you something to help you relax a little Help you sleep Wade released the handle and turned around I d appreciate that he said Stress lack of sleep You know what that can cause Memory problems Wade said relieved Okay I m going to give you something Dr Sandoval said writing out a prescription We ll start with the minimum dosage which should be plenty And if you walk more get more exercise you ll sleep better Sounds good Wade said reaching out for the prescription And give our psychiatrist a call She can help Dr Sandoval said Wade turned the paper over in his hand What if the minimum dose doesn t work he asked Then I m going to insist you go talk to our psychiatrist Dr Sandoval said Wade texted Laura and they settled on six o clock that evening The Berklee College of Music was only thirty minutes away by public transit and fifteen by car but that made little difference He couldn t ask her to commute What s the point of college and living independently for the first time in your life if you still live at home If she hadn t received scholarships that covered the cost of tuition plus room and board he could have argued that staying home would save all kinds of money but he couldn t so he had no choice but to drop his daughter off at the Residence Hall on 150 Massachusetts Avenue a squat unremarkable structure of red brick in the heart of the Fenway neighborhood with all her things outside the opened doors of the minivan spilling over onto the sidewalk She invited him up to see the dorm and meet the roommate but he offered a stiff hug and a cautious wave goodbye instead The call didn t come through until 6 23 p m Wade affected nonchalance I m sorry I couldn t call earlier Laura explained I just got so busy talking to everybody and getting settled Here take a look 30 She turned the tablet s camera around and showed Wade the view through her window down to the crowded sidewalk and the bare mattresses in frames on either side of the room and the desk pushed up against a wall with books askew and a mass of clothes on the floor and an acoustic guitar on a stand in a corner and a stranded keyboard in the opposite corner and some cardboard boxes blocking the doorway Looks a little tight Wade said Yeah but everybody tells me I ll never be in here Laura said I ll be spending all my time in the classrooms the studios and the practice rooms But not out partying Wade said deepening his voice masking fear with sarcasm Yeah right Laura said How was orientation Wade asked Good I ve met so many people already Laura said How s your roommate Wade asked She seems fine Laura said Cool actually Mei seems like the same person I was chatting with over the summer so no surprises Her flight got delayed and she didn t get here until this morning so I m sure she ll crash soon I m hoping she can tell me which of the Chinese takeout spots here are legit I think we re going to get along She seems very chill Chill is good Wade said Chill is good Laura said Let s see what else Oh and I talked to a bunch of people about my classes my schedule the professors and stuff Laura added What did you find out Wade asked Well I mean and I already knew this but sometimes the instructors will get this incredible gig in the middle of the semester and they ll just disappear to do a tour Laura said They have to because the money s too good and then somebody else fills in so I m not sure how that s going to work You ll handle it Wade said I know I ll handle it Laura said but it doesn t exactly sound ideal True Wade said And I m a little worried about the music theory classes Laura said Everyone says they re really hard and they assume you already know a lot But you do know a lot Wade said My ear s really good Laura said but I ve never studied theory like I should Wade thought of Elizabeth who struggled teaching theory to her students at the high school You ll learn Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Stories Visual Art he said Easy for you to say Laura said Easy but true Wade said So what are you going to do tonight Laura asked Not much Wade said straightening I can come home this weekend if you want Laura said No don t do that Stay there Wade said turning away from the screen You can t tell me what to do Laura said lightly I can do whatever I want now You ll have a lot more fun there than you will here Wade said his chest tightening There was a knock at Laura s door voices commotion Well I should get going Laura said distracted I m supposed to meet up with some people now for dinner Okay talk soon Wade said neatly ending the call before he was overcome He pulled the shades down and turned the television on to a roundtable discussion on the state of the New England Patriots He spread out on the sofa laid an arm across his brow and concentrated on breathing in through the nose down into the belly hold for five seconds and out through the mouth Repeat He continued until the commentators concluded that ownership was too cheap to sign a top of the market cornerback Suddenly Elizabeth s voice with its easy banter cut through the babble from the commentators Why do you feel the need to watch football constantly Well that s an easy one I like football But why does it have to be all the time It s not all the time It s frequent Why does it have to be so loud It s better that way But isn t it all just soap opera for men Which doesn t make it any less fun So why is violence fun Now you re asking me questions above my pay grade But what s so fun about it It s a way of having a conversation just like you with music like you re always saying Sports aren t much of a conversation That s also part of the fun It doesn t really matter if you re right or wrong The stakes are low If the stakes are so low why are you always losing your mind over it Again these are questions above my pay grade But why don t you put that time and effort into something more worthwhile That s a good question Wade put his hand up to catch the early evening sun peeking through the shades As he watched the light travel across his fingers he thought of Laura in her dorm room She had come so far Take her freshman year In middle school if she used makeup at all it was only some lip gloss and a little eyeliner but on her first day at the high school she laid it on so thick there was a clear line separating her natural skin tone from the orange of her face He mentioned it to Elizabeth fearing the dysfunction might spread to her clothes He remembered Elizabeth snorting at him Dysfunction Oh so you re calling it a dysfunction Yes dysfunction Wade said And if she starts advertising her body then then we ll really have some problems to deal with Elizabeth placed her hands on her hips and glared at Wade as if he were a simpleton So makeup isn t the issue at all she said What are you talking about he asked What are you talking about she asked And Wade remembered that in the end Elizabeth did agree to talk with Laura though more for his sake than their daughter s And that was that The orange line disappeared He innocently asked Elizabeth how she had handled the situation but she turned on him finger pointing You should consider yourself fortunate Out of all the possible destructive habits she could develop habits that many girls her age do develop and you re worried about a little makeup Wade lifted his hand to the window above the sofa and peeked behind the shade He may have overreacted to the makeup but Laura was not doing as well as she seemed It was a kind of performance Well Elizabeth said impatient what did you expect But why doesn t she know she doesn t need to hide anything from me Because she Last Year s Swallow Moyan Wang Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 31 Stories Visual Art he said Easy for you to say Laura said Easy but true Wade said So what are you going to do tonight Laura asked Not much Wade said straightening I can come home this weekend if you want Laura said No don t do that Stay there Wade said turning away from the screen You can t tell me what to do Laura said lightly I can do whatever I want now You ll have a lot more fun there than you will here Wade said his chest tightening There was a knock at Laura s door voices commotion Well I should get going Laura said distracted I m supposed to meet up with some people now for dinner Okay talk soon Wade said neatly ending the call before he was overcome He pulled the shades down and turned the television on to a roundtable discussion on the state of the New England Patriots He spread out on the sofa laid an arm across his brow and concentrated on breathing in through the nose down into the belly hold for five seconds and out through the mouth Repeat He continued until the commentators concluded that ownership was too cheap to sign a top of the market cornerback Suddenly Elizabeth s voice with its easy banter cut through the babble from the commentators Why do you feel the need to watch football constantly Well that s an easy one I like football But why does it have to be all the time It s not all the time It s frequent Why does it have to be so loud It s better that way But isn t it all just soap opera for men Which doesn t make it any less fun So why is violence fun Now you re asking me questions above my pay grade But what s so fun about it It s a way of having a conversation just like you with music like you re always saying Sports aren t much of a conversation That s also part of the fun It doesn t really matter if you re right or wrong The stakes are low If the stakes are so low why are you always losing your mind over it Again these are questions above my pay grade But why don t you put that time and effort into something more worthwhile That s a good question Wade put his hand up to catch the early evening sun peeking through the shades As he watched the light travel across his fingers he thought of Laura in her dorm room She had come so far Take her freshman year In middle school if she used makeup at all it was only some lip gloss and a little eyeliner but on her first day at the high school she laid it on so thick there was a clear line separating her natural skin tone from the orange of her face He mentioned it to Elizabeth fearing the dysfunction might spread to her clothes He remembered Elizabeth snorting at him Dysfunction Oh so you re calling it a dysfunction Yes dysfunction Wade said And if she starts advertising her body then then we ll really have some problems to deal with Elizabeth placed her hands on her hips and glared at Wade as if he were a simpleton So makeup isn t the issue at all she said What are you talking about he asked What are you talking about she asked And Wade remembered that in the end Elizabeth did agree to talk with Laura though more for his sake than their daughter s And that was that The orange line disappeared He innocently asked Elizabeth how she had handled the situation but she turned on him finger pointing You should consider yourself fortunate Out of all the possible destructive habits she could develop habits that many girls her age do develop and you re worried about a little makeup Wade lifted his hand to the window above the sofa and peeked behind the shade He may have overreacted to the makeup but Laura was not doing as well as she seemed It was a kind of performance Well Elizabeth said impatient what did you expect But why doesn t she know she doesn t need to hide anything from me Because she Last Year s Swallow Moyan Wang Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 31

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Stories 32 can see her father is not doing well But she needs to take care well These were some of the symptoms as the grief of herself But she knows you re not well She doesn t have counselor had explained before he decided he didn t to do that Are you sure I can take care of myself Does want to talk to her anymore didn t want to join any Laura know that Well she should How would she know I groups didn t want to do any work as the counselor will prove it How I ll think of something When Soon called it How could she expect him to Getting out of You don t understand What don t I understand What bed required an effort he didn t possess The counselor Laura s doing What s Laura doing It s an act of generosity warned that the longer he remained inactive the What is Her performance worse it would become She pressed the need for Wade Wade pulled his hand from the shade and laid his to continue with his medication even though it gave forearm across his forehead Should he tell Laura that him headaches She said he needed to try a variety of he knew she was pretending She was seeing a therapist antidepressants perhaps in combination with others but when he asked she didn t want to talk about it The in varying dosages until they found the right mix but only person in the world he thought he might talk to Wade doubted such a mix existed and if one did it all didn t want to talk But why should she Laura had a sounded like so much work right to privacy too No it was better to leave her alone He didn t know how to explain it to the therapist To trust her at the time but it felt like there was no connection He remembered listening to Elizabeth at the piano between himself and the outside world no tether She found his presence a distraction so he used to hide anchoring him to the immediacy of his surroundings around corners and listen in and the idea of returning to work scared him having He recalled one day when they had both started on to face all those faces with his own The therapist asked their summer vacations if he had thought about It was hot Wade came suicide but the idea of He peered around the corner making that much effort in from outside after futzing around in the and watched Elizabeth close the exhausted him yard for some time and And Laura score sheets and bow her head There was still Laura he heard the music At that point in time as if in prayer before lifting her Wade returned to he knew it was his wife the couch reached for hand to play again and not his daughter as the remote control and Elizabeth was so much turned the television up more advanced He snuck into the hallway and pressed The roundtable discussion had turned to the Red Sox himself against the wall He peered around the corner and the need for ownership to spend spend spend in free and watched Elizabeth close the score sheets and bow agency He remembered that Elizabeth hated the seats her head as if in prayer before lifting her hand to play at Fenway Park She said anyone with a butt like hers again She started to improvise or at least he thought couldn t fit but she was exaggerating There wasn t a she was improvising it was something he had never thing wrong with her She often reminded him that the heard before bewitching and haunting with a classical reason she couldn t shed the extra pounds was simple sound He was deeply affected When she stopped he She loved food and loathed exercise entered the room as though he just happened to be The walks around the pond were his idea passing by Please don t stop on my account he said She stared at him for a moment and then closed the piano He told her the road circling the reservoir was a That was nice he said sensing a stronger word of two and a half mile loop they could start with one praise might offend lap and then work their way up He was genuinely Yes but unremarkable she said curious having never seen it for himself That part of The memory was interrupted by the dry tightness Cambridge was a far cry from Harvard Square but in his chest squeezing his lungs He looked down at his apparently there was a golf course too You couldn t hand and found it shaking and his mouth felt dry as see a thing from the roadway so the rumor of hidden Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Stories 32 can see her father is not doing well But she needs to take care well These were some of the symptoms as the grief of herself But she knows you re not well She doesn t have counselor had explained before he decided he didn t to do that Are you sure I can take care of myself Does want to talk to her anymore didn t want to join any Laura know that Well she should How would she know I groups didn t want to do any work as the counselor will prove it How I ll think of something When Soon called it How could she expect him to Getting out of You don t understand What don t I understand What bed required an effort he didn t possess The counselor Laura s doing What s Laura doing It s an act of generosity warned that the longer he remained inactive the What is Her performance worse it would become She pressed the need for Wade Wade pulled his hand from the shade and laid his to continue with his medication even though it gave forearm across his forehead Should he tell Laura that him headaches She said he needed to try a variety of he knew she was pretending She was seeing a therapist antidepressants perhaps in combination with others but when he asked she didn t want to talk about it The in varying dosages until they found the right mix but only person in the world he thought he might talk to Wade doubted such a mix existed and if one did it all didn t want to talk But why should she Laura had a sounded like so much work right to privacy too No it was better to leave her alone He didn t know how to explain it to the therapist To trust her at the time but it felt like there was no connection He remembered listening to Elizabeth at the piano between himself and the outside world no tether She found his presence a distraction so he used to hide anchoring him to the immediacy of his surroundings around corners and listen in and the idea of returning to work scared him having He recalled one day when they had both started on to face all those faces with his own The therapist asked their summer vacations if he had thought about It was hot Wade came suicide but the idea of He peered around the corner making that much effort in from outside after futzing around in the and watched Elizabeth close the exhausted him yard for some time and And Laura score sheets and bow her head There was still Laura he heard the music At that point in time as if in prayer before lifting her Wade returned to he knew it was his wife the couch reached for hand to play again and not his daughter as the remote control and Elizabeth was so much turned the television up more advanced He snuck into the hallway and pressed The roundtable discussion had turned to the Red Sox himself against the wall He peered around the corner and the need for ownership to spend spend spend in free and watched Elizabeth close the score sheets and bow agency He remembered that Elizabeth hated the seats her head as if in prayer before lifting her hand to play at Fenway Park She said anyone with a butt like hers again She started to improvise or at least he thought couldn t fit but she was exaggerating There wasn t a she was improvising it was something he had never thing wrong with her She often reminded him that the heard before bewitching and haunting with a classical reason she couldn t shed the extra pounds was simple sound He was deeply affected When she stopped he She loved food and loathed exercise entered the room as though he just happened to be The walks around the pond were his idea passing by Please don t stop on my account he said She stared at him for a moment and then closed the piano He told her the road circling the reservoir was a That was nice he said sensing a stronger word of two and a half mile loop they could start with one praise might offend lap and then work their way up He was genuinely Yes but unremarkable she said curious having never seen it for himself That part of The memory was interrupted by the dry tightness Cambridge was a far cry from Harvard Square but in his chest squeezing his lungs He looked down at his apparently there was a golf course too You couldn t hand and found it shaking and his mouth felt dry as see a thing from the roadway so the rumor of hidden Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 He didn t respond but privately admitted he couldn t argue with her They walked on hand in hand commenting on various birds along the way Look at that puffy brown one up there Wade said pointing up at a maple He could stand to shed a few pounds He needs a diet more than I do Elizabeth said That s a huge pack of geese in the water Wade said Look at the white patches on their cheeks Elizabeth said Do geese have cheeks Wade asked They continued their stroll occasionally stopping their eyes constantly scanning Oh and look at that one over there Elizabeth said indicating a birch It s got a red crown What is that A woodpecker Eventually they came across a Wildlife Habitat sign nailed to a conifer with color pictures behind plexiglass that showed the common flora and fauna in the area They started with the trees A big toothed aspen Wade said A tree with teeth It says right here it s named for its leaves that have these thingies on them that look like teeth Elizabeth said Thingies Wade asked Is that the technical term Elizabeth went through the fauna Look at this she said grabbing Wade s elbow it says Fresh Pond is home to a hundred and forty nine species of birds She looked at Wade to make sure he was listening Wow they must make a lot of noise Okay okay Wade said pulling away I get it I surrender Oh and look at this Guess how deep the pond is Elizabeth said reading from the sign I don t know Ponds must be shallow right Maybe ten or fifteen feet Wade said Fifty Elizabeth said That s a lot deeper than I would have guessed Wade said They turned around and faced the water I wonder why it s not a small lake Wade said Let s find out Elizabeth said pulling out her cellphone It says that if sunlight can reach the bottom it s a pond but if the water is deep enough that sunlight can t reach it s a lake So what does that make you Wade asked A Stories attractions amongst the blight intrigued him Their first time out they decided on one lap but would keep their options open They soon came upon a children s playground with a mother pushing her child on a swing three boys on the merry go round two girls in pigtails at the ends of a seesaw Wade told Elizabeth how quiet it was when she or Laura weren t at the piano almost like a tomb In fact he bet that the piano was going twelve hours a day Elizabeth scoffed Like I have that much spare time she said I wish Besides Laura s in her room all day with all her keyboards and barely comes out anymore to play the upright I m forced to listen to the piano so much that I m starting to feel uncomfortable in the quiet Wade said in mock exasperation Forced Elizabeth said slapping her thigh Who s forcing anything Besides haven t you noticed that it s never quiet around the house regardless How do you mean Wade asked It was then that she mentioned the birds Have you really not heard them she asked They re flying all around the yard constantly she said her fingers twitching with flight They ve got nests in the trees they re fighting with the squirrels all the time making all kinds of noise It s constant It s impossible to miss I know Wade said I ve heard them No you haven t she said What do you mean he asked She stopped walking and held an arm out to stop Wade in his tracks Close your eyes she said He hesitated Stand still and close your eyes she repeated turning to face Wade grabbing his shoulders He obeyed eager to indulge her spontaneity Now listen she said releasing him Sure enough the sound filled his ears an entire chorus whirling round his head thick with vibration He turned left and right to capture it all He must have heard the birds as soon as he had entered the Fresh Pond Reservoir and they must have been causing a clamor the whole time he had been walking along the path but somehow he had missed it The intensity of the chatter was almost overwhelming the unprocessed sounds engulfing his mind until finally he opened his eyes See Elizabeth said triumphant It s never quiet Any time you think so just listen 33 Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 He didn t respond but privately admitted he couldn t argue with her They walked on hand in hand commenting on various birds along the way Look at that puffy brown one up there Wade said pointing up at a maple He could stand to shed a few pounds He needs a diet more than I do Elizabeth said That s a huge pack of geese in the water Wade said Look at the white patches on their cheeks Elizabeth said Do geese have cheeks Wade asked They continued their stroll occasionally stopping their eyes constantly scanning Oh and look at that one over there Elizabeth said indicating a birch It s got a red crown What is that A woodpecker Eventually they came across a Wildlife Habitat sign nailed to a conifer with color pictures behind plexiglass that showed the common flora and fauna in the area They started with the trees A big toothed aspen Wade said A tree with teeth It says right here it s named for its leaves that have these thingies on them that look like teeth Elizabeth said Thingies Wade asked Is that the technical term Elizabeth went through the fauna Look at this she said grabbing Wade s elbow it says Fresh Pond is home to a hundred and forty nine species of birds She looked at Wade to make sure he was listening Wow they must make a lot of noise Okay okay Wade said pulling away I get it I surrender Oh and look at this Guess how deep the pond is Elizabeth said reading from the sign I don t know Ponds must be shallow right Maybe ten or fifteen feet Wade said Fifty Elizabeth said That s a lot deeper than I would have guessed Wade said They turned around and faced the water I wonder why it s not a small lake Wade said Let s find out Elizabeth said pulling out her cellphone It says that if sunlight can reach the bottom it s a pond but if the water is deep enough that sunlight can t reach it s a lake So what does that make you Wade asked A Stories attractions amongst the blight intrigued him Their first time out they decided on one lap but would keep their options open They soon came upon a children s playground with a mother pushing her child on a swing three boys on the merry go round two girls in pigtails at the ends of a seesaw Wade told Elizabeth how quiet it was when she or Laura weren t at the piano almost like a tomb In fact he bet that the piano was going twelve hours a day Elizabeth scoffed Like I have that much spare time she said I wish Besides Laura s in her room all day with all her keyboards and barely comes out anymore to play the upright I m forced to listen to the piano so much that I m starting to feel uncomfortable in the quiet Wade said in mock exasperation Forced Elizabeth said slapping her thigh Who s forcing anything Besides haven t you noticed that it s never quiet around the house regardless How do you mean Wade asked It was then that she mentioned the birds Have you really not heard them she asked They re flying all around the yard constantly she said her fingers twitching with flight They ve got nests in the trees they re fighting with the squirrels all the time making all kinds of noise It s constant It s impossible to miss I know Wade said I ve heard them No you haven t she said What do you mean he asked She stopped walking and held an arm out to stop Wade in his tracks Close your eyes she said He hesitated Stand still and close your eyes she repeated turning to face Wade grabbing his shoulders He obeyed eager to indulge her spontaneity Now listen she said releasing him Sure enough the sound filled his ears an entire chorus whirling round his head thick with vibration He turned left and right to capture it all He must have heard the birds as soon as he had entered the Fresh Pond Reservoir and they must have been causing a clamor the whole time he had been walking along the path but somehow he had missed it The intensity of the chatter was almost overwhelming the unprocessed sounds engulfing his mind until finally he opened his eyes See Elizabeth said triumphant It s never quiet Any time you think so just listen 33

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Stories Visual Art Spring Messenger Amylane Reeve pond or a lake What do you think Elizabeth asked I d say lake Wade said Is that an insult Elizabeth asked Not at all Wade said Lakes are far more beautiful than ponds But they have more hidden creepy crawly creatures hiding in the dark at the bottom Elizabeth said But more depth more mystery Wade said I wish I could be a lake Don t be too hard on yourself you re a good sized pond Elizabeth said Not too shallow Wade said What s wrong with shallow Elizabeth asked Plenty of sunshine at the bottom They walked ahead in silence until they reached the golf course He noticed a mother duck with mottled brown feathers leading her yellow ducklings from the brush into the water He wondered if the ducklings would be old enough to fly south by the time winter arrived I wish I could do that Elizabeth said Just fly away when things get tough 34 His chest uncoiled which prompted Wade to leave the confines of the couch The grief counselor had told him to write to get it all down whatever came into his mind and not worry about grammar and all the rest and it didn t need to make sense either the act of writing itself would help The need to clarify would come naturally she said and the clarification would make him feel better He doubted it at the time but now the urge clawed at him He sat down at the kitchen table with the silver pen and leather clad journal the grief counselor had offered as a gift He wrote a careful sentence reread it moved the words around added and subtracted but no matter what he did it sounded false He tore out the page from the journal and tried again Maybe start with only a few words and build slowly He scribbled on the page read the words then crossed them out Elizabeth had become a problem to solve and description wouldn t suffice He had to mark her down on the page to celebrate her but she kept receding she weighed down the paper and fell through the lines He formed a picture of Elizabeth in his mind but he couldn t see she was too close her lines too thick and heavy He needed distance but when he tried to access that distance she disappeared her lines melted away she became flow without substance and floated away He turned to a new page smoothed the crease and started again but no matter what he wrote she fell away He placed the cap onto the pen and tossed the journal across the table It fell onto the floor with the pages flying open He descended the stairs into the basement Elizabeth liked to tease and call it his workshop He owned some basic power tools cans of paint with lids poorly secured a couple of hammers a motley assortment of nails and screws jumbled together in a bucket random pieces of wood and sheets of sandpaper He was never any good with his hands and didn t understand how such creativity was possible He only knew he did not possess it At the bottom of the stairwell he found it was cool and comfortable with the smell of moss permeating Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Stories Visual Art Spring Messenger Amylane Reeve pond or a lake What do you think Elizabeth asked I d say lake Wade said Is that an insult Elizabeth asked Not at all Wade said Lakes are far more beautiful than ponds But they have more hidden creepy crawly creatures hiding in the dark at the bottom Elizabeth said But more depth more mystery Wade said I wish I could be a lake Don t be too hard on yourself you re a good sized pond Elizabeth said Not too shallow Wade said What s wrong with shallow Elizabeth asked Plenty of sunshine at the bottom They walked ahead in silence until they reached the golf course He noticed a mother duck with mottled brown feathers leading her yellow ducklings from the brush into the water He wondered if the ducklings would be old enough to fly south by the time winter arrived I wish I could do that Elizabeth said Just fly away when things get tough 34 His chest uncoiled which prompted Wade to leave the confines of the couch The grief counselor had told him to write to get it all down whatever came into his mind and not worry about grammar and all the rest and it didn t need to make sense either the act of writing itself would help The need to clarify would come naturally she said and the clarification would make him feel better He doubted it at the time but now the urge clawed at him He sat down at the kitchen table with the silver pen and leather clad journal the grief counselor had offered as a gift He wrote a careful sentence reread it moved the words around added and subtracted but no matter what he did it sounded false He tore out the page from the journal and tried again Maybe start with only a few words and build slowly He scribbled on the page read the words then crossed them out Elizabeth had become a problem to solve and description wouldn t suffice He had to mark her down on the page to celebrate her but she kept receding she weighed down the paper and fell through the lines He formed a picture of Elizabeth in his mind but he couldn t see she was too close her lines too thick and heavy He needed distance but when he tried to access that distance she disappeared her lines melted away she became flow without substance and floated away He turned to a new page smoothed the crease and started again but no matter what he wrote she fell away He placed the cap onto the pen and tossed the journal across the table It fell onto the floor with the pages flying open He descended the stairs into the basement Elizabeth liked to tease and call it his workshop He owned some basic power tools cans of paint with lids poorly secured a couple of hammers a motley assortment of nails and screws jumbled together in a bucket random pieces of wood and sheets of sandpaper He was never any good with his hands and didn t understand how such creativity was possible He only knew he did not possess it At the bottom of the stairwell he found it was cool and comfortable with the smell of moss permeating Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 out of one of the brushes He dipped it into the can of sky blue and painted a tiny corner on the workbench The paint was thick and completely covered the uneven grooves in the wood He decided to remove all the materials from the bench and paint the entire top When he finished he saw the paint had covered all the dings splotches and dents The brush needed to be cleaned once more but he was out of thinner so he tossed it in an empty bucket He could pick up some new ones tomorrow Some more wood too Better wood And more tools as well Better tools And paint And thinner And don t forget the jigsaw And a mask He arranged the wood in a circle on the damp cement floor and nudged the various pieces with his foot pushing them in different directions considering He had a tree in mind The thick maple out back was perfect But what s the sense of going through all this trouble if the house didn t look right The birds might like it but that didn t matter He found a tape measure bent down on his hands and knees and began marking up the wood with a pencil Tonight was practice he decided his first attempt and he had much to learn Tomorrow he could try again While measuring and adjusting he considered ways to improve the design with every idea prompting another question But he kept working through the night encouraged by the solutions he was able to find Stories He turned on the light and stood before the wood workbench he had purchased at a yard sale He looked along the walls to see what materials he might scrounge up broken table legs dented end table moldy headboard discarded bureau warped bookshelf and a decaying chest of drawers Okay he would make do He assumed cutting two symmetrical pieces for the roof would be easy enough but once he finished and pressed the pieces together for comparison he found they were far from a perfect match But he went ahead anyway and cut out the four pieces for the front two sides and back He pressed the front and back pieces together and then the two side pieces His lines were uneven and the gaps obvious no doubt it would slant once he fastened it all together but the idea of finishing was more important than perfection But there was one problem he couldn t solve how to carve out the hole in the front He turned the wood over in his hand while he considered He would have to cut a circle obviously but he didn t have the right equipment He could pick up a jigsaw tomorrow In the meantime he plugged in the power sander and went to work Luckily he owned safety glasses so he was able to keep the dust out of his eyes but he didn t have anything for his mouth besides the collar of his shirt When he finished he marveled at the improvement The four disparate pieces looked more like a unified whole now The grain was exposed and the imperfect lines brought out the character of the wood Maybe he wouldn t paint it as he had initially thought Maybe he would use a polyurethane Or a shellac Was there a difference He turned his attention to the paint He grabbed a can of red removed the lid and peered inside The pigment had separated from the oil He found a used paint stick and stirred a couple of times dredging the color up from the bottom and mixing it with the oil floating on top After much effort the pigment spread evenly surprising Wade with its clarity He kept mixing until all the material inside the can turned candy red He opened the other cans and stirred their contents until he was satisfied Now he had options forest green eggshell white and sky blue He pulled at drawers and turned over buckets looking for a good brush the few he had were caked in dried paint Soon he gave up and located a can of thinner half full on one of the shelves under the bench next to an old dish rag and began cleaning the goop 35 Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 out of one of the brushes He dipped it into the can of sky blue and painted a tiny corner on the workbench The paint was thick and completely covered the uneven grooves in the wood He decided to remove all the materials from the bench and paint the entire top When he finished he saw the paint had covered all the dings splotches and dents The brush needed to be cleaned once more but he was out of thinner so he tossed it in an empty bucket He could pick up some new ones tomorrow Some more wood too Better wood And more tools as well Better tools And paint And thinner And don t forget the jigsaw And a mask He arranged the wood in a circle on the damp cement floor and nudged the various pieces with his foot pushing them in different directions considering He had a tree in mind The thick maple out back was perfect But what s the sense of going through all this trouble if the house didn t look right The birds might like it but that didn t matter He found a tape measure bent down on his hands and knees and began marking up the wood with a pencil Tonight was practice he decided his first attempt and he had much to learn Tomorrow he could try again While measuring and adjusting he considered ways to improve the design with every idea prompting another question But he kept working through the night encouraged by the solutions he was able to find Stories He turned on the light and stood before the wood workbench he had purchased at a yard sale He looked along the walls to see what materials he might scrounge up broken table legs dented end table moldy headboard discarded bureau warped bookshelf and a decaying chest of drawers Okay he would make do He assumed cutting two symmetrical pieces for the roof would be easy enough but once he finished and pressed the pieces together for comparison he found they were far from a perfect match But he went ahead anyway and cut out the four pieces for the front two sides and back He pressed the front and back pieces together and then the two side pieces His lines were uneven and the gaps obvious no doubt it would slant once he fastened it all together but the idea of finishing was more important than perfection But there was one problem he couldn t solve how to carve out the hole in the front He turned the wood over in his hand while he considered He would have to cut a circle obviously but he didn t have the right equipment He could pick up a jigsaw tomorrow In the meantime he plugged in the power sander and went to work Luckily he owned safety glasses so he was able to keep the dust out of his eyes but he didn t have anything for his mouth besides the collar of his shirt When he finished he marveled at the improvement The four disparate pieces looked more like a unified whole now The grain was exposed and the imperfect lines brought out the character of the wood Maybe he wouldn t paint it as he had initially thought Maybe he would use a polyurethane Or a shellac Was there a difference He turned his attention to the paint He grabbed a can of red removed the lid and peered inside The pigment had separated from the oil He found a used paint stick and stirred a couple of times dredging the color up from the bottom and mixing it with the oil floating on top After much effort the pigment spread evenly surprising Wade with its clarity He kept mixing until all the material inside the can turned candy red He opened the other cans and stirred their contents until he was satisfied Now he had options forest green eggshell white and sky blue He pulled at drawers and turned over buckets looking for a good brush the few he had were caked in dried paint Soon he gave up and located a can of thinner half full on one of the shelves under the bench next to an old dish rag and began cleaning the goop 35

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Music i hope you think over this time about all you have done maybe all the tears i ve shed crying will amount to something when wrung embarrassment and pain are all i feel when i think of being with you but please from my neck remove your heel so that maybe i can breathe anew i m crying but i ll never be heard over the waves of your lack of care and while i m inducing the blood you re sitting pretty over there i ll take the vitamin c and you will swallow the air i dont get how some people can be just so grossly unaware i ve carved into my thigh words you would never say slowly realizing i ve wasted my time as my skin starts to fray so go hang out with your high school friends who think youre so cool for having sex while midnight ends where i play the laying fool 6000mg lyrics dog fanclub 36 i m crying but i ll never be heard over the waves of your lack of care and while i m inducing the blood your sitting pretty over there i ll take the vitamin c and you will swallow the air i dont get how some people can be just so grossly unaware Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Music i hope you think over this time about all you have done maybe all the tears i ve shed crying will amount to something when wrung embarrassment and pain are all i feel when i think of being with you but please from my neck remove your heel so that maybe i can breathe anew i m crying but i ll never be heard over the waves of your lack of care and while i m inducing the blood you re sitting pretty over there i ll take the vitamin c and you will swallow the air i dont get how some people can be just so grossly unaware i ve carved into my thigh words you would never say slowly realizing i ve wasted my time as my skin starts to fray so go hang out with your high school friends who think youre so cool for having sex while midnight ends where i play the laying fool 6000mg lyrics dog fanclub 36 i m crying but i ll never be heard over the waves of your lack of care and while i m inducing the blood your sitting pretty over there i ll take the vitamin c and you will swallow the air i dont get how some people can be just so grossly unaware Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Poetry theme variations on the roadkill trope Macie Hayden i m driving one march and it s daytime early afternoon the oak trees are budding in north carolina the air smells raw and rotten and i don t know why until i turn a curve and see a dog sprawled across the yellow center lines his black fur bloodied and buzzing with flies that day i am a nightgown hung in a closet covered by a thick sheen of dust the next i am my own feet dirty in the dirt and washed clean by mercy guilt is a fleeting feeling it sways in my chest like two dancers who could not be less in love but more determined to continue waltzing just to pass the hours i loved her like that because there was nothing else to do nowadays i don t seem to like anything i write every subject feels both impossible to hold and inseparable from the top layers of my skin back to washing my feet sometimes i feel like i have too much god in me to access some innate and honest emotion i ve been hiding when i feel that way i drive down highways and backroads for hours curbing my car downtown and picking up my feet when i roll over train tracks because a girl in high school told me once that if your feet are on the ground in a train s path you won t ever get married i m sorry if you disagree with the institution i do too most days anyway i promised to make a statement about guilt so here today i am a dead dog in the road tomorrow i am the flies 38 Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Poetry theme variations on the roadkill trope Macie Hayden i m driving one march and it s daytime early afternoon the oak trees are budding in north carolina the air smells raw and rotten and i don t know why until i turn a curve and see a dog sprawled across the yellow center lines his black fur bloodied and buzzing with flies that day i am a nightgown hung in a closet covered by a thick sheen of dust the next i am my own feet dirty in the dirt and washed clean by mercy guilt is a fleeting feeling it sways in my chest like two dancers who could not be less in love but more determined to continue waltzing just to pass the hours i loved her like that because there was nothing else to do nowadays i don t seem to like anything i write every subject feels both impossible to hold and inseparable from the top layers of my skin back to washing my feet sometimes i feel like i have too much god in me to access some innate and honest emotion i ve been hiding when i feel that way i drive down highways and backroads for hours curbing my car downtown and picking up my feet when i roll over train tracks because a girl in high school told me once that if your feet are on the ground in a train s path you won t ever get married i m sorry if you disagree with the institution i do too most days anyway i promised to make a statement about guilt so here today i am a dead dog in the road tomorrow i am the flies 38 Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Poetry grief grows scales Macie Hayden granny keeps a calendar from the first national bank nailed to the living room wall under the clock that chimes on the hour and it s a red letter day so we ll take the outside quilt and two cans of diet cherry vanilla dr pepper underneath the bridge splash in creek puddles broken glass bottles in the mud hexagonal glitter from powerbait tins scattered across my fingertips drying after separating from the neon paste papaw used to roll in rough hands and use to bait hooks i wind fishing line around little fingers i play ispy in muddy water i cannot see through papaw used to play with me he used to pretend to see rainbows on the rainbow trout because there s nothing wrong with a little refraction after all aren t we all just passing through he says this too but papaw can t get down the bank anymore so he sits on the porch and waits to hear i caught one in two months we will catch lightning bugs in four we will buy flowers for corinth baptist decoration day but for right now we are fishing i ll see you in a little while 44 Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Poetry grief grows scales Macie Hayden granny keeps a calendar from the first national bank nailed to the living room wall under the clock that chimes on the hour and it s a red letter day so we ll take the outside quilt and two cans of diet cherry vanilla dr pepper underneath the bridge splash in creek puddles broken glass bottles in the mud hexagonal glitter from powerbait tins scattered across my fingertips drying after separating from the neon paste papaw used to roll in rough hands and use to bait hooks i wind fishing line around little fingers i play ispy in muddy water i cannot see through papaw used to play with me he used to pretend to see rainbows on the rainbow trout because there s nothing wrong with a little refraction after all aren t we all just passing through he says this too but papaw can t get down the bank anymore so he sits on the porch and waits to hear i caught one in two months we will catch lightning bugs in four we will buy flowers for corinth baptist decoration day but for right now we are fishing i ll see you in a little while 44 Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Emily Shelton is an artist educator based in South Carolina with a focus in soft sculpture recycled materials She recently earned her Master of Fine Arts from Winthrop University and currently works as an elementary art teacher Her artistic journey has been an exploration of unifying themes with a particular focus on her local flora and fauna and empathy Emily intertwines the beauty of nature with the human experience and often combines recycled textiles with found natural objects to craft experiences that evoke contemplation connection Through her art she aims to spark curiosity reflection inviting viewers to consider their place within the interconnected web of art nature and humanity Hanna Gelwix s work explores memory material and process through photography focusing on themes of presence impermanence Working with both digital film formats she embraces tactile experimental methods that allow the medium to shape the narrative Since 2019 she has created longexposure images using everyday objects light manipulation capturing fleeting moments and the interplay of light space and emotion Her evolving series reflects shifts in identity environment and time Originally from Michigan she moved to North Carolina six years ago for school and the region continues to influence her practice Select works are available at hannagelwix com Arden Stockdell Giesler is a queer poet using poetry to explore the intertwined relationship between grief intimacy and identity Recipient of the Brooklyn Poets Fellowship their work appears in Broken Antler Magazine Brooklyn Poets Bruiser Magazine Sky Island Journal Eunoia Review Allium Journal of Poetry and Prose Bullshit Lit HORNS Rachel Bochner s Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 EP Lovergirl and elsewhere They are from North Carolina and currently live in Brooklyn New York You can keep up with Arden s work on Instagram at 17blackberries Meet the Creators meet the creators Micah Brewer is a published writer who is currently a substitute teacher and a master s student completing a dual degree program Her poems often immet hints of her roots from South Carolina though she now lives in Pennsylvania Outside of writing teaching she enjoys whispering calamitous secrets to her houseplants or visiting the nooks crannies of bookstores She often finds inspiration for her work through her environment travels Her writing has appeared in Bridge Ink Magazine Teach Write and university publications Angela Gallo is a movement expert wellness advocate and travel coach who empowers people to reconnect with their bodies minds and spirits through travel movement As the artistic director of Sapphire Moon Dance Company and dean and professor of dance emeritus she has spent over 20 years teaching dance somatics and Pilates in higher education Angela s performance highlights include White Wave Dance Festival the Dancenow Downtown Festival Dance Theatre Workshop and Williamsburg Arts Nexus WAX in New York City the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and the Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists fFIDA in Toronto and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Alabama Dance Festival Charlotte Dance Festival Dimensions Dance Festival in the Southeast She has danced with AmDAT Dance Art Technology NY Eisenhower Dance Ensemble MI and the Power Company SC and worked on smaller projects with Ballet Preljocaj France and Anou Skan France She has also been a guest choreographer for South Carolina Ballet Columbia Classical Ballet Vibrations Dance Company the Power Company and others 45 Emily Shelton is an artist educator based in South Carolina with a focus in soft sculpture recycled materials She recently earned her Master of Fine Arts from Winthrop University and currently works as an elementary art teacher Her artistic journey has been an exploration of unifying themes with a particular focus on her local flora and fauna and empathy Emily intertwines the beauty of nature with the human experience and often combines recycled textiles with found natural objects to craft experiences that evoke contemplation connection Through her art she aims to spark curiosity reflection inviting viewers to consider their place within the interconnected web of art nature and humanity Hanna Gelwix s work explores memory material and process through photography focusing on themes of presence impermanence Working with both digital film formats she embraces tactile experimental methods that allow the medium to shape the narrative Since 2019 she has created longexposure images using everyday objects light manipulation capturing fleeting moments and the interplay of light space and emotion Her evolving series reflects shifts in identity environment and time Originally from Michigan she moved to North Carolina six years ago for school and the region continues to influence her practice Select works are available at hannagelwix com Arden Stockdell Giesler is a queer poet using poetry to explore the intertwined relationship between grief intimacy and identity Recipient of the Brooklyn Poets Fellowship their work appears in Broken Antler Magazine Brooklyn Poets Bruiser Magazine Sky Island Journal Eunoia Review Allium Journal of Poetry and Prose Bullshit Lit HORNS Rachel Bochner s Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 EP Lovergirl and elsewhere They are from North Carolina and currently live in Brooklyn New York You can keep up with Arden s work on Instagram at 17blackberries Meet the Creators meet the creators Micah Brewer is a published writer who is currently a substitute teacher and a master s student completing a dual degree program Her poems often immet hints of her roots from South Carolina though she now lives in Pennsylvania Outside of writing teaching she enjoys whispering calamitous secrets to her houseplants or visiting the nooks crannies of bookstores She often finds inspiration for her work through her environment travels Her writing has appeared in Bridge Ink Magazine Teach Write and university publications Angela Gallo is a movement expert wellness advocate and travel coach who empowers people to reconnect with their bodies minds and spirits through travel movement As the artistic director of Sapphire Moon Dance Company and dean and professor of dance emeritus she has spent over 20 years teaching dance somatics and Pilates in higher education Angela s performance highlights include White Wave Dance Festival the Dancenow Downtown Festival Dance Theatre Workshop and Williamsburg Arts Nexus WAX in New York City the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and the Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists fFIDA in Toronto and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Alabama Dance Festival Charlotte Dance Festival Dimensions Dance Festival in the Southeast She has danced with AmDAT Dance Art Technology NY Eisenhower Dance Ensemble MI and the Power Company SC and worked on smaller projects with Ballet Preljocaj France and Anou Skan France She has also been a guest choreographer for South Carolina Ballet Columbia Classical Ballet Vibrations Dance Company the Power Company and others 45

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Meet the Creators Moyan Wang is a multidisciplinary artist and MFA candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Her work spans ceramics painting and sculpture drawing from Chinese heritage personal diasporic experience to explore cultural memory labor and environmental degradation Wang s recent projects center on spring as a contested symbol of growth often referencing propaganda historical trauma Based in North Carolina she integrates locally sourced wild clay minerals to root global narratives in specific landscapes The works evoke tenderness dissonance fusing human animal and botanical forms in spaces of transformation unresolved memory Emma Rich is an abstract painter based in Bluffton South Carolina She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and minor in fiber arts from Savannah College of Art and Design in Spring 2024 Her work has been exhibited in galleries earning awards and honors across Georgia South Carolina Her work has also been published globally both online in magazines Her work explores themes of connection life through explorations of recurring shapes patterns found in nature James E Stephenson is the oldest of six brothers sisters He grew up in one high school towns in Texas Arkansas He earned degrees from Yale University Duke University He was a trial lawyer for 18 years Then he led a 1 000 employee company for 25 years Now he writes Richard Hurteau is an Americana musician from a small shrimping village in South Carolina He is currently releasing singles to prepare for his upcoming solo album His sound comes from his pride in lyrics and desire to match those with complimenting instrumentation Richard also has a rock group Richard and The Twins that he collaborates with extensively 46 Zander Lyvers is originally from Columbia South Carolina but he currently lives in Madrid Spain where he teaches social studies He published his first novel Last Great American Whale in 2021 He has recently published stories in Deal Jam Magazine All Existing Literary Magazine and Dionysian Public Library Mostly operating on the other side of the fence protecting creative works brands Carlynn Ferguson moved to Charlotte from Chicago drawn to the city s youth appreciation for the arts beautiful weather and trees Inspired by color nature she gravitates towards ethereal abstract oil watercolor landscapes experimenting with blending and not blending colors and incorporating the occasional gold leaf Jordan Veres is a Jewish musician songwriter composer lyricist producer shutterbug poet sculptor artist and welder currently residing in the Upstate of South Carolina If you need to contact Jordan he can be reached at krupafan8 gmail com Or if you are interested in hearing his music he can be found on YouTube as The Dearest Truth General Variety Kim Melohn is a multi disciplinary circus performer coach specializing in contortion vertical apparatus making gravity her bitch since 2014 Known for high energy acts filled with intricate wraps daring drops splits for claps and corny humor she brings bold personality to every performance Now based in North Carolina Kim is passionate about using circus as activism harnessing movement to challenge perspectives advocate for change She recently produced I Am Woman Watch Me Bleed to raise funds for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and support her Carolina community Headshot by Elsie Smith Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Meet the Creators Moyan Wang is a multidisciplinary artist and MFA candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Her work spans ceramics painting and sculpture drawing from Chinese heritage personal diasporic experience to explore cultural memory labor and environmental degradation Wang s recent projects center on spring as a contested symbol of growth often referencing propaganda historical trauma Based in North Carolina she integrates locally sourced wild clay minerals to root global narratives in specific landscapes The works evoke tenderness dissonance fusing human animal and botanical forms in spaces of transformation unresolved memory Emma Rich is an abstract painter based in Bluffton South Carolina She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and minor in fiber arts from Savannah College of Art and Design in Spring 2024 Her work has been exhibited in galleries earning awards and honors across Georgia South Carolina Her work has also been published globally both online in magazines Her work explores themes of connection life through explorations of recurring shapes patterns found in nature James E Stephenson is the oldest of six brothers sisters He grew up in one high school towns in Texas Arkansas He earned degrees from Yale University Duke University He was a trial lawyer for 18 years Then he led a 1 000 employee company for 25 years Now he writes Richard Hurteau is an Americana musician from a small shrimping village in South Carolina He is currently releasing singles to prepare for his upcoming solo album His sound comes from his pride in lyrics and desire to match those with complimenting instrumentation Richard also has a rock group Richard and The Twins that he collaborates with extensively 46 Zander Lyvers is originally from Columbia South Carolina but he currently lives in Madrid Spain where he teaches social studies He published his first novel Last Great American Whale in 2021 He has recently published stories in Deal Jam Magazine All Existing Literary Magazine and Dionysian Public Library Mostly operating on the other side of the fence protecting creative works brands Carlynn Ferguson moved to Charlotte from Chicago drawn to the city s youth appreciation for the arts beautiful weather and trees Inspired by color nature she gravitates towards ethereal abstract oil watercolor landscapes experimenting with blending and not blending colors and incorporating the occasional gold leaf Jordan Veres is a Jewish musician songwriter composer lyricist producer shutterbug poet sculptor artist and welder currently residing in the Upstate of South Carolina If you need to contact Jordan he can be reached at krupafan8 gmail com Or if you are interested in hearing his music he can be found on YouTube as The Dearest Truth General Variety Kim Melohn is a multi disciplinary circus performer coach specializing in contortion vertical apparatus making gravity her bitch since 2014 Known for high energy acts filled with intricate wraps daring drops splits for claps and corny humor she brings bold personality to every performance Now based in North Carolina Kim is passionate about using circus as activism harnessing movement to challenge perspectives advocate for change She recently produced I Am Woman Watch Me Bleed to raise funds for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and support her Carolina community Headshot by Elsie Smith Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Matthew Anderson is a prose poet essayist living in Portland Oregon He was born and lived in Central South Carolina most of his life and he studied at Clemson University He is currently working on a memoir that will bridge his time in the Carolinas with his life in Portland sarAika movement collective founded by queer immigrant women Aika Takeshima Japan and Sara Pizzi Italy is a bold voice in the New York City contemporary dance scene using multidisciplinary performance to uplift stories of identity migration and social justice Since its 2021 launch the collective has delivered over 300 performances performing at Lincoln Center New York City Center appearing on a Times Square billboard and touring in Japan Sweden and Italy Continuing to break artistic boundaries they recently earned a 2025 residency at University Settlement and a commission from IATI Theater sarAika shares Carolina Muse s mission to amplify diverse voices across mediums Considered to be one of the only artists in the United States to continue on in the painting genre started by Yaacov Agam Al Torres has taken on the challenge to proceed further in this style He is doing this in a representational manner The visual effect in this unique genre of painting is perceived as movement r e ve a l i n g concealing at the spectator s pace Incredibly he paints directly onto the painting surface which are Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 aluminum angles at 45 degrees Torres received his MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art His work has been exhibited in venues such as the Hickory Museum of Art in Hickory North Carolina He is represented by the Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte North Carolina His website is www altorresart com Angela Heiser lives near Raleigh North Carolina Much of her writing is inspired by hikes with her family exploring North Carolina s forests coastal regions She writes to immortalize the memories of her children discovering something new to love about nature Her work appears or is forthcoming in The Poetry Lighthouse The Red Mud Review and County Lines Her poem Cornhusker was awarded the Poetry Genre Winner for the 2024 2025 issue of The Red Mud Review She is an alum of Writers in Paradise and reads for Abode Press Wildscape and Libre Lit Meet the Creators Haley Jameson she her is a queer autistic writer from South Carolina Her most recent work appears in The Mitre Rattle Pink Apple Press The Promethean and Bananamilk Magazine She is an MFA student of creative writing at the City College of New York Find her chronically on Instagram QAWriterHaley Patricia K B Manley is a freshman at Western Carolina University in North Carolina She is the former design editor for Crashtest She has been published in Johnny America and her short story Slip is forthcoming in the ninth edition of Paper Crane Journal She received a Silver Key from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for an essay in 2022 and another Silver Key for her fiction portfolio in 2024 Read her flash fiction piece Vesti La Giubba on the Johnny America website In her free time Patricia enjoys exploring the Appalachian outdoors making crafts drawing sewing and knitting Irina Tall Novikova is an artist graphic artist and illustrator She graduated from the State Academy of Slavic Cultures with a degree in art and also has a Bachelor s degree in design Her first personal exhibition My soul is like a wild hawk 2002 was held in the museum of Maxim Bagdanovich In her works she raises themes of ecology In 2005 she devoted a series of works to the Chernobyl disaster which draws on anti war topics The first big series she drew was The Red 47 Matthew Anderson is a prose poet essayist living in Portland Oregon He was born and lived in Central South Carolina most of his life and he studied at Clemson University He is currently working on a memoir that will bridge his time in the Carolinas with his life in Portland sarAika movement collective founded by queer immigrant women Aika Takeshima Japan and Sara Pizzi Italy is a bold voice in the New York City contemporary dance scene using multidisciplinary performance to uplift stories of identity migration and social justice Since its 2021 launch the collective has delivered over 300 performances performing at Lincoln Center New York City Center appearing on a Times Square billboard and touring in Japan Sweden and Italy Continuing to break artistic boundaries they recently earned a 2025 residency at University Settlement and a commission from IATI Theater sarAika shares Carolina Muse s mission to amplify diverse voices across mediums Considered to be one of the only artists in the United States to continue on in the painting genre started by Yaacov Agam Al Torres has taken on the challenge to proceed further in this style He is doing this in a representational manner The visual effect in this unique genre of painting is perceived as movement r e ve a l i n g concealing at the spectator s pace Incredibly he paints directly onto the painting surface which are Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 aluminum angles at 45 degrees Torres received his MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art His work has been exhibited in venues such as the Hickory Museum of Art in Hickory North Carolina He is represented by the Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte North Carolina His website is www altorresart com Angela Heiser lives near Raleigh North Carolina Much of her writing is inspired by hikes with her family exploring North Carolina s forests coastal regions She writes to immortalize the memories of her children discovering something new to love about nature Her work appears or is forthcoming in The Poetry Lighthouse The Red Mud Review and County Lines Her poem Cornhusker was awarded the Poetry Genre Winner for the 2024 2025 issue of The Red Mud Review She is an alum of Writers in Paradise and reads for Abode Press Wildscape and Libre Lit Meet the Creators Haley Jameson she her is a queer autistic writer from South Carolina Her most recent work appears in The Mitre Rattle Pink Apple Press The Promethean and Bananamilk Magazine She is an MFA student of creative writing at the City College of New York Find her chronically on Instagram QAWriterHaley Patricia K B Manley is a freshman at Western Carolina University in North Carolina She is the former design editor for Crashtest She has been published in Johnny America and her short story Slip is forthcoming in the ninth edition of Paper Crane Journal She received a Silver Key from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for an essay in 2022 and another Silver Key for her fiction portfolio in 2024 Read her flash fiction piece Vesti La Giubba on the Johnny America website In her free time Patricia enjoys exploring the Appalachian outdoors making crafts drawing sewing and knitting Irina Tall Novikova is an artist graphic artist and illustrator She graduated from the State Academy of Slavic Cultures with a degree in art and also has a Bachelor s degree in design Her first personal exhibition My soul is like a wild hawk 2002 was held in the museum of Maxim Bagdanovich In her works she raises themes of ecology In 2005 she devoted a series of works to the Chernobyl disaster which draws on anti war topics The first big series she drew was The Red 47

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Meet the Creators Book dedicated to rare endangered species of animals birds She also writes fairy tales poems and illustrates short stories She draws various fantastic creatures unicorns animals with human faces she especially likes the image of a man a bird Siren Andrew Haynes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1992 from Keene State College and completed his Master s degree in English from the University of New Hampshire in 1996 He is currently teaching English as a Second Language in Lowell Massachusetts Amylane Reeve is a photographer writer and illustrator based in Nashville whose love for storytelling is influenced by the natural world She was raised in rural Appalachia and has a strong love for the mountains seaside and culture tied to the Carolinas She draws creative inspiration from the coastal landscapes or wandering through celebrated towns deeply enriched in history She believes that stories moments are best captured through multiple forms of media and her work reflects a thoughtful blend of craft connection and place Katherine Anne Ledbetter dog fanclub is a North Carolina born raised artist currently residing in Tallahassee Florida As a child she performed all over the Triad in various musical operatic performances Ms Ledbetter has studied classical voice at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in WinstonSalem NC and at Florida State University in Tallahassee FL While her main focus is opera she also enjoys performing in the more modern or indie style She released her first fulllength album under her solo project name dog fanclub entitled it won t last forever December 2022 and has a new one on the way She also has a dog named Texas Pete no relation Instagrams katoutboy dogfanclubmusic 48 Megan Tapley is an artist growing up and residing in Irmo South Carolina She works primarily in ceramics mixed media Her work focuses on identity specifically what it means to be a woman in the South and how she has broken those traditions throughout her life Her work is rich with pattern texture symbolizing her familial ties to textile work The patterns created help Tapley reconcile with her life choices The vessels published here represent Tapley s realization of what it means to be autonomous over herself and her life She hopes to inspire tangible change with her work and continues to focus on socio political problems throughout her practice Macie Hayden is a poet born raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains From West Jefferson North Carolina they are now earning their Bachelor of Arts in creative writing and literature from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Macie is extremely passionate about activism surrounding Appalachia and the rural South as well as queer trans joy liberation and of course all things poetry Their work also appears in Eunoia Review but otherwise is awaiting publication You can connect with them on X Twitter as well as Instagram under the handle macewritespoems Keyana Daye is a poet based in Charlotte North Carolina where she writes poems exploring relationships nature She s a lover of letters cats and flowers When she cannot be found crafting fun beverages it is normal to find her wandering the many walking trails of North Carolina or tucked away inside of a book JD Boatwright is a product of small town South Carolina Monetta SC where his songs were shaped by a large family farm background As a songwriter JD uses his upbringing in the rural South to weave tales that evoke raw human emotion and connection His debut Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Meet the Creators Book dedicated to rare endangered species of animals birds She also writes fairy tales poems and illustrates short stories She draws various fantastic creatures unicorns animals with human faces she especially likes the image of a man a bird Siren Andrew Haynes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1992 from Keene State College and completed his Master s degree in English from the University of New Hampshire in 1996 He is currently teaching English as a Second Language in Lowell Massachusetts Amylane Reeve is a photographer writer and illustrator based in Nashville whose love for storytelling is influenced by the natural world She was raised in rural Appalachia and has a strong love for the mountains seaside and culture tied to the Carolinas She draws creative inspiration from the coastal landscapes or wandering through celebrated towns deeply enriched in history She believes that stories moments are best captured through multiple forms of media and her work reflects a thoughtful blend of craft connection and place Katherine Anne Ledbetter dog fanclub is a North Carolina born raised artist currently residing in Tallahassee Florida As a child she performed all over the Triad in various musical operatic performances Ms Ledbetter has studied classical voice at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in WinstonSalem NC and at Florida State University in Tallahassee FL While her main focus is opera she also enjoys performing in the more modern or indie style She released her first fulllength album under her solo project name dog fanclub entitled it won t last forever December 2022 and has a new one on the way She also has a dog named Texas Pete no relation Instagrams katoutboy dogfanclubmusic 48 Megan Tapley is an artist growing up and residing in Irmo South Carolina She works primarily in ceramics mixed media Her work focuses on identity specifically what it means to be a woman in the South and how she has broken those traditions throughout her life Her work is rich with pattern texture symbolizing her familial ties to textile work The patterns created help Tapley reconcile with her life choices The vessels published here represent Tapley s realization of what it means to be autonomous over herself and her life She hopes to inspire tangible change with her work and continues to focus on socio political problems throughout her practice Macie Hayden is a poet born raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains From West Jefferson North Carolina they are now earning their Bachelor of Arts in creative writing and literature from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Macie is extremely passionate about activism surrounding Appalachia and the rural South as well as queer trans joy liberation and of course all things poetry Their work also appears in Eunoia Review but otherwise is awaiting publication You can connect with them on X Twitter as well as Instagram under the handle macewritespoems Keyana Daye is a poet based in Charlotte North Carolina where she writes poems exploring relationships nature She s a lover of letters cats and flowers When she cannot be found crafting fun beverages it is normal to find her wandering the many walking trails of North Carolina or tucked away inside of a book JD Boatwright is a product of small town South Carolina Monetta SC where his songs were shaped by a large family farm background As a songwriter JD uses his upbringing in the rural South to weave tales that evoke raw human emotion and connection His debut Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Macy James is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Here she finds her immense love for sculpture ceramics She enjoys working with sheet metal wheel throwing and hand building clay She has called Mebane North Carolina home for her entire life as has her family for multiple generations She feels a deep connection to rural North Carolina because it is where she grew up She spends most of her summers at Hyco Lake NC enjoying the peacefulness of the water She also finds solace in the North Carolina mountains where she enjoys hiking Her art is strongly rooted in the rural North Carolina lifestyle because she strives to make art for hard working everyday people who appreciate a simple life meet the team Editor in Chief Madison Foster has been passionate about the arts in their full scope since she was little Growing up in Greenville SC she could always be found with her face in a book or a guitar strapped over her shoulder While attending Elon University in North Carolina she grew her writing design skills as an English literature major with minors in communications multimedia authoring After graduating in 2020 Madison s love for publishing and the arts led her to bring Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine to life The multimedia arts magazine provides a platform for artists from all of the creative arts to share their message In addition to her work as editor in chief of Carolina Muse Madison works as a social media manager in Western North Carolina Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 Art Editor Lilliana Cameron is a visual artist who has lived all over the Carolinas and is now residing in Greenville SC She is an alumni of the College of Charleston where she majored in studio art arts management with a minor in art history In her art she aspires to capture beauty in the small everyday moments and inspire a sort of introspection She works in a variety of mediums but has a strong love for oil paint watercolor and charcoal Dance Editor Rush Johnston they them is a Bronx based multimedia choreographer poet performer filmmaker and movement researcher Rush creates at the intersection of visual performing art often exploring modes of artistic expression beyond the binary As a queer Native neurodiverse artist their work often plays with perception identity inviting viewers to question proposed truths of self social misunderstanding Social justice work is a key element of Rush s creative vision often encompassing themes of political turmoil queerness and mental health Rush is the founder artistic director of Kaleid Dance Collective an interdisciplinary artistic platform for creative experiments exhibitions Meet the Creators Meet the Team album Songs Outta My Head consists of 12 songs written by JD that run the spectrum of love loss and good times while also provoking thoughtfulness community With songs that feel timeless pertinent JD finds his own way through a continuing tradition that many Southern storytellers have blazed before him Whether performing in local venues or recording in makeshift studios JD s authenticity shines through proving that even the smallest places can shape voices that resonate far wide Music Editor Jake Shores is a multidisciplinary artist from Greensboro NC with a background in theater music visual and literary arts He is a recent graduate from High Point University receiving a degree in English with a focus on writing and a minor in theater He plans to further pursue his education by studying poetry at the graduate level while continuing work on his other creative pursuits in a non academic setting He is inspired largely by the natural world and by his interactions with people His work takes on the challenge of putting a name to the indescribable 49 Macy James is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Here she finds her immense love for sculpture ceramics She enjoys working with sheet metal wheel throwing and hand building clay She has called Mebane North Carolina home for her entire life as has her family for multiple generations She feels a deep connection to rural North Carolina because it is where she grew up She spends most of her summers at Hyco Lake NC enjoying the peacefulness of the water She also finds solace in the North Carolina mountains where she enjoys hiking Her art is strongly rooted in the rural North Carolina lifestyle because she strives to make art for hard working everyday people who appreciate a simple life meet the team Editor in Chief Madison Foster has been passionate about the arts in their full scope since she was little Growing up in Greenville SC she could always be found with her face in a book or a guitar strapped over her shoulder While attending Elon University in North Carolina she grew her writing design skills as an English literature major with minors in communications multimedia authoring After graduating in 2020 Madison s love for publishing and the arts led her to bring Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine to life The multimedia arts magazine provides a platform for artists from all of the creative arts to share their message In addition to her work as editor in chief of Carolina Muse Madison works as a social media manager in Western North Carolina Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 Art Editor Lilliana Cameron is a visual artist who has lived all over the Carolinas and is now residing in Greenville SC She is an alumni of the College of Charleston where she majored in studio art arts management with a minor in art history In her art she aspires to capture beauty in the small everyday moments and inspire a sort of introspection She works in a variety of mediums but has a strong love for oil paint watercolor and charcoal Dance Editor Rush Johnston they them is a Bronx based multimedia choreographer poet performer filmmaker and movement researcher Rush creates at the intersection of visual performing art often exploring modes of artistic expression beyond the binary As a queer Native neurodiverse artist their work often plays with perception identity inviting viewers to question proposed truths of self social misunderstanding Social justice work is a key element of Rush s creative vision often encompassing themes of political turmoil queerness and mental health Rush is the founder artistic director of Kaleid Dance Collective an interdisciplinary artistic platform for creative experiments exhibitions Meet the Creators Meet the Team album Songs Outta My Head consists of 12 songs written by JD that run the spectrum of love loss and good times while also provoking thoughtfulness community With songs that feel timeless pertinent JD finds his own way through a continuing tradition that many Southern storytellers have blazed before him Whether performing in local venues or recording in makeshift studios JD s authenticity shines through proving that even the smallest places can shape voices that resonate far wide Music Editor Jake Shores is a multidisciplinary artist from Greensboro NC with a background in theater music visual and literary arts He is a recent graduate from High Point University receiving a degree in English with a focus on writing and a minor in theater He plans to further pursue his education by studying poetry at the graduate level while continuing work on his other creative pursuits in a non academic setting He is inspired largely by the natural world and by his interactions with people His work takes on the challenge of putting a name to the indescribable 49

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Meet the Team Poetry Editor Amanda Conover is a queer writer based in Raleigh NC She has a BA in English from Elon University and is currently a student in Arcadia University s MFA in Creative Writing program where she specializes in poetry Amanda has been the poetry editor for Carolina Muse ever since volume I issue II and absolutely loves everything she gets to do with the literary arts magazine Along with her studies and editor responsibilities she works full time in scholarly publishing getting to contribute to the publication of scientific articles in journals Stories Editor Aidan Mel is a writer living working in the Greater Philadelphia area He graduated from Elon University with a BA in creative writing and religious studies and is planning to continue his education by pursuing an MFA over the next few years His work draws on his fascination with religion mythology examining the intersections between the two and their implications in his own life Currently he is working at an independent bookstore in Philadelphia PA while continuing his writing Newsletter Writer Jenna Kay Duxbury she her is a writer musician and painter living in Chapel Hill North Carolina She graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor s degree in professional writing and anthropology As the project manager for an online community focused on nurturing the intersections of artistic expression spirituality Jenna regards the arts as a cornerstone for building community and enriching public private life In addition to her role as the newsletter writer for Carolina Muse Jenna is the lead singer keyboardist of Skeleton Crew an alt rock cover band based in the Raleigh Durham area Currently she is learning how to rollerblade and play the trumpet Communications Strategist Misbah Chhotani is based in Burlington North Carolina She received a Bachelor s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Currently Misbah is preparing to pursue graduate studies in hopes of becoming an occupational therapist In addition to her academic pursuits Misbah actively contributes to various online communities She recently joined the team at Carolina Muse where she lends her expertise to curating engaging social media content Outside of this role Misbah serves as an admin for a worldwide mental health Facebook group providing support resources to individuals in need She also acts as a moderator for the Dermot Kennedy Discord community fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for fans of the artist 50 Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine Meet the Team Poetry Editor Amanda Conover is a queer writer based in Raleigh NC She has a BA in English from Elon University and is currently a student in Arcadia University s MFA in Creative Writing program where she specializes in poetry Amanda has been the poetry editor for Carolina Muse ever since volume I issue II and absolutely loves everything she gets to do with the literary arts magazine Along with her studies and editor responsibilities she works full time in scholarly publishing getting to contribute to the publication of scientific articles in journals Stories Editor Aidan Mel is a writer living working in the Greater Philadelphia area He graduated from Elon University with a BA in creative writing and religious studies and is planning to continue his education by pursuing an MFA over the next few years His work draws on his fascination with religion mythology examining the intersections between the two and their implications in his own life Currently he is working at an independent bookstore in Philadelphia PA while continuing his writing Newsletter Writer Jenna Kay Duxbury she her is a writer musician and painter living in Chapel Hill North Carolina She graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor s degree in professional writing and anthropology As the project manager for an online community focused on nurturing the intersections of artistic expression spirituality Jenna regards the arts as a cornerstone for building community and enriching public private life In addition to her role as the newsletter writer for Carolina Muse Jenna is the lead singer keyboardist of Skeleton Crew an alt rock cover band based in the Raleigh Durham area Currently she is learning how to rollerblade and play the trumpet Communications Strategist Misbah Chhotani is based in Burlington North Carolina She received a Bachelor s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Currently Misbah is preparing to pursue graduate studies in hopes of becoming an occupational therapist In addition to her academic pursuits Misbah actively contributes to various online communities She recently joined the team at Carolina Muse where she lends her expertise to curating engaging social media content Outside of this role Misbah serves as an admin for a worldwide mental health Facebook group providing support resources to individuals in need She also acts as a moderator for the Dermot Kennedy Discord community fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for fans of the artist 50 Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine

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Credits credits Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine is a multimedia arts magazine primarily showcasing young adult creators in the Carolinas Our mission is to provide a multi sensory immersive platform for young adult creatives that reveals the way various art forms can work together to tell the true stories of our human experience We publish short stories scripts poetry art photography music dance in a digital multimedia format on a tri annual basis Whether you submit a document image file audio file or video file our team loves to see creators test the boundaries of their art form to bring their passions interpretations experiences and messages to life Want to add your voice to the arts community of the Carolinas Submit your creative work through our Duosuma platform at duotrope com duosuma submit carolina muse literaryand arts magazine 1Yu2X Please view the specific requirements for your art form as well as our submission window dates at www carolina muse com submit Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 51 Credits credits Carolina Muse Literary Arts Magazine is a multimedia arts magazine primarily showcasing young adult creators in the Carolinas Our mission is to provide a multi sensory immersive platform for young adult creatives that reveals the way various art forms can work together to tell the true stories of our human experience We publish short stories scripts poetry art photography music dance in a digital multimedia format on a tri annual basis Whether you submit a document image file audio file or video file our team loves to see creators test the boundaries of their art form to bring their passions interpretations experiences and messages to life Want to add your voice to the arts community of the Carolinas Submit your creative work through our Duosuma platform at duotrope com duosuma submit carolina muse literaryand arts magazine 1Yu2X Please view the specific requirements for your art form as well as our submission window dates at www carolina muse com submit Vo l u m e V No II June 2025 51

Carolina Muse IV.III

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