Issue 30 | Spring 2024

happy

William Aarnes

Having to talk doesn’t make her happy.

She feels put on the spot, doesn’t like

the pitch of her voice, can’t ignore the way

her left hand waves about unless she focuses

on keeping it still.

So she is the silent one

in her reading group, though happy to host

when her turn comes up, delighted that today

the weather lets them gather on her back porch.

The prosecco makes her happy, her hors oeuvres.

She’s happy to stay quiet as her friends claim

that the house finches crowding her feeder

aren’t aware of being happy that she’s put out

the seed. They maintain that birds can’t dwell

on what they’re doing, that they just fly up

without thinking to peck out —and scatter—

what they need. No more than those squirrels

beneath the feeder browsing spilled sunflowers

can they tell themselves they’re happy.

Her friends are congratulating themselves

on being human, telling her she should feel happy

that, filling the feeder, she can think to herself

that she’s filling the feeder.

She listens, her right hand

holding her left wrist. Three females land at the feeder,

joined by a male, at least eating if not happy. She keeps

to herself that it was Mill who wrote that asking

if you’re happy means you’re no longer happy.

It’s one of those thoughts that make her happy.

About the Author

William AarnesAfter teaching in South Carolina for thirty-seven years, William Aarnes has retired to Manhattan. His fourth collection of poems is The Hum in Human (Main Street Rag, 2022).

Issue 30 Cover

Prose

The Tangled Mysteries or The Transmutation of Affection Bruno Lloret, translated by Ellen Jones

Nova Veronica Wasson

Crying Spirit Kasimma

Diwata, Where She Walked Wilfrido Nolledo

Fake Moon Amy DeBellis

Zeppole (aka Awama) Khalil AbuSharekh

Excerpt from Imagine Breaking Everything Lina Munar Guevara, translated by Ellen Jones

Five Shots of Gay Sam, 2009-10 Daniel David Froid

Two Tales Alvin Lu

The Wall Ricardo Piglia, translated by Erik Noonan

Skinny Dipping Bailey Sims

Eight Quebecois Surnames Francisco García González translated by Bradley J. Nelson

Poetry

happy William Aarnes

i really love the little things that go unnoticed Philip Jason

College Jeffrey Kingman

The Desert Inn Betsy Martin

Cover Art

In the Heart of Love Nicole F. Kimball

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