Issue 30 | Spring 2024
The Desert Inn
Betsy Martin
the walls
are heat
and bird calls
the innkeeper
is stretched on his bed
watching tv
wizened by years
of tending his flocks of guests
a pair of whom
lovers of indefinite age
are also horizontal
enthralled
by a towhee’s
beethovenesque
che che che
trrr…!
che che che
trrr…!
the bird’s elegant attire
of black and rufous and white
so maestro
their casita open
to the desert wind
which blows through the back door
and out the front
sweeping the kitchen floor
eroding the paintings on the walls
About the Author
Betsy Martin is the author of the poetry chapbook, Whale’s Eye (Presa Press, 2019). Her poetry has appeared in Atlanta Review, The Briar Cliff Review, The Cape Rock, Cloudbank, Crack the Spine, Dunes Review, The Green Hills Literary Lantern, Juked, The Louisville Review, The MacGuffin, The Midwest Quarterly, Pennsylvania English, THINK, Wrath-Bearing Tree, and many others. She has advanced degrees in Russian language and literature. She is also a visual artist. Visit her at betsymartinpoet.com.
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