China doll
Tzy Jiun Tan's poem tackles orientalism, sex, relationships and transactions.
My name, ምዕራፍ
Mhraf Worku's poem weaves Amharic and English in a personal reflection of self, cultural and national identity.
Coming Soon to DVD
Arthur De Oliveira laments his “scratched disk of a heart” in this new poem.
Calloused Hands
A love poem turned inwards, Mhraf Worku considers her palms and the roots they hold on to.
On the Grass
Zoe Jane Patterson turns her gaze on suburban life in this descriptive poem.
Nostalgia
When childhood trauma returns in a single mundane moment, unspiralling into a poem.
Thunder
Inspired by The Japanese House song “Face Like Thunder”, Tzy Jiun Tan whirls through a love affair in this “sun-drenched” poem.
Man-whore
Zoe Jane Patterson sharpens the focus on the gray areas of consent and slut-shaming.
This is the age of
“Political sexuality and heady womanhood / Pink pussy hats and banned burqas” — Tzy Jiun Tan tackles the current global climate, approaching post-capitalist apocalypse.
Boys Your Age
“Before they could afford a car they had already / Driven you insane” – new in milk & vodka, a poem blasting how patriarchy entraps men and hurts women.
US Embassy
“I wanted to punch Uncle Sam and scream” – Tzy Jiun Tan visits the US embassy in Malaysia, in a poem amid the Trump regime.
In my brother I see:
A tender ode to the poet’s brother, by Mhraf Worku.
Wire Matters
In this surreal poem, Arthur de Oliveira considers his own “wiring”, his self, and the Portuguese and English that mixes in him to produce the output of his identity.
The Man is Gone
What happens when the man departs? What does it do to you? Face your feelings in this poem.
wishbone
Stepping into the mind of a young girl struggling with food and body dysmorphia.
gaborone #2
A mother files for a visa to see her son, a young black boy in America, from the sweaty rooms of the US embassy in Botswana.
Grandfather's God
Mhraf Worku takes us to the heart of a religious ritual, stained with apprehension and family history.
Rewinded
Zoe Jane Patterson rewinds time in this poem, to observe a wife and husband and the subservience in between, from the eyes of a young child.