Jason Masino
Contributor Biography
Jason Masino is an artist and writer. A Los Angeles native, they received their BA in Dramatic Art from the University of California, Davis, in 2010 and has performed original works throughout Northern California. Their work has been published in Regis University's Loophole journal, Cultural Weekly, Inverted Syntax, and Call + Response. They are currently pursuing their MFA in Creative Writing at Regis University in Denver, Colorado.
Filtration
tainted water up the spout
through the faucet I fall out
to the land of busted glory
though without my native story
bees flocking to my nectar:
do they adore me,
or are they just boring?
teenage years
childish fears
catch my tears
please, stay here
screw the yellow hydrant back in—
contain the water
then, screw me
though I will not falter
Liya M. Akoury
Contributor Biography
Liya M. Akoury is an author, a poet, and a psychologist, based in Amherst, MA. Inevitably, her life has shaped her work. Growing up as a secular Jew in Russia, getting her doctorate in the scorching Nevada desert, and spending a year in remote Alaska have all made their way into her novel-in-progress. She is a lover of geriatric dogs, board games, walks, baking, and pickling.
Four Generations
My sisters link their arms,
And all that’s Belarus,
Is in their faces:
The fear, the resolve.
She, who remembers Stalin,
Stands in her quiet steadfastness.
She, who is younger
Than the regime she protests,
Stands,
Feet on the ground,
Elbows out,
Clenched fists.
My mothers form a chain.
She, who was told
To birth
Two for herself, and
A third, for her dictator,
“So easy.”
She, who was told
Her optimal height,
To decorate the world.
She, who was told
She’ll crumble.
“But, auntie, aren’t you scared?”
She laughs,
“Boy,
I used to work in daycare.”
My grandmothers sneer
At the teargas, the batons,
And the grenades.
They scold,
“How dare you hit a woman?”
And
“I’ve lived here
Four generations.
How dare you ruin my city, boy?”