by Shraya Singh My mother never touches meat. She never dips her fingers in the sink where my brother soaks the breasts and wings and legs, where he washes the blood off each piece, still warm with waning life. She never carves her knife along the edges of the soft flesh–the same pink as theContinue reading “Chicken Curry”
Author Archives: Shraya Singh
Ode to a Hen
by Spencer Keene Another egg slips from youAnd you feel half-an-omeletteLighter—brighter now underThe barn’s single glowing eyeThat blinks open with the dusk. You pluck three chin feathersAnd watch them curl down toPockets of stale hay like wingsFluttering to Earth in searchOf Farmer’s empty pillowcase. Sometimes you wonder aboutMother—her plush breast andAuburn bloom of plumageAlways theContinue reading “Ode to a Hen”
Old Coop Guard
by Laween Ismaail Once I had a chicken coop,In it, a young man. The young man would crouch down to stoop—Of the chickens, he was a fan. I recall this man was particularly fond,Dressing himself up supreme. He was the ruler of the chickensAnd the devil for the cats,Ominous.Yet serene. For this young man stoodContinue reading “Old Coop Guard”
the other side
by Miles “Danger” Kennedy I’ve heard you walk for minutes after.If allowed you’d strut away, but cagedwings cannot fly, only fry. Not that they’d help you: fightis the only natural response whenyour purpose ensconced in sauce or crisp of gold,disallows your being.Denuded of snood for fast food or soup for sick kids,denuded of feather forContinue reading “the other side”
A Chicken Adventure
by Rebecca-Lynn Gouache and coloured pencil on watercolour paper Rebecca-Lynn is an illustrator/author on the west coast of Canada. She enjoys painting with watercolor and it’s inspired by both the coastline and fairytales. For most of her life she’s grown up around chickens. She loves hanging out with chickens, hearing their little clucks, curious looks,Continue reading “A Chicken Adventure”
What came first
by Portia Yu Consider the egg:it has no artificeit cannot make up for its lack of feathersso it forms a layer of hard deniala shell of strict identityfloating in its centre, the yolk sits like an eye held steadyin this waythe egg perceives itself Consider the chicken:all noise and movementevery squawk is matched with aContinue reading “What came first”
Breaking News: Florida Man Cares for Coop
by Kara Beechler My father-in-law owns land in a state of delusionThey call it FloridaYou know, the one that promised divine conclusion Each morning he wakesEats his homegrown eggsand leftover pancakes Soon he is greeted by the leader of the flockWith a loud shoutthat echoes throughout Good grain, grassgreen mossFeathers floating,Then claws adjust He saidContinue reading “Breaking News: Florida Man Cares for Coop”
The Real Chicken Licken
by Paula Montez I’m sure you’ve heard the storyOf Chicken Licken and the sky—An acorn hit her headAnd she thought the end was nigh. ‘The sky is falling down!’She squawked with some insistence,Her pals all rallied round andOff they went to seek assistance. The Fox then caught a whiffOf panic in the air,Offered them assuranceOfContinue reading “The Real Chicken Licken”
Movie Night
by Martina Matijević chickens’ movie nightthey agree on a horrorand choose cooking show Martina Matijević is a poet from Croatia whose work has been featured in Under the Bashō, Haiku Commentary, Dadakuku, The Sciku Project, Cold Moon Journal, and others. After she had been diagnosed with severe anxiety, she decided to spend more time helpingContinue reading “Movie Night”
Oh Cabbage Worms
by CJ The Tall Poet Cabbage worms of various sizesWere ruining my lovely gardenThe total amount was eighteenThey were eventually placed in a small cupI secured the top with another cupIt might be a waste but who caresMorning abruptly arrivesI dump all these wormsIn my front yardThen a feathered friendComes to enjoy the randomly placedContinue reading “Oh Cabbage Worms”