April - 2020

Apr 29, 2020
4 min

The Wisdom of Liliuokalani, a Short Story by Luisa Kay Reyes

For the collection: 'Life in the time of #COVID' When we moved to the small village of Hartville, in Northeast Ohio to live with my grandfather, we were presented with a dilemma. My grandfather had a baby grand piano in his house, so I had access to a piano to practice on. But all of the piano teachers in the area were so filled up with students, that they didn’t have room for a single one more. Thankfully, after a while, my grandfather came to the rescue. He was a retire

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Apr 26, 2020
1 min

Coronavirus, a Poem by Mick Yates

For the collection: 'Life in the time of #COVID' when this has all passed when this is old news and long forgotten when we reflect upon it all let us not remember the isolation the need to separate ourselves from others the fear of being with friends or in the company of strangers the dread of selfish avarice the terror of being without food the futility of such a life when this is all over let us embrace all what it is to be human let us understand that as individuals we are

How to Argue with Your Significant Other, a Devotional by Debra Ayis

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Apr 24, 2020
4 min

How to Argue with Your Significant Other, a Devotional by Debra Ayis

“You always do this, and I hate it. You always cancel on me last minute,” he wrote to me via text. I responded, “I do not always cancel, and I’m literally giving you three days’ notice right now!” “Well, I already reserved that day for the trip! . . . let’s not argue,” he wrote back. What comes to mind when you hear the word argue? In the past, it denoted something negative in my mind—quarrels like what I shared above, laced with pent up frustration and misunderstanding. I ha

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Apr 22, 2020
2 min

Alejandra, a Poem by Aliza Epstein

For the collection: Life in the time of #COVID' Pink, green, and blue acrylic paint colors stain her palms and the tips of her fingernails. Smooth skin covers the back of her hands, soft for the first time in her life. Her hands had been hardened by two years of sewing in San Pedro Sula sweatshops and four years of cleaning in a fancy Santa Monica hotel. “Don’t come to work tomorrow,” they told her. “We are closing the hotel for two months to flatten the curve.” The world ret

A Few Thoughts on Isolation, a Poem by Melissa St. Pierre

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Apr 19, 2020
2 min

A Few Thoughts on Isolation, a Poem by Melissa St. Pierre

For the collection: 'Life in the time of #COVID' My university is closed. I’m working from home. I’m behind in almost every way possible. And I… Am scared. There is a place I always go when I need to think about something, and if I don’t go there to think my decisions through, I regret them later. I am thinking “all the thoughts.” That place is on the fourth floor of my university library. My university is closed. And I… Am scared. My parent

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Apr 15, 2020
4 min

Virus Angst, a Poem by E.H. Davis

An Intriguing and upbeat story – maybe even funny – the antidote

Melanie Han

Apr 12, 2020
2 min

An Onslaught, a Poem by Melanie Han

Life changes as the repercussions of the virus and the fear it stirs affects reality.

Why Being in Isolation is Not Like Being in Jail, a Short Story by Christine Brooks

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Apr 8, 2020
4 min

Why Being in Isolation is Not Like Being in Jail, a Short Story by Christine Brooks

For the collection: 'Life in the time of #COVID'. As the US closes its borders, restaurants, schools and retail stores, more people than ever, it seems, have taken to social media to express their feelings. One of the common themes I have noticed, is people saying they feel like they are in jail. I for one can tell you it isn’t anything like that. This past Wednesday, when I returned from a quick surf trip in Rhode Island to my hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts, the grip

Kindness in an Age of Pestilence, a Poem by Matt Duggan

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Apr 5, 2020
1 min

Kindness in an Age of Pestilence, a Poem by Matt Duggan

Matt Duggan writes about the importance of remaining human and showing kindness to others despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Rules to Abide By, a Poem by Bob Beagrie

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Apr 1, 2020
2 min

New Rules to Abide By, a Poem by Bob Beagrie

A prose poem by Bob Beagrie on the New Rules to Abide By in the time of #COVID-19.

Valiant Scribe

A literary hub giving a voice to the voiceless by retelling the human experience