And just like that, we've sprung forward, despite Winter's cold rebuke. March is funny that way. We say in like a lion and out like a lamb, when in fact it is more often the opposite. But in the Midwest, we like our little maxims. 

 

If you have been paying attention to the news, I am offering up our magazine in its stead. Literature can make some sense of the world when the headlines cannot. In fact, in times of turbulence, poetry is often the antidote, where you will find your soul moving inward, tweaking your brain, and returning to the world with new eyes. Poetry takes the micro to lead you to the macro, allowing you to emerge with the long view of life, the arc of humanity.

 

Read, for example, A scarlet Liquidambar leaf by M.S. Rooney, whose short poem starts with a leaf but ends with a reflection on technology. Or, Solstice Song by Joyce Ritchie, whose pantoum gives us a singular rhythm, marches us through mourning and grief, and leads us to hope.

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There are plenty of other poems that do the same. We invite you to explore them during this transitional season and see what conclusions you draw. And we would love to hear from you, too. Please visit us on social media and let us know what you enjoyed, what you are looking forward to, and your own insights gleaned from poetry.

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- The Editors