Editor’s Eye: Dennis Mahagin

What an invitation:

A couple weeks of literary beach combing, at the portal called the Fictionaut!

It’s an honor for me to present these slivers of “glittery literary aluminum” — initially overlooked by first light, at low tide on the Web.

But ignored no more!

Thank you Carol Reid, for the opportunity:

Hence, I present:

5 Poems in the Shape of Other Poems

by Kevin Army

To say I’m intrigued by these Kevin Army lines would be understating things.

There are certainly echoes of Jack Gilbert here, and Corso, and W.C. Williams;

But the voice is absolutely unique.

I love the way Army slips his winning lines between the unassuming syntax like crisp C notes stashed in a bible.

Case in point:

. . . if it mattered then

wouldn’t it be born into us, the

way a ship yields to storm, the

way our bodies fall when

tackled, the

ways we yearn, endlessly.

endless . . .

I love these shapes of things to come, from a very, very cool poet, whose work I will look out for now.

The Gravediggers

by Gary Moshimer

A taut coming of age fiction set in an expertly-drawn milieu of mist, and mystery.

I love the voice of the narrator here, as exemplified in this line of dialogue:

“. . . What?” I said. “Oh, no. This is for show. Part of the service. Like uh… chimney sweeps . . .”

In this story, you’ll find humor mixed with sorrow, pathos within a Sleepy Hollow style pointillism.

A truly unified effect, achieved in less than 1500 words.

Well done, Mister Moshimer!

Saga of the Sugar Ants

by John Olson

In this startlingly original poetic treatise, Olson draws a comparison between words (thought) and insatiable ants, that you simply must read to believe:

Case in point:

” . . . It is this dialectic that we share with the ants. Desire is universal. Hunger is unavoidable. Sooner or later even the most ascetic among us must

emerge from the shadows and find some form of nourishment, reproductive gratification, or redemption from the crazy, distant stars . . . ”

Crazy stars indeed.  Read John Olson!

Waitress Hopping

by Jennifer Donnell

I love it when I read a lament that is buoyed first and foremost, and sort of lit, by wit.

In this excellent prose poem, a lover’s sweet revenge is most certainly, artfully wrought.

Donnell writes:

” . . . I like that you’re smart and kind about the plight of hypothetical people . . .”

and:

“ . . . It didn’t make sense that a forgettable waitress would be important enough to make the scooped neckline of my sailor striped shirt feel like a trash bag. . . ”

Very nicely (and not so nicely) done. ;)

And at last, speaking of waitresses:

The Waitress

by Rene Foran

Possibly the most evocative piece of verse — clocking in at under 10 words– that I have ever read:

I found myself humming the Dionne Warwick tune in the aftermath, which I imagine you will, as well:

And what more can we ask of our poets?

Walk on, babies.

BIO

Dennis Mahagin’s writing has appeared in magazines such as Juked, Night Train,  Evergreen Review, Stirring: A Literary Collection, Everyday Genius, Smokelong Quarterly, elimae, Thrush Poetry Journal, The Nervous Breakdown, and decomP.  His latest book is Longshot & Ghazal, available now from Mojave River Media.