Raphael's Village

Some frolicsom, nature-infused haiku from one of our regular contributors. Poetry Editor

5 Haiku, by Richard Hartwell

An interesting take on achieving the next level, from a new contributor we expect to see more from in the future. Fiction Editor

Diane's Enlightenment, by Ben Bartman

Diane's frustrated life renounces reality because her recurrent meditations expose reality's lies. But reality, a deceitful pimp, angrily demeans truth as dangerous. Yet she remains unconvinced, having never attained, in the sensual world, a pure, blissful and perfect moment.

A new poem from a regular contributor. We loved the imagery and think you will too. Poetry Editor

Thoughts of War, by Richard Hartwell

A new piece from one of our regular contributors dealing with the age-old controvery, rather definitively. Humor Editor

Nature or Nurture, by Heather Gregson

Nature versus nurture has been debated for years. Are we, as people, what we were born to be, or are we what we were raised to be? I have no idea and this isn’t delving into that debate. Instead this is about something truly perplexing: Are our dogs what they were born to be, or what they were raised to be? Specifically my cocker mix, Belle.

Enjoy this new poem from one of our many contributors who's a triple-threat -- writing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. We love that our contributors don't limit themselves to one thing, and hope you feel the same. Poetry Editor

Central Core, by Richard Hartwell

A new piece about death and dying from one of our favorite contributors. We hope you find it as helpful as we did. Humor Editor

Nine Things I've Learned from the Obits, by Steve Barber

If you're as old as I am, you probably spend as much time as I do reading the obituary section of your local paper. For us older folks it's kind of like prepping for an exam. Besides, we're often pleased to find people in there we thought would never die.

A cautionary tale with quite a twist. Fiction Editor

The Isolated, by Richard Hartwell

I remember clearly the first time I was placed in isolation. Back then it wasn’t called solitary. No, that was during an era of emerging social consciousness, when the psychologists and sociologists all concurred that the human, like ants and termites, was a social being and required the converse of his companions and peers in order to maintain a well-balanced, well-adjusted mentality.

A deeply felt story about friendship and lies by a new contributor we know you'll want to see more from. Fiction Editor

In Both, Wisdom, by Marianne Celano

The Oakland Cemetery was not my idea of a fun field trip. We had come to see the graves of famous residents, like Maynard Jackson and Ivan Allen, Jr., but what I found most interesting was how the cemetery was sectioned off by race and religion: Blacks separated from Whites, Jews in their own area, as if any of that mattered once you were dead.

A lovely new poem from one of our favorite contributors. Poetry Editor

Snapshot, by W.K. Everhart

A meditation on mind and soul from one of our new regular contributors we think you'll enjoy as it makes you ponder life's mysteries, big and small. Narrative Nonfiction Editor

Beginner's Mind, by Richard Hartwell

Just how deeply can one fathom one's own soul? What is the level of introspection that can be obtained? I am certain that I do not know, regardless of the number of times that I have tried to plumb my own depths. I continue to seek, to look, to sound, to want to learn more, not just about myself but about the receptive me that wants to know more about the inquisitive me! Perhaps this self-inquiry increases with age.

A fun instance of miscommunication. Originally published in Analectus. Humor Editor

Nanna, by Jack Healy

Handling major upset in a student’s life is not unusual in the middle school guidance department. But the lad in front of me was distraught to the point of having to catch his breath from deep crying. “This is a biggie!” I thought to myself.

An interesting rumination on finding beauty everywhere, from one of our newer contributors. Fiction Editor

Weeds, by Richard Hartwell

Weeds. I notice them along roadsides and in fields and peeking up through the crevices of sidewalks as I amble along, head down, bent in thought and age. The weeds are indomitable, indestructible, endemic. They persevere against all natural odds and against the attempts of man to eradicate them. They can split wood and burst containers and crack the concrete providing their own new feeding grounds, not limited to vacant lots, run-down streets, and untended corners.

A reflection on a lack of love for one's past. Hopefully your hometown fares better. Humor Editor

My Hometown, by Jeanne Cook

My hometown sounds cool but isn’t. It’s a beach city. Cool, right? And it’s the county seat…for an agricultural county. So, you can surf in the morning and shovel cow poop, spread manure, or pick fruit all the rest of the day. Super.

A pretty poem from a new contributor about the little things to get our new year off to a sweet start. Poetry Editor

Tangerine Butterflies, by Richard Hartwell

Circuitous butterflies play in the back yard.
Overhead a passenger jet strives steadily on.
I prefer the aerial dance of the insects
To the schedule of the drones. Who doesn’t?

Another contributor with exciting news to share!  Fiction Editor

Anita Ensal announces that two of her short stories will appear in two upcoming science fiction and fantasy anthologies from DAW Books.

The science fiction romance short story, "Wanted", will be included in the LOVE AND ROCKETS anthology, releasing from DAW Books (distributed by Penguin) on December 7, 2010.

The urban fantasy short story, "Being Neighborly", will be included in the BOONDOCKS FANTASY antholgy, releasing from DAW Books (distributed by Penguin) on January 4, 2011.

Both anthologies are available in mass market and ebook formats, and both are available for preorder from all major bookstore chains as well as Amazon.com.