Poet Bruce Owens Responds To: "Talking To The Moon"

Poem: I want to begin something unbelievable.

Poet Janine Pickett Responds To: "Distress"

America, When Voices Cry Out...Do We?

February 2016 Issue #18

Is the lady in the painting waving goodbye to her dreary past and arriving into a future yet unborn the second she turns around? Or is she waving hello and getting ready to plunge into the dark and mysterious unknown? What do you perceive? Who is she? Where is she coming from, or where is she going? What's her story? This painting bothers me...I will give 25.00 and publication in the April issue to the best short fiction in 1,000 words or less. In the subject line of your email write: Fiction The Wave. Deadline: February 28, 2016.

Greetings and thank you to all our friends for gracing this issue of Indiana Voice Journal with your words, your beauty, and your voice. Our new friends include: David Allen- poetry editor, Jennifer Criss-editorial assistant, Linda Lichte Cook, Angel Edwards, Edilson Afonso Ferreira, Matthew Fort, Mark Luebbers, Alice Massa, Valerie Muensterman, Melissa Parietti, Christopher Stolle, Jenny Sturgill, Ajise Vincent, and Jocelyn Zarco. Our returning friends are: Elizabeth Brooks, Valentina Cano, Isabel Chenot, JD DeHart, David Domine,  Ken Allan Dronsfield, Eric Hill, Belinda Hubert, Raymond Greiner, Ananya S Guha, Adam Matson, Arthur Powers, Cecilia Soprano, and L.D. Zane.

This issue is dedicated to my mom, with love. Happy Birthday, Dorothy Marie Patterson 
(Feb. 2, 1942-Jan. 27, 2002)~Janine Pickett
 

POETRY

David Allen, Elizabeth Brooks, Valentina Cano, Isabel Chenot, Linda Lichte Cook, Jennifer Criss, JD DeHart, David Domine,  Ken Allan Dronsfield, Angel Edwards, Edilson Afonso Ferreira, Ananya Guha,  Mark Luebbers, Alice Massa,Valerie Muensterman, Melissa Parietti, Arthur Powers, Cecilia Soprano, Christopher Stolle, Ajise Vincent, Jocelyn Zarco

FICTION
 
Ken Allen Dronsfield, Matthew Fort, Belinda Hubert, Adam Matson, Jenny Sturgill

CNF/ESSAY

Elizabeth Brooks, Ken Allan Dronsfield, Raymond Greiner, Arthur Powers,
L.D. Zane

VISUAL ART 

Eric Hill

Six Poems By David Allen: "Tellin' Ruth Ellen", "As My Love Lay Declining", "Her Legs", "My Love", "Turned Into Us", "You Who"

David Allen is poet and freelance writer living in Central Indiana. He is a retired journalist with 36 years on newspapers in Virginia, and the Far East, the last 19 years as Guam and Okinawa Bureau Chief for Stars and Stripes, the daily newspaper for the American military community overseas. He has been published in several on-line poetry magazines and has two books of poetry, “The Story So Far” and “(more),” both available from Amazon.   He has been married to his Muse, Ruth Ellen, for 27 years.

A Poem and CNF By Elizabeth Brooks: "Look at Me", "How I Met Your Father"

Elizabeth Brooks resides in Tampa, Florida. She is originally from Trinidad and Tobago.  A lover of life, family, friends, a good book,  lots of laughter and continues to grow in her faith and accept many challenges.  She is a librarian by profession and a part-time reference librarian at Saint Leo University, St. Leo Florida. She continues to enjoy reading and sharing her poems with many, at events in Tampa Bay.

Five Poems by Valentina Cano: "Milton", "Birthday, 2015", "Self-Portrait", "A Thought", "The Sea"

Valentina Cano is a student of classical singing who spends whatever free time she has either reading or writing. Her works have appeared in numerous publications and her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Web. Her debut novel, The Rose Master, was published in 2014 and was called a "strong and satisfying effort" by Publishers Weekly.

Three Poems By Isabel Chenot: "Lullabye", "To a Historian", "Noah's Ark"

Isabel has had poetry appear previously in Indiana Voice Journal, The Penwood Review, and Anima Poetry Journal among other places: a poetry collection is forthcoming from Anima Poetry Press.

A Poem by Linda Lichte Cook: "Flat Land"

By Cassidy Marie

Linda Cook is an author, archivist, professional genealogist, and certified librarian assistant.  She earned a Bachelor's in Education from Milligan College, and Master's in Education from Indiana Wesleyan University. She taught for 12 years in the public school system.  Following her passion for genealogy and archives, Linda obtained additional certification in Genealogical Research from Boston University.

Five Poems And Artwork By Jennifer Criss: "At the end of the line", "It takes so little", "Mother", "Awake","Full Circle"

Jennifer Criss graduated from Ball State University with a minor in Creative Writing, a life long passion.  She is currently collaborating on an anthology for older adults and helps lead a writing support group. Jennifer writes mostly short stories but has discovered a love for writing poetry.  Her poetry has been published in Poebita Magazine. She now works at Ball State, is a busy mother of two girls, but her pen keeps moving. She is an editorial assistant with Indiana Voice Journal.

Three Poems By JD DeHart: "Den", "Famine", "A Guide For The End"

JD DeHart is a writer and teacher.  His chapbook, The Truth About Snails, is available from RedDashboard.

Three Poems By David Domine: "Snowflakes", "Hunting", "Daedalus in the Milking Barn, on a Winter’s Day"

 David Dominé teaches at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany and his articles, stories, translations, and poetry have appeared in publications such as the Wisconsin Review, Golden Walkman Magazine, Danse Macabre, and Book Ends Review. His non-fiction books range in topic from folklore and architecture to bourbon, travel memoirs and regional cooking. Current projects include the forthcoming novel Peter Paul’s Kitchen and a true-crime book about the 2009 murder of Jamie Carroll and the subsequent trials of alleged killers Jeffery Mundt and Joseph Banis.

Flash Fiction andThree Poems By Ken Allan Dronsfield: "Saga of the Four Wolves", "Flawed", "Tear in the Mist", "Youthful Flame"

Ken Allan Dronsfield is a Published Poet/Author/Digital Artist originally from Hampton New Hampshire, now residing in Oklahoma. He has been writing for many years and enjoys spending time hiking, playing guitar and spending time with his cats Merlin and Willa. His published work can be found at numerous print venues.

Three Poems By Angel Edwards: "Pensive Mood", "December Morning", "Tree Arms at My Window"

Angel Edwards, a member of SOCAN, BMI and VMA owns a small music publishing company. A dozen of her songs are published by Saddlestone Publishing. She currently performs as a solo acoustic electric singer songwriter guitarist. Her poems have been published in numerous magazines and journals. Angel is preparing her first book of poetry and short stories and has one completed fantasy novella.She is seeking a publisher for her works. http://www.reverbnation.com/angeledwards

Three Poems By Edilson Afonso Ferreira: "Blessings", "Rebirth", "Silent Witnesses"

Mr. Ferreira is a Brazilian poet who writes in English rather than Portuguese, in order to reach more people.  Has been published in four printed British Anthologies, online or printed reviews like Cyclamens and Swords, Right Hand Pointing, Boston Poetry Magazine, The Lake, The Stare’s Net, The Provo Canyon, Amomancies, Snapdragon, The Gambler, Whispers and some others. Short listed in four American Poetry Contests, lives in a small town with wife, three sons and a granddaughter and began writing after retirement as a Bank Manager. He is collecting his works for a forthcoming book.  See more at www.edilsonmeloferreira.wordpress.com.  

Two Poems By Ananya S Guha: "Distress Buying,Selling...", "Flowers"

Ananya S Guha lives in Shillong in North East India. He has been writing and publishing poetry for the last thirty years.

Three Poems By Mark Luebbers: "Ars Poetica", "Apiarium", "Walking Stick"

I live with my wife and 2 sons and teach across the Miami river in the suburbs of Cincinnati Ohio. From this very “mid-American” perspective, I try to write with an eye on the convergence of the human and natural worlds, i.e. how nature finds a way of adapting to the changing landscape imposed on it, and how those adaptations (or failures) reflect on our own condition. I’ve published in several journals recently, including Miller’s Pond Poetry Review, Bird’s Thumb, and Blue Line, and have recently attended both the Sewanee Writer’s Conference and The Bread Loaf Conference for Writers of the Environment.
 http://cargocollective.com/markluebbers

A Poem By Alice Jane-Marie Massa: "Immigrant from Indiana"

After earning master’s degrees from Indiana State University and Western Michigan University and teaching for 25 years, Alice Jane-Marie Massa retired from teaching writing and public speaking at a Wisconsin technical college.  Alice invites you to visit her blog:  http://alice13wordwalk.wordpress.com, where she posts her poetry, essays, short stories, recipes, or memoirs each Wednesday.  Her writings on Wordwalk frequently focus on her guide dogs, her Hoosier hometown of Blanford (25 miles northwest of Terre Haute), her Italian family heritage, and holidays.  Recently, her writings have also appeared in Magnets and Ladders, Newsreel (audio magazine), Dialogue, and The ACB Braille Forum.  Being the current president of Behind Our Eyes (an international group of writers with disabilities) also fills hours of her retirement.  Away from her desk, Alice most enjoys long walks with her third Leader Dog (Zoe), container gardening, and the television program Jeopardy.

Three Poems By Valerie Muensterman: "Blood Moon", "If We're Being Honest", "Peaches"

Valerie Muensterman is a senior at Mater Dei High School in southern Indiana. She is actively involved in theatre and has written and directed four plays at her school. In addition to writing, Valerie enjoys playing the piano, banjo, guitar, and ukulele. She plans to pursue writing in college.

Three Poems By Melissa Parietti: "Music Box", "Holy Wafer", "Deadly Arrow"

Melissa Parietti is a writer from Long Island who has produced poems, short stories, novels, and business literature. Find Melissa on Twitter @MelissaParie.

Five Poems And CNF Flash By Arthur Powers: "Frontier", "Harvard Yard", "Men Outlined Against The Sun", "New York City, 1928", "Wisconsin Pastoral", "The Lesson"

Arthur Powers is from Illinois.  In 1969 he went to Brazil as a Peace Corps Volunteer and lived most of his adult life there.  From 1985 to 1992 he and his wife lived in the Brazilian Amazon, working with subsistence farmers in a region of violent land conflicts; through his experience with the farmers, Arthur came to appreciate more deeply his own Midwestern heritage.