In the Second Anniversary issue, aaduna will kick-off publishing spoken word artists whose poetry is at its best when performed. We will publish two of Giovanni's pieces in print and provide a video of him performing those pieces as well as two others that we will not print. In this way, our readership can see the dynamism of seeing and hearing spoken word versus reading, the same work in a printed format.     (Tim Ogene, our recently appointed contributing editor for poetry, will offer his insights and advice on this burgeoning style of poetic expression in the non-fiction section of the journal.) To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, we are sharing the unedited version of "Enough" in print.   You are encouraged to check out Giovanni’s performance of this piece in the forthcoming issue.   You can then judge your reaction to seeing and hearing the vibrancy of spoken word poetry. Enough I awoke When "they" told us we had to start...

Changming Yuan provides a “short take” reflection from his portfolio of work.  Read how he orchestrates the interaction between words and imagery. We look forward to the poetry that he is bringing to aaduna’s Second Anniversary issue in a few weeks. Amidst Morning Mists Unable to endure constant burning The suffering souls finally find their ways Out of the topsoil, trying To rise together With the summer sun Yet they are all shot With its very first needles Into the darkest moment of last night Where the ghosts of the newly dead, the invisible Linger on, staring at one another No one knows how many of them Were still holding their authentic Human shapes, how many of them Became deformed, agonizing Between pools of stinking blood And piles of rotten flesh   Read more of Changming's work…soon…you just have to wait…patience is really a virtue !

Kimberlynne Darby-Newton has found her home with aaduna .   Here is an excerpt, or as we like to say, a “short take” from one of her poems that will grace the Second Anniversary issue: The Lesson Won't use his name But he changed me. Montgomery , Alabama Not exactly an incubator Of tolerance They were just "sissies" To us. Undeserving of any scorn, Noticeably different But just there With us. Everything Would have probably stayed same If not for him Most handsome man met Liquid eyes, spilling Sweet, funny, tender We bonded over Snark and humor and smart I Crushed harder Than unknown elements Until, I said the "word" One day Tossed blithely, proving cool Saw liquid eyes dulled, by friends’ betrayal Considerate enough To spare my feelings For hurting HIS feelings He let the night end genially But I was savvy enough to know What I'd thrown away! There is more to “The Lesson”…you will just have to wait…the Second...