For our closing celebration of National Poetry Month, aaduna is pleased to share the opening stanza of Kamaruzzaman’s poem, “If You Ever Die, In An Invisible Gondola” If you ever die If you ever die from me - die of death Looking at my longing eyes In guise of a mystic veil, not unveiled Dead drop at the twilight hours White longish fangs, whitish eyes Of the piercing moments Will unfurl its wings of fire Setting sail in an invisible gondola At long last to carry you home To the isle of your birth, somehow Kamaruzzaman's poetry will be presented in the spring 2015 issue of aaduna slated for launch shortly. Help us build community... aaduna-Inc  Visit regularly for updates ! @aadunaspeaks

Desi or more formally Desiree is not the Desi more formally known as Desiderio who played the husband (Ricky) of Lucy Ricardo in the situation comedy series, “I Love Lucy.” Desi St. Amant is a poet whose poems of power and enlightenment will generate reflection, understanding, and appreciation for the things in life that many of us take for granted. Seneca Lake State Park, Geneva, NY (c) April 2015, Photographer, Lisa Brennan Here is a teaser from her soon to be released poem, “Every Spring” With each winter comes a shedding a sort of forgetting of the year’s growth, labored through love. The pained drop of each shriveled leaf from this grand tree— a quiet, steady loss of a once effortless strength— piles on the ground, baring a collection of affections that have since gone dry. It stands, determined, with its exposed branches stark against the pale, chilled sky, waiting…. for absolution amidst the rain. "Spring Tulips,"...

Poetry has the power to captivate and intrigue.  In the forthcoming issue of aaduna , Marthe-Elise Bertrand will bring you into her world of words and magic. Here is one of her poems, "Deep Rest."  {Three others will grace the pages of aaduna ...coming at you in a few weeks.}   ~Deep Rest~ I tell myself That they don't care what I do, But I can't Get myself to care less about that. Instead, I dwell on the idea that I, too don't even care what I do And for once I don't feel any sadness About wanting to die Or the idea of being gone. At times When I want to die It's like there's no emotion attached I feel nothing as if I’ve Already left my body And the transition- The transition had been in progress The moment I realized a void That something was missing And I have no idea what it is. Maybe My soul will slowly detach itself From this body because Nothing in this world could suffice. Perhaps what's missing...

Gonzalinho da Costa’s poems will embrace the pages of aaduna’s forthcoming spring 2015 issue with a launch date towards the end of National Poetry Month, which is this month...April! With permission of the poet, we celebrate POETRY with a da Costa poem followed by his brief narrative that will enhance your understanding of an aspect of Filipino culture and tradition. THE RICE PLANT I held him by his slender neck To pierce him under his chin And saw white sap trickle forth Like milk spills from a tin. I shook him strongly by his thigh To feel him flail like a fish And heard his hands’ helpless sigh Like sand shaken in a dish. I bravely bent his youthful bone, Which sprang with a painful cry— I wondered how one so green and wet Should so resemble I— For I am brown and dry. Gonzalinho da Costa shares: Rice is a symbol of Southeast Asia—kindly note, for example, the bound rice sheaf in the ASEAN logo. Malays, who incl...

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS Tickets for the aaduna, Inc. 2015 Harlem Renaissance…Revisited fundraiser are now available via PayPal or by check or money order payable to aaduna, Inc. and mailed to aaduna, Inc. SFR, 144 Genesee Street, Suite 102-259, Auburn , NY 13021 .   You do not want to miss uptown (upstate) poets and writers weave magic along with their downtown (downstate – NYC) colleagues.   The collective readings/performances will embrace you, and pull you into a world of creative words that will intrigue, challenge, embellish, and make your spirit feel good!  The music will have you tapping your feet. Don't believe me? The FIRST 25 people to order tickets online PLUS the FIRST 25 people to send a check and/or money order will get one FREE aaduna, limited edition tee-shirt (your choice of color: black or gray…one size only: large) that will be held at the door.   Of course, this offer ends when we reach capacit...

Dear aaduna contributors and friends, The Georgia Review  recently announced the third annual Loraine Williams Poetry Prize - --$1,000 and publication in The Georgia Review for a single poem, originally written in English and never before published either in print or online. The submission period is 1 April 2015–15 May 2015, with the winning poem to be announced on 15 August 2015 and published in the Spring 2016 issue. Poems may be submitted online or by post. For more information, visit their website: www.thegeorgiareview.com . Send them your work, and tell others in your network about the prize. For further information: Jenny Gropp Managing Editor The Georgia Review 706A Main Library 320 S. Jackson Street The University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 706-542-0044

That’s right! Austin C. Morgan (c) 2015 (Photo Provided) While you may have thought  the festival ended, Austin Morgan returns with another intriguing story, “The Embers of Dusk” the second installment of a four part series that may rest with the overall title, "The Automatic Orchestra" when it is in book form.  For now, we simply refer to these stories as the "Melancholy Quartet."    Austin's first story with aaduna,  “Julie Templeton and the AutomaticOrchestra,” was published in aaduna's summer 2014 issue, and it tantalized our readers.   His second piece is an ambitious piece of story- telling that once again shows Mr. Morgan's mastery of words, narrative imagery, and movement through space and time.      So, let the festival continue.   Austin returns in aaduna's upcoming 5th anniversary-spring 2015 issue scheduled for publishing this month! Here’s an unedited t...