Atlante
by: Maddie King
artwork by author 

She wanted to see the statue of the bull-who-carries- the- world. It was in the guidebook, so we had to go. We hiked passed almond, lemon and olive groves that grew on either side of us. We passed figs of Barbary—big thorny globes, with even pricklier fruit. The air was thick with the sound of cicadas. The statue was large, and newer-looking than we had expected. The sunlight bouncing off of it was blinding. Mother studied it with bright eyes. “Look, Lucie,” she whispered. “He looks sad.” It was true: the bull lay on its back carrying the world. His copper hooves seemed to tremble under the weight of it.

 

Fairest
by: Jasmine Sawers

A mirror shatters. A queen lies dead at her stepdaughter’s feet. Half the princess’s face is reflected back at her in pieces. Gone is the girl she was. Gone are the rosy cheeks of her youth. Gone are her soft hands.

“Fairest, fairest, fairest,” the shards of glass chant. Her fingertips alight in a pool of blood. She traces her lips until they shine.

 

4:19
by: Jackson Kealy

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Maddie King earned her BA in Creative Writing at Skidmore College in 2018. Her writing had appeared in the literary sites BLOOM and The Millions. She is a judge for NYC Midnight’s 2020 fiction competition.

Jasmine Sawers is a Kundiman fellow and graduate of the MFA program at Indiana University. Born in Buffalo, NY, Sawers now lives, writes, and pets dogs outside St. Louis. Find out more at JasmineSawers.com.

Jackson Kealy is a writer and professional theatre artist currently living and working in Amana, Iowa. 4:19 is his poetry publication debut.