And there were pools among the rocks

by the sea, deep pools, dark blue,

that would never dry

in the sunlight, I had climbed

to the cliff top and now stood

among them, craters filled as if by surprise

to the brim.

Click here to read the rest.  Click here to read more about Davide.

In the meantime, our Contributors page has been fully updated to include all of the new writers, poets, and artists from this new issue.

Click on their names to read more about them: Sean Wiebe, Davide Trame, Atina Thorning, Elizabeth Kate Switaj, Ray Succre, Felino Soriano, Luigi Monteferrante, Eric McKinley, Terence Kuch, Mark Konkel, Michael Lee Johnson, Willow Healy, Michael K. Gause, S.P. Flannery, Jen Conley, James Berkshire, Gary Beck, and Shane Bailey.

Petty people with petty problems have all but crowded my petty life.

I’ve held my scorn like a bouquet of roses

Red with rage;

I’ve stood there and smiled

While patiently waiting for the return of common sense.

Before I thought my own thoughts

They were fed to me

By an angry hand with a jagged spoon.

I’ve closed my eyes & smelled the scent of life;

Which always reminds me of the stench of death,

Tulips in the spring.

Why do all roads lead to Rome?

Is there no better place to go?

We’ve also got a Christmas story by Michael Pitassi, Baptism By Ice Water: A Christmas Tale.

And, two poems in a series by Katie Friedman, First Date and Physical Love.

Thank you so much for including my story in your fine review.  I am honored to be included in it.  The typesetting and graphics look great.  Keep up the good work. . . .  I believe in what you’re doing, so keep doing it.  Therefore, here is a small contributions towards the next issue.  Best of luck in your literary efforts.

Sincerely,
Joseph Grant

To contribute to Faraway and help keep this independent journal alive, please click here.

And remember, we are currently serializing the novella Doing the Dead – 1983.  We just published the first chapter, with the second chapter to follow on the 13th.

Allow me also to take this opportunity to plug Second Story Books of Claremont, which has been one of our staunchest supporters.  They’ve got a great selection of new, used, rare, hard-to-find and interesting titles to choose from.  More importantly, they are one of a rare breed of independent bookstores.  If you’re tired of going into Barnes and Nobles and seeing a million copies of the latest James Patterson or Dean Koontz book, stop by Second Story.  More importantly still, the proprietors of Second Story support writers and artists like those who contribute to and publish Faraway.

So stop in to pick up the latest copy of our journal and browse around for a book to read afterwards.  And don’t forget to let us know what you think!