issue 1

Greatness Consumed

Julene Pommert Leave a Comment

The piano is in flames, crackling and releasing pent-up chords never before experienced as music but now, but now, rending and explosions come as surprises so welcome Bach, Mozart, Pachelbel, Handel, Schubert, Mendelssohn, and on and on, crowd closer, exclaiming… Continue Reading →

About Julene Pommert

Julene is a 5th-year MACP student, wife of a wonderful White man, mother of two teenaged boys, homeschooler, Ph.D., Native-White, in the true prime of life of after 50, identical twin, and increasingly inquisitive one swimming in seas of what may be love.

What the Poets Say

Matthew Smith Leave a Comment

I think of all the poems written today, the million blinking cursors on illuminated screens, the fingers soft atop the plastic keys. I think of the pen scratching on the page arranging permanent, symbolic stains with intention and ink. I… Continue Reading →

About Matthew Smith

Matthew is currently in the second year of the MACP program. He enjoys exploring the city with his wife, eating fresh bread, and moonlighting as a freelance writer. You can see his work online at www.mawordsmith.com.

Munich Blumen

Bethany Berens Leave a Comment

I went to Munich and loved most of all the haubtbahnhof—the central train station. The München Haubtbahhof is magic. It is efficiency embodied. It is so many hellos and goodbyes, beginnings and ends, stories waiting to unfold. The building is… Continue Reading →

About Bethany Berens

Bethany is a second year MACP student who loves cooking, Christmas, sitting by her fireplace, and reading anything by Annie Dillard. She quotes Frederick Buechner: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.”

Sex Ed.

Lauren Sawyer Leave a Comment

Lesson 1: How to be a Virgin “Are you a virgin?” A group of nine-year-old boys gathered around Perri, the freckled fourth-grade whore, under the school terrace. It was recess and I found myself, the friend-of-a-friend of one of the… Continue Reading →

About Lauren Sawyer

Lauren is a graduate of The Seattle School who loves contemporary literature and poets who don’t rhyme. She often sympathizes with Dorothy Parker’s saying, “I hate writing; I love to have written.” Read more of Lauren’s written work at laurendeidra.com.

Sea’s Sleep

Jack Galbraith Leave a Comment

The wake tumble-up through sleeper’s thin lips, spreading seafloor manacles crossed over unseen chemicals run dark by sun’s leeching, an ever-alterable tempest dream conceived. Who fights foam, grained gravelbar biting, repetitious yawn & close. Look, there the friction-speak of dawn… Continue Reading →

About Jack Galbraith

Jack is tied to MATC first-timer Ali and thinks poetry is neat. If you’d like, find more at galbraithjack.com.

Here I Am

Julene Pommert Leave a Comment

night crawls claws whispers and this heart turns to Warrior’s embrace looping arms around his neck hearing his breath, his heart, feeling his strength as he holds me. I cry glad of arms of love. About Julene PommertJulene is a… Continue Reading →

About Julene Pommert

Julene is a 5th-year MACP student, wife of a wonderful White man, mother of two teenaged boys, homeschooler, Ph.D., Native-White, in the true prime of life of after 50, identical twin, and increasingly inquisitive one swimming in seas of what may be love.

The Bleeding Boy

Megan Peters Leave a Comment

My mom, brother, and I were at the local pool. It was just a block from our house, so we would go there often to play on the slides and see who could hold their breath the longest. It’s interesting… Continue Reading →

About Megan Peters

Megan Peters is a third year MATC student. She is studying the impact of trauma on the body and restoration through healing touch. She loves yoga, dancing, coffee, and pupppiiieeess!!!

Compañera

Kara King Leave a Comment

Follow me. Hear my story. Look into my eyes and see the shadows …………….of murder, ……………………………torture, ……………………………rape. Let my words flow into your heart. …………..Will you? Can you hear the rustle of the coca under the soldier’s footsteps, …………..Do you… Continue Reading →

About Kara King

Kara is a second-year MACP student who loves long walks, traveling, playtime with her niece and nephew, and Harry Potter. She currently serves as program director for the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos Leadership Institute in Seattle and delights in working with and learning from her students.

After 48 Hours’ Notice, She Hears Water

Michael Schmidt Leave a Comment

I help her carry a soaked couch down the narrow stairway, and it’s a violence, what her face does to stop tears. She glances at her son, asleep in a carrier on the passenger seat, asks where will we go,… Continue Reading →

About Michael Schmidt

Michael is a first year MACP (questioning) student. Since you go to the same school as him, he wishes to say in lieu of a real bio: Go find him.

Sought After Memories

James Waggoner Leave a Comment

“The horizon was purple at the time. I looked up from my newly lit cigarette and scanned the desolate, illuminated ground. It had seen nothing more than a scorching sun pounding its heat against its skin. I thought to myself,… Continue Reading →

About James Waggoner

James attained a bachelor’s degree in English/writing in December, 2012. He has published works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry in various college, independent and online publications. Having recently moved back to the clean air of Washington state, James frequently enjoys rock climbing, hiking, writing and driving to new places.

To Be Seen

Arthur K. Fink Leave a Comment

The doors for viewing …only sometimes open to the soul But it’s always the beautifully …stained …wet windows that speak to a person’s (w)hole   About Arthur K. FinkArthur studies counseling psychology at The Seattle School. Often he takes/receives the… Continue Reading →

About Arthur K. Fink

Arthur studies counseling psychology at The Seattle School. Often he takes/receives the breaths of the fullness of life amidst: backpacking, the Performing Arts, and Dr. Seuss books. His poetry is rooted in the impossible pursuit of encapsulating the Mere, which in this case is life, with mere words.

I Am Here

Michael Schmidt Leave a Comment

with Linda Pastan in mind Because of what happens in the dark because of walls and night-lights because trees drop their leaves ………….into me like clouds their rain ………….into the waiting ground and also because there is no cure for… Continue Reading →

About Michael Schmidt

Michael is a first year MACP (questioning) student. Since you go to the same school as him, he wishes to say in lieu of a real bio: Go find him.

The Hidden Names of Silent Things

Sarah Bailey Leave a Comment

The evening light lit the hallway as Leah passed the dark offices and leaned her shoulder into the nave door. With a slight pause and bow, she lowered her bucket of flowers to the floor in front of the altar.… Continue Reading →

About Sarah Bailey

Sarah is a second year MDiv student who daydreams about being a spiritual director, gardener, meditator, and writer. In real life she can be found talking vaguely about spiritual things, watering houseplants, taking deep breaths every so often, and very occasionally blogging at sebailey.wordpress.com.

Passive Panic

James Waggoner Leave a Comment

I am the character in this book. At least I want to be. The way she loves is just right. I felt a tickle when she took That feather to his foot The sting on his hand When she snapped… Continue Reading →

About James Waggoner

James attained a bachelor’s degree in English/writing in December, 2012. He has published works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry in various college, independent and online publications. Having recently moved back to the clean air of Washington state, James frequently enjoys rock climbing, hiking, writing and driving to new places.

The Voice and the Diaper

Sean Hall Leave a Comment

The first time I remember hearing the voice of God I was under water. I don’t mean the spooky kind of thundering voice from the sky or anything like that, not the kind with too much reverb that yells at… Continue Reading →

About Sean Hall

Sean is a pastor, musician, and writer in the New Parish movement and is currently in the Masters of Theology and Culture program at The Seattle School. He pastors Fountain Parish, an innovative neighborhood faith community in Bellingham, WA. Find out more at fountainparish.com or Facebook.com/februarybirds.

The Catcher

Lauren Sawyer Leave a Comment

“What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.” –Holden… Continue Reading →

About Lauren Sawyer

Lauren is a graduate of The Seattle School who loves contemporary literature and poets who don’t rhyme. She often sympathizes with Dorothy Parker’s saying, “I hate writing; I love to have written.” Read more of Lauren’s written work at laurendeidra.com.

Gettysburg

Tyler Ziebarth Leave a Comment

The cherry blossoms were littered with obscenities in the District of Columbia last night, it was too cold to walk home so I held your hand tighter and whispered that I still don’t know how to feel good in the… Continue Reading →

About Tyler Ziebarth

Tyler is a second-year MACP student who loves film, walking on treadmills, & talking about Kurt Vonnegut. Sometimes, he wishes he could speak French.

After a Dream of Horses, I Remember Daniel

Michael Schmidt Leave a Comment

My breathing sounds like cold glass breaking. His absence is a hand resting where the window was in a car that goes gentle into the general traffic of my body. I’ve lost the map, but sometimes there is a horse… Continue Reading →

About Michael Schmidt

Michael is a first year MACP (questioning) student. Since you go to the same school as him, he wishes to say in lieu of a real bio: Go find him.

The Task

Maya Sophia Sprague Leave a Comment

Walking down the dimly lit hall of my parents’ home, I see the large, familiar, and dark painting of the toreador ready to strike the bull. His cape, a flaming red, swooping up and behind him, one knee planted in… Continue Reading →

About Maya Sophia Sprague

Maya is a third-year MACP student who specializes in issues of abuse, trauma, and severe and persistent mental illness. She balances this heavy yet fascinating career with delicious coffee, baking fresh braided Challah each Friday, gardening, writing, and spending time with family and friends.

Origin Story

Bethany Berens Leave a Comment

And in a hot second, channeling her grandma at the stove and her mother on the road, she said, Don’t bless my heart: I am a force to be reckoned with, a flurry, an invisible militia of moving air, merciful… Continue Reading →

About Bethany Berens

Bethany is a second year MACP student who loves cooking, Christmas, sitting by her fireplace, and reading anything by Annie Dillard. She quotes Frederick Buechner: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.”