Online Issue Contents

• Editor's Choice Poems
  • True Night Aboard the Generation Ship by Robert Frazier
  • Sea Song by Marcie Lynn Tentchoff

• Full Table of Contents

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Editor's Choice Poems

"True Night Aboard the Generation Ship," by Robert Frazier

An artificial blue of sky gives way to
the purple dark of Sun Ra's robes

emblazoned with glassy scintillae
a spill of ghost notes

trilling out & out
the silvery horn of Eternal Now

& we are in the black again
until the cyclical days flare their lights

hearing snatches of "Take the "A" Train"
down the corridors though the airlocks

thrumming along the ship's exoskeleton
crossing plains of solar dust & nothingness

we must embrace whatever
solace we may find

whatever voices we may hear

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"Sea Song," by Marcie Lynn Tentchoff

When I was young and reckless
and I looked to make my name
I signed aboard the Constance,
a ship of minor fame,
and if my life turned hellwards
well, it's there I'll lay the blame,
for our captain sought the kraken
the monstrous, mythic kraken,
our bold captain sought the kraken,
and thus I too did the same.

We traveled to the Azores
those bright gems of green and blue,
where the women all were bonny
and the ale was rich and true
and I tossed away my wages
on dark eyes and darker brew,
for their rumor said the kraken,
the foul, and much-feared kraken,
local rumor said the kraken
had traveled that way too.

So our captain he consulted
with the old folk and the wise,
loaded up our holds with livestock,
sailed out under greying skies,
then he tossed the creatures seawards,
all uncaring of their cries,
and it's there we saw the kraken,
the gore-drenched, murderous kraken
yes, it's there we saw the kraken
rising up before our eyes.

It had arms as thick as tree trunks,
it had eyes as black as hell,
and from round its head coursed music
strong as any witch's spell.
It reached upwards for our captain
where he stood above the swell …
and he reached back towards the kraken,
the grim, beguiling kraken,
he reached out to stroke the kraken …
and he smiled down as he fell.

The thing twisted in the water
with a smooth and supple grace,
then it drew the captain under
and was gone without a trace,
and as one we sailors labored
to speed, weeping, from that place
where our captain met the kraken,
the cold, spell-binding kraken,
where our captain found his kraken
and he died in its embrace.

Now the years lie heavy on me,
and my memories last too long,
and I've sons to follow after,
growing brave, and good, and strong,
but some instinct deep within me
sends me where I now belong,
so I'll go to find the kraken,
that strange, familiar kraken,
I'll sail out to find my kraken …
and I'll join it in its song.

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Full Table of Contents

Departments

• Quarks & Strings • Marge Simon
• President's Message/Rhysling Awards • Deborah P Kolodji
• In Memoriam, Janet Fox • Various Authors
• Haiku, Scifaiku, and Refrigerator Poetry • Geoffrey A. Landis
• SFPA Directory Updates • Robin Mayhall
• Call for Submissions, Nov/Dec Star*Line • Bob Frazier
• Reviews from the Small Press • Karen L. Newman

Poetry

• That Other Starry Night • Ann K. Schwader
• Crumbs • Robert Borski
• Saigon • S.A. Kelly
• Subterranean Fetish • Todd Hanks
• Using the Farce • Elizabeth Barrette
• War Against Bearing Witness • Steve Sneyd
• True Night Aboard the Generation Ship • Robert Frazier
• Hemispheres and Atmospheres • Howard V. Hendrix
• Don't You Laugh at Me • James S. Dorr
• Pure Notes Prior to Accidentals • S.A. Kelly
• two haiku • Karen L. Newman
• Hoarding Light • Jennifer Crow
• Familiarity Breeds • Charles Saplak
• Sea Song • Marcie Lynn Tentchoff
• Binary Creation Myth • Karen A. Romanko
• Lemuria • Samantha Henderson
• Mistakes • Kurt Newton
• Supernatural Refugee • Wade German
• untitled • Pat Tompkins
• Per Your Order • irving
• Think Thoughts Will Impress Me • Steve Sneyd
• In Touch With Wormperson • Steve Sneyd
• Winter Searching • Wendy Rathbone
• They Held My Heart • Jenny Schwartz
• The Sweet Death • Michael Fosburg
• Words to the Wise • Brian Rosenberger
• Cyborg Cop • Angel R. Favazza
• On Stopping for Directions • Wendy Rathbone
• untitled, a tanka of sorts • ayaz daryl nielsen
• DNA Beyond Neptune • James Webb Wilson