Becoming a Believer and NFPA 70E
The locals, believers of gods, drink tsipouro long into the night // And brag to me about how lucky they were to be born here
The Rumen is a collaboration between writers and poets from a variety of demographics and backgrounds. Like the guts of an ungulate, we want The Rumen to be a space for ideas and experiences to digest, ferment, and transform.
Latest Publications:
In the Wake of Fr. X
By MH Petrus
One recent Sunday, I attended St. Augustine Catholic church in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, close to where I live. This was not typical behavior for me; I had grown disaffected with the Catholic Church through the years, but I liked to dip my toe into its baptismal font, so to speak, on occasion, usually around Easter, to see if I felt closer to God.
Her Last Garden
My uncle told me turn the soil over // after that we'll lay a sheet over it // everything under it will die, and // we can start again.
Immersion and The Anatomy of Average
By Barun Saha
Those are stygian times when blood & clay plastered on bones melt into lumps // The floor tiles slide across, the many mouths of abyss await
Death of the Author
You’re alone. You’re alone in a house in the woods. You’ve been running for some time.
Pentecost
By Brian Sutton
Dear Sir: As requested, I shall begin by providing background information about myself. My name is Vernon Lantry. I am fifty-one years of age.
Inquisition
By Meggie Royer
Before we knew, we heard— // the horses shot in the pasture, // clamor receding along the fence line like snow.
Quentin Compson Time
I took the truck down the rough, narrow trail, rounding the final rutted bend out of the woods and onto the rocky beach surrounding the lake.
Pilliwinks and The Boot and My Head is a Cat B Jug
By Joseph Long
Ain’t that done yet? Ain’t that done? Three words which, // if spoken too soon, sears itself upon // my balloon.
Submissions
Have a poem, short story, or piece of creative non-fiction that you'd like to share with the world? Visit our submissions page to learn more about contributing to The Rumen.
