DIANA’S JUSTICE, by Adele Gardner: The maiden hies off to the woods: On a moon-pale steed she rides, Decked out in doublet, hose of black, A sword all by her side. She goes to meet her own true love With lips pursed in a frown, And rides beneath the greenwood boughs Until the sun goes [...]

Saint Aedh and the Teeth of Sliabh Scoilt:  An Epic of the Ancient Irish   How did Aedh Mac Carthin fight and win such glory to stretch from Ireland to Rome? It will be told. There were sad days at Armagh as Patrick lay dying.  And the saint on his deathbed called to his household.  [...]

BARBARIAN, by Wade German: A smoke-laced sky is banner to our mirth And sends our god red incense to inhale: The sickly reek of sweat and blood-drenched earth From savage tides of slaughter — spilled entrails, Grim waves of flesh and feces, broken bone – And clouds of flies, aswarm on butchered meat, Are raising [...]

YASHUB-GEB, by James Hutchings: Old Yashub-Geb fell out of space the last and greatest of his race. Deep doleful furrows framed his face – his stubborn strength was flagging. His scales were brass that once were gold; his baleful blood ran slow and cold. An ancient story nearly told was Yashub-Geb the dragon. His eyes, [...]

THE BULL OF CONFLICT, by Lorna Smithers: I come from battle and conflict With a shield in my hand; Broken is the helmet By the pushing of spears. ‘Poem referring to Gwyddno and Gwyn ap Nudd’ – ‘Black Book of Carmarthen XXXIII.’ On an empty day automata drift Wending suit shapes through the mist. Touchless [...]

THE SWORDSWOMAN, by Jessica Salmonson: Sensing a weight of death and gloom observed by shades half-human, upon a steed that snorts at doom there rode the brave swordswoman. Her plume was white, her armor gleamed, the peasants watched her coming, hope brightened in their hearts and dreams: She rides! The brave swordswoman! Her sword was [...]

SHADAKAR, by Barry King: Shadakar!  Shadakar!  Can you hear me? Your head, so heavy, so loose upon your neck. Shadakar!  Wake up! Ah, but the liquor has taken you away, Oh, Shadakar, Shadakar the mighty, whose weight of gold, whose thrice-heavy sword, whose swarm of spies, whose stolen life of luxury warms my bed. Time [...]

ADVICE ON THE SLAYING OF WURMS, by Michelle Muenzler: Sit, wurm slayer, and listen, for I will speak these words but once. There are three rules when it comes to slaying wurms, no matter what the city farseers and pigeon-gutters might tell you. Obey these, and your wurm will fall. Fail them and . . [...]

ADVENT OF AN APOCALYPSE, by Bethany Powell: They are combing each other’s hair when the end comes. A raven’s poised to land in their linen standard and they do not jump when the horn sounds the finish. Instead, they make mazes of fierce braid and plait, or smooth out thin sheaves of gold hair, before [...]

BURYING THE PLOUGHSHARE, by Bethany Powell: Failure — wide open failure, scent of hot dust and sunrays on the green of weeds baking where they’re harvested all together, walling this plot. The dark king’s warfare has salted the ground. This is expected. Nothing is coming up but the most perverse of weeds, grasses hard enough [...]