Issue 17: Winter 2023

Dear Friends of eMerge,

Welcome to 2023.

I am so grateful to be bringing you another issue of eMerge, filled with poetry, prose, and recipes that can brighten these cold winter afternoons. In these digital pages you can find meditations on winter, mortality, and a willingness to celebrate life at every age and stage.

eMerge is published with the generous support of the Board of Directors and the staff at the Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow. Our website is designed and managed by Cat Templeton, who makes eMerge possible. A special thanks to everyone who submitted work for consideration during our last submission period--it was an honor to read your work. Thank you so much for helping us grow this little literary corner of the internet.

May your year ahead hold wonders and joy unforeseen. May you read some poetry and prose that invigorates your soul like a good cup of joe. May you find connection in unexpected places and know that, no matter what this year looks like for you, you are not alone.

All the best,

Joy Clark


Table of Contents

  1. A Calling to Return
    by Ann Kathryn Kelly
  2. Lamentations
    by Sheryl Loeffler
  3. Anything At All
    by Sallie Crotty
  4. Invitation
    by Kenneth Weene
  5. The Luthier's Poem
    by Kenneth Weene
  6. Double Shifts
    by Mary Lewis
  7. Caregivers
    by Annie Klier Newcomer
  8. Unsheltering
    by Annie Klier Newcomer
  9. A Past Love (with apologies)
    by Bill McCloud
  10. Routine
    by Bill McCloud
  11. The Drift
    by Todd Sukany
  12. Enjoying the Show
    by Todd Sukany
  13. Dancing in the Dark
    by Zeek Taylor
  14. Mini Chocolate Silk Tartlets
    by Anna Gall
  15. I Hear of the Mockingbirds Songs No More
    by Thadeus Emmanuel
  16. What Kind of House Are You Now?
    by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
  17. Winter Solstice
    by Ken Waldman
  18. Madonna of the Matilijas
    by Christine Irving
  19. One-Dish Dinner: Pork with Blueberries and Cream
    by Christine Irving
  20. Your Hands
    by Carra Leah Hood
  21. A Winter Morning
    by Joanie Roberts
  22. A Checklist for Dying
    by Vicki Mayk
  23. Issue 17: Winter 2023
    by Joy Clark

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About the Author

Joy Clark received her MFA from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR in 2020. She works for the local nonprofits Art Ventures and The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow, and is the new 2022 editor for eMerge. Her work can be read in places such as The Kenyon Review Online, Pleiades Magazine, and Bayou Magazine.

Joy Clark
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