“waiting for the butterflies”
there are air bubbles intended for greener pastures
standing like a weight on my november chest
(butterfly breathing when you kiss my eyelids)
yo yo hemp string hanging from the basalt river faces
echoing snake geology
suspended rock climbing gods bathed in pearls and natural golden light
wearing an acid raincoat from the contaminated rain
on hills covered in a snowy coat of pain
yellow moths and birds with fur, fluttering
and when the ghosts leave
the world tilts in this sideways direction
and I can’t handle my full moon feelings
you can still catch me in the equator of sticky sweet talk
throwing my hands in the wind, waiting for the butterflies
A self-taught artist and poet, Elizabeth Adan employs many offbeat techniques to create colorful, eye-catching work. She writes, paints, sketches, and graphically designs. She often 
starts from a fresh acrylic painting, then photographs it and turns the work into graphic art! Elizabeth frequently depicts nature scenes in a stained-glass mosaic style, helping viewers see the world from a mind-bending new perspective. She often sees rainbows all around the world when there may not be any.
Elizabeth’s work is influenced by her background and current environment. While her writing is lush and ethereal with concrete thoughts tossed out like confetti in the air, her artwork takes on the aura (no pun intended) of the landscape around her. The rolling hills of the Palouse region where she lives have many microclimates and slices of heaven tucked alongside them. To Elizabeth, the early moments of spring capture the best of the magic in the air. She is always breathing in inspiration and trying to turn every exhale into something beautiful.
Elizabeth hopes that those who read or view her work feel peace; she wants her words and artwork to provide a very small moment of beauty in their day and encourage them to become a creator as well— in any form that speaks to them.
Robert Forester was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, where he now resides full time. After receiving his B.A. in creative writing and philosophy from Willamette University, he attended the University of California, Santa Cruz for his M.A. in education. He currently teaches American Literature at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View. Robert loves all things outdoors, from surfing to climbing to mountain biking, and he enjoys pushing himself beyond his limits, both physically and mentally.
The primary goal of Robert’s writing is to evoke emotion, as he believes that art is fundamentally a matter of the heart. His writing observes the everyday and reminds the reader of the profound nature of simple events. His work is mainly influenced by the humility of authors such as George Saunders, Haruki Murakami, and Raymond Carver.
“Another Day”
She’s breaking twigs.
Each snap grows softer,
echoes down a river to the sea.
“I’ll meet you there,” her eyes whisper.
And here comes tomorrow:
there is a sunrise,
a baby girl, a trip to Paris.
We are still in bed at noon,
hiding between hotel covers,
and waiting for the world to disappear.
We wake up to sunsets.
Matchstick piers.
We kiss—these dreams belong to her
and another day.
