Today, we highlight watercolours by contributor J.R. Castilla, showcasing beautiful pastel colours. The art includes a charming cat, which particularly resonates with me as a cat owner. We appreciate the vibrant yet soft palette used in these artworks.

Bumpsy the frog dreams of flying despite being teased by his siblings. He befriends a young bird named Ashley, helping her gain strength to fly. In a surprising turn, Ashley lifts Bumpsy into the air, fulfilling his dream. Their story underscores friendship, self-belief, and the possibility of achieving seemingly impossible dreams.

Ryan C. Petersen delivers "Curse of the Craven," a haunting song exploring toxic relationships and obsession. Through visceral imagery and raw emotion, this piece examines the destructive cycle of unhealthy love. The lyrics reveal the psychological complexity of addiction to harmful relationships.

J.R. Castilla's first submissions feature contemplative poetry that delves into themes of reflection, resilience, and love, offering profound insights into the human experience. This initiative highlights incarcerated writers’ voices, showcasing literature's ability to foster understanding and connection. Castilla’s work notably includes both haikus and heartfelt poems dedicated to personal relationships.

Ryan C. Petersen presents an exploration of music's profound impact on the mind and soul. His poetic piece, "Earworm, Wriggle," emphasizes the transformative power of melodies and lyrics, suggesting that music serves as both a sanctuary and a source of hope. Listen to it on Suno for a deeper experience.

Raw protest anthem exploring rage, resistance, and revolution through vivid imagery and driving rhythm.

The narrative explores the impact of incarceration on both the incarcerated and their loved ones, highlighting the often overlooked pain of secondary victims, like family. It emphasizes the importance of acknowledging broader harm through apologies that recognize the emotional toll on relationships, fostering healing and personal growth while maintaining accountability.

Lancelot explores resilience and mental flexibility as essential tools for navigating life's challenges. He emphasizes that mental flexibility involves accepting negativity without allowing it to control one's life. Techniques like stepping back, quieting the mind, and breathing are suggested to cultivate this skill, promoting emotional strength and compassion in difficult situations.

Lancelot, an offshore platform supervisor turned writer, found purpose in prison by sharing uplifting narratives and amplifying marginalized voices. Despite his dark past, he emphasizes hope, authenticity, and the potential for positive change. His journey highlights the importance of community support, personal reflection, and recognizing the unique talents within everyone.

Ryan Petersen's song "An Ant With an Axe" portrays a musician's vibrant journey, reflecting struggles and ambitions through playful lyrics and imagery. The track's themes encompass the challenges of the music industry, creative reinvention, and the exhilarating yet chaotic experiences on the road. Experience the full song on Suno.

Ryan's piece explores our complex relationship with screens and entertainment, highlighting the ironic addiction to devices that may harm us. Through humorous and unsettling imagery, he captures the struggle of wanting to disconnect from technology while being drawn to the joy and distraction it provides.

by Lancelot I'm here for you can be another way of saying I love you. I hear you. I see you. I'm with you, even if we are not physically together. This is where a practice like Together Apart comes in. Everyday, thousands of people behind and beyond bars spend time together ( usually apart) in a shared mindfulness practice dedicated to offering love to all suffering beings.

In "Smokehouse," Ryan Petersen portrays a profound sense of disillusionment, interweaving vivid imagery with reflections on societal pressures and personal failures. The poem embodies the struggle between cynicism and hope as Petersen articulates feelings of being trapped and watching others succeed while grappling with his own unfulfilled aspirations.

The author reflects on a recent conflict with a friend, questioning the expectations within their relationship. He acknowledges that friendships, like marriages, require love and patience. He realizes that imposing his views undermines the friendship's uniqueness and learns the importance of allowing friends to define their roles without expectation or obligation.

What might we learn from watching the growth of a tree? What secrets do trees hold about the human experience? Writing from prison, Omar Wilkins finds profound parallels between the forest and our own lives—in the seeds that never sprout, the saplings stunted by circumstance, and the mighty oaks that weather decades of storms. His observations cut deep: not every seed becomes a tree, just as not every person reaches their full potential.

Omar Wilkins shares how words profoundly impact his life from prison, emphasizing that the most transformative language comes from within. He highlights the importance of self-affirmation and inner dialogue, recognizing that we are both creators and destroyers of our narratives. Ultimately, personal words foster resilience and self-inspiration.

Omar Wilkins, writing from prison, advocates for global equality as a solution to humanity's problems. He envisions a world where merit, not wealth or status, dictates success, ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all. His radical vision involves justice for every individual, eradicating inequalities related to race, gender, and wealth, fostering a harmonious society.

Is technology bringing us closer together or pushing us further apart? Technology—is it our bridge to connection or the wall that divides us? It's a question that cuts to the heart of modern life, one that takes on deeper meaning when viewed from behind prison walls. Omar Wilkins, writing from incarceration, offers a perspective shaped by both limitation and gratitude. For him, technology isn't just an abstract debate—it's the lifeline that allows his voice to reach beyond concrete and steel, connecting him with people thousands of miles away.

Omar Wilkins recounts a transformative dream encounter with the man he killed, leading to an unexpected healing journey. Despite not remembering the conversation's content, the experience lifted his burden of guilt and inspired a sense of purpose and empathy, marking a significant shift in his life while emphasizing the power of forgiveness and redemption.

Omar Wilkins explores the essence of hope through a sensory lens, likening it to the intoxicating scent of passionate love. He emphasizes that hope is personal and unique to each individual, driven by deep desires and memories. Ultimately, hope embodies a profound connection to fulfillment, transcending mere abstract notions.

Omar Wilkins reflects on his evolving definition of a good life, emphasizing good health, purpose, and meaningful relationships over wealth and status. His experiences as a hospice care worker taught him to value simple daily joys. Ultimately, he believes a fulfilling life is about love, legacy, and shared memories, not material possessions.

Omar Wilkins, dreaming of invisibility for a day, reflects on his longing for freedom from prison. Rather than engaging in mischief, he seeks a peaceful escape, highlighting the significance of choices in life. His life story illustrates how our decisions shape our circumstances, emphasizing the power of individual agency and the desire for a fresh start.

Omar Wilkins, writing from prison, asserts that our choices define us more than our circumstances. He reflects on his life, emphasizing how daily decisions shape our paths and destiny. Circumstances merely reveal our true selves, and it is ultimately our choices—big or small—that dictate our life's trajectory and future outcomes.

Two writers explore a world devoid of music, ultimately deeming it a living hell. Robert Hitt mourns the absence of sounds that enrich life, while Omar Wilkins celebrates music's universal rhythm and connection. Both emphasize music’s significance beyond entertainment, asserting it as a vital force that shapes existence and fosters communal bonds.

Omar Wilkins finds unexpected joy in farting, viewing it as a blessing from the etiquette Gods. He humorously considers the absurdity of alternative release methods and emphasizes the joy in basic human functions. Farting offers comic relief, social bonding, and even insight into health, reminding us to appreciate simple pleasures in life.