Today, I rebuke two distant lovers. They are too immersed in each other but they refuse to be together. They reek of selfishness. Even the stark man who lives close to the bakery can perceive foul odor. Selfish and ignorant. My brothers and sisters are not rebound material. You better find your way back to the one life feels empty without. The audacity to speak to my sisters, contrast them to...
When you’re two bottles deep, and you begin to feel that trap door sliding open from underneath you, Maybe, begin to say maybe, Maybe pacing yourself will serve better than screaming “Shapiru, Shapiru!” at the very top of your lungs as you hold firmly to bottle number three, ice-cold but sweating just as profusely as it’s wielder. Maybe begin to look ahead, Maybe...
If I were a telescope in space, dedicated to capturing the unexplored dimensions of the universe, therefore adding a bulk of knowledge to what is already known, I imagine I would be happy. Because I wouldn’t know you. I can’t remember the exact moment that led me to astronomy. I am certain I already loved it when I read A Brief History Of Everything by Bill Bryson because...
RESONANCE “If you must blink, do it now,” lest you miss a moment. A tiny stone strategically cast unto a water body can cause the most unexpected ripples. And this will probably be the closest I would get to dabbling with a body of water that is not a 9 feet swimming pool. “Resonance”– the sound or vibration produced in an object by sound or vibrations of a similar frequency from another...
On Thursday, we smelt a heartbreak coming and we thought we sheltered you. It was coming and you didn’t pay much attention to it, but you knew. You saw an RIP on a friend’s reel on IG. The first thing you said was “God please don’t let it be someone I know”. You found out that that prayer was answered. Later you asked what kind of prayer it was. ...
“You’ve been avoiding eye contact, why can’t you look into my eyes?”, says a voice deep enough to make your insides tremble. You do not respond. You try to gulp back the taste of last night’s episode down your throat, but your tongue seems to like it. You recall everything: how your bodies folded into each other like palm trees bending over as though whispering secrets. You adjust your naked body...
READING LIST OF THE EIC Hello everyone, Happy New Year! and welcome to our 24/7 year! As promised here is my 2023 reading list. Most of these are essays and short stories. Where a full length is being mentioned, it will annotated. As an editor, one of my greatest joys is reading and curating pieces I believe are worth reccomending. As a house rule, I implore you to look through our...
Here’s to us, one more toast! Another year has come and is about to go as we briefly close our doors on the 20th of December 2023. No worries, we will reopen on the 10th of January to continue doing what we do best, tell stories. Next year is remarkably special to us as it will be our seventh year and we are very excited. There are going to be strong changes with our submissions in line...
Hello! This is the fourth issue of the pencilmarks anthology series and this time, we are bringing you short stories. An anthology of meaning. We hope you enjoy and support us as you have always done. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
RESONANCE: A SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY, DEC 2023
Struggles of motherhood, Agonizing, however fulfilling. I toiled day and night, So I may reap what I sow. Bodies grinding with sweats, With no pleasure on sight. Despair had been my abode, With no child to call my own. Then you happened, The joy that cometh by morning. Only that I was jinxed, For I bore an Abiku! With a razor, you were scarred Never to return to my dwelling...
