❝ Devon ❞

"Keeping Up with the Joneses"

Neighboring eyes

hooded with suspicion

follow the zigzag

of the lawn mower.

Nobody’s grass

is so lovely

as the Jones’

in the middle of winter.

By God, the residents swore,

their lawn was watered

by the proud tears of the

homeowners’ association president.

The grass was greener

because they buried

their secrets

beneath the turf,

Their nitrogen encapsulated,

silent cadavers

feeding soil the sweet

feast of decay.

Rotting flesh

of their lies

make the perfect

fertilizing concoction.

The elderly lady

living across the street

often begs for gardening tips

to grow tulips so red.

Just three feet below

their flowering roots

are the festering remains

of the people who they pretend to be.

"We Admitted We Were Powerless"

Hairline cracks

in those damned oak floors

betray the laughter

of my father’s adultery.

Well-endowed cheeks

of childhood squish

to peak fearful, tears filled

eyes beneath a door.

A freckled, snotty nose

first smells the perfume

of his mistress,

intoxicatingly, rancidly sweet.

Daddy’s mouth,

red from its well use,

attaches sloppy half kisses

to lips of glass and gloss.

A lengthy affair,

he consumes her

from glimpse of morning

until the set of sun.

Midnight, crawling

into their loveless bed,

my mother awakes to the stench

of his addiction on him.

She won't ask her name -

mama already knows.

The heavy breathing of sleep

covers her cries.

At dawn’s arrival, he’ll wake,

and this damn house

will echo forever

with the sound of infidelity.

The sound of the soft departure

of bottle caps from their

bottlenecked, brewed homes

resonates between tiny wood fractures.

What are your opinions of these six names?

• Matilda Alice

• Beatrice Olivia

• Violet Susannah

• Samuel Irving

• Emmett Franklin

• Asher Thomas

Normally, the most makeup I wear is mascara. However, after being inspired by YouTube tutorials and my friends' own makeup achievements, I decided to experiment with applying my own full face of makeup. Since I've never done anything more than swipe a mascara wand across my lashes, this was obviously a bit intimidating.

Anyways, you can see the results of my first attempt here: https://imgur.com/a/1Az3d

Do you have any tips or advice for me to improve on for next time?

"Panic!"

A dainty chiming of doorbells

announce his presence,

a damning dissonance hammered

upon the drums of my ear.

The chambers and valves

of a spectacular crimson menagerie

are on a warpath;

Every heartbeat is a battle cry.

Soldiers marching

towards the unknown enemy

strike a foreboding cadence into the earth,

a rhythm like the pounding in my head.

These traitorous lungs of mine

threaten me with shallow breaths,

and cowardice oxygen

flees to safety outside this mass grave.

The greys of my irises,

lost in the explosions of my pupils,

are the unforgivable casualties

of a faceless attacker.

The ghost of a gun,

the phantom of his bayonet,

kisses the ashen skin of my temple.

Tired knees bend before him.

Teeth grind in anticipation of the end,

my ill-fated finale,

when the gun clatters to the cold floor,

and the blade falls beside my feet.

The enemy retreats

bathed in the warmth of my blood.

He bares a haunting grin,

a promise of his return.

There is not a trace

of him left behind

but for my invisible scars

and a single, identifying name.

He is Panic.

Hide-n-Seek

elusive as a fox in a graveyard,

slinking behind weathered tombstones,

copper fur amongst the fading grays taunting,

“do you see me?

come and catch me.”

the fox runs when you get

too close to capture

covers her face like the moon,

the shadows of night cloaking arcane craters.

spinning, spinning, spinning in black space,

she is waxing, she is waning,

she is a sable June eclipse

never full, never naked,

she is not a Harvest Moon

a child plants a flat, smooth pebble

throughout her uncle’s house -

left shoe, kitchen window pane, ice box -

he searches the rooms carefully, intensively,

crawls under beds in business casual

from behind a green sofa, a giggle is stifled

behind shaking, excited hands

dusk enters the neighborhood,

street lights illuminate faces of childhood friends,

shades cast against trees and cars and bushes,

heartbeats echo out against the still hush of

a game of hide-and-seek

the thrill is not in hiding

but the possibility of being found

Age of Discovery

floorboards kiss scraped knees,

the coolness soothing yesterday’s sunburn.

mosquito bites line the legs of cousins,

reminiscent of the preacher’s wife’s

polka dot pantyhose.

the dark underneath of a bedpost

is refuge

for nosey little girls.

one plump leg is strewn lazily over

the rim of a pearl white claw-foot.

the door is ajar.

sunbeams scatter about in odd fragments,

stage light for the show.

words are all drowned

under the running of the faucet

but for a single sob.

hushed breaths echo against the stillness.

grimy child’s fingers interlock,

praying to their Sunday morning God

wild heartbeats

won't yet give them away.

queen sized mattress

buckles beneath the weight

of her obese grief.

Troy’s name is the thunder

that bellows from the cracks of lightning,

white hot bolts of agony,

threatening to reduce her to the feeble glass

of the stricken sands of the earth.

in the bed of mourning

lay a woman

who sorrow had become.

beneath bedposts were once

where girl cousins

heard of church gossip and family feuds.

for the ignorance of childhood,

the space is now forever marked a tomb.

here lies

innocence -

rest in peace.

What would you name a little brother for Matilda Jean, Phoebe Emma, and Samuel Thomas?

BQ: What would you name a little sister to join this sibling set?

Thanks!

Use the following eight initials, the initials of Jon and Kate Gosselin's children, to name 5 girls and 3 boys.

[♀] C.N.

[♀] M.K.

[♀] A.F.

[♀] H.J.

[♂] A.J.

[♂] C.T.

[♀] L.H.

[♂] J.K.

What would you name b/b, b/g, and g/g twins (first and middle names)?

I need help coming up with a second middle name for Gwendolen. Emily is my sister's name, and I would like to keep that. Help fill in the blank, please! Gwendolen Emily ________.

To give you an idea of names I like, my other two favorite girl names are Beatrice Anna Frances and Olivia Margot Alice.

Thank you!

What do you think of my top two girl + boy names?

-- ♀ --

Beatrice Anna Frances › Bea

Olivia Margot Alice

-- ♂ --

Samuel Howard Jonah

Owen Kit Arthur

What is your opinion on Duquesne for a boy? I have been thinking on it as a possible middle name, maybe as Samuel Duquesne.

-- Duquesne is a French name pronounced "Du-cane" --

Thanks! :)

Olivia is one of my favorite names. I know it is not uncommon and even seems to be growing in popularity. I would love to pair two different, family names with Olivia to help set it apart and give it more meaning. I'm open to using variants of the names, as some (such as Alisha, Debora, and Gertrude) could be a little harsh/strange.

Here is a list of family names: Florence, Naomi, Frances, Sue, Gertrude, Emma, Debora, Reed, Alisha, Arlene, + Emily.

Which of these names or variations of these names would sound best with Olivia?

Thanks!

I think Kirby would make for an adorable nickname for a little girl. It was used a lot in the early nineteen hundreds as a nickname (and sometimes, as a full name), and I think it has a lot of antiquated appeal. What do you think?

BQ: What full names could Kirby be a nickname of?

BQ2: Do you think Kirby could work as a name of its own, as a full name?

BQ3: Do you prefer Kirby on a boy or a girl?

:)

My mother and grandmother both share the middle name of Sue. I really want to honor them both by using some diminutive of Sue, and lately I've really loved Sue Ellen.

What do you think?

BQ: Sue Ellen or Suellen?

BQ2: Do you have any other Sue-related name suggestions?

:)

The name Zooey (pronounced like Zoe) has been growing on me for quite some time. I love the whole antiquated quirkiness vibe.

What do you think of Zooey?

BQ: What middle names do you think would compliment Zooey?

:)

These are your children. Give them a name (first + at least one middle name)!

[1] boy - 5 years old

http://img4-1.realsimple.timeinc.net/images/1114/m...

[2] boy - 3.5 years old

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f6BkPXPyygA/UFUhYfwGR_I/...

[3] boy - 21 months old

http://file.safari.iku4.com/cute-baby-boy-cat-440x...

[4] girl - 10.5 months old (twin)

http://www.lovethispic.com/uploaded_images/15641-C...

[5] boy - 10.5 months old (twin)

http://astrotarot.com.hr/blog/wp-content/uploads/2...

[6] girl - 4.5 weeks old

http://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbnails/1440169-b...

:)

I’ve been looking for an all natural, organic skin care line that won’t break the bank. I have oily and acne prone skin, so I need an effective product but with an ingredient label that’s pronounceable and short.

I recently began using Acure Organics shampoo & conditioner, and I love it. It’s cheap, the ingredients are certifiably all organic, it contains no parabens or sulfates, my hair looks and feels better, and it smells like lemongrass. Anyone who is looking for organic hair care should give Acure Organics a try! Anyways, I'm looking for the same things in skin care products: short and pronounceable ingredient list, paraben free, sulfate free, hypoallergenic, cruelty free, and effective.

Any suggestions? I'd love a good cleanser, exfoliating cleanser, toner, and moisturizer! If you use and love a certain brand/line of organic, all natural skin care, please tell me all about it!

Thank you! :)

I’ve been looking for an all natural, organic skin care line that won’t break the bank. I have oily and acne prone skin, so I need an effective product but with an ingredient label that’s pronounceable and short.

I recently began using Acure Organics shampoo & conditioner, and I love it. It’s cheap, the ingredients are certifiably all organic, it contains no parabens or sulfates, my hair looks and feels better, and it smells like lemongrass. Anyone who is looking for organic hair care should give Acure Organics a try! Anyways, I'm looking for the same things in skin care products: short and pronounceable ingredient list, paraben free, sulfate free, hypoallergenic, cruelty free, and effective.

Any suggestions? I'd love a good cleanser, exfoliating cleanser, toner, and moisturizer! If you use and love a certain brand/line of organic, all natural skin care, please tell me all about it!

Thank you! :)