POEMS: by Hellen Schweizer
The Fox Are you quite certain that you’re safe in your bedroom? Were you not warned about the fox that’s been let loose from the zoo and prowls the hills […]
Events:
A Shared Journey
September 13, 2025 - March 5, 2026This Is a Thing, Recent Gifts to Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, 2020–2025
September 14, 2025 - March 1, 2026The Court: Art in Play
September 24, 2025 - April 26, 2026The Flower, The Labor, and The Sea
September 27, 2025 - June 28, 2026
Vaina
Dejate de esa vaina, compadre Let your pulse slow down We’re siblings, you and I Not much different, yet not similar In any way Even though our parents complain In […]
Poems for October: Work by Patricia McAlpine
Patricia McAlpine is a poet residing in Burrillville, RI. She has a BS in English from Northeastern University and has participated in several writing workshops and was coordinator of the […]
Poetry
What a pleasure and an honor to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, alongside community treasure Marta Martinez, in this issue of Motif magazine. Poetry is an integral part of any truly […]
To Write a Poem: Poetry
To write a poem, they say, you must seek a beautiful moment, at least one a day, so I walk into some parking lot landscaping & hug a Japanese Maple—force […]
First Mercy and They Open Their Arms: Poetry
First Mercy I am holding in my hand an invisible poem. I can’t read it. I don’t know what it says. I want to make it visible. Want to […]
Extraordinary Rendition: Poetry
for Philip Levine When the CIA said, An extraordinary renditionhas been performed, I knew Lester Youngblowing his saxophone in that way he didwhen Billie Holiday was a few feet awaysmoking, singing “I […]
Poems: Olivia Thomakos
All Summer after“What’s LoveGottoDo?” by Richard Blanco All summer I wander between houses, couches, in and out of Dil and Lil’s secondhand Murano, air conditionless, legs suctioned to the seats […]
Ants in the City: Assemblage of joy
A special edition for Motif’s Fiction and Poetry issue Running along the boardwalk on the way to the shore, In two’s and in three’s, racing on their way, Crematogaster sisters, […]
One nice thing: Poetry
I run early, up hills like San Francisco’s cousin—or stepsister. Not blood-related, but the grime clings the same. Shopping carts gather behind the house, where the snowdrops just emerged, buttercups […]