Important facts, useless tidbits and life-altering revelations, alternately;
This special issue includes solicited work from our past contributors only (of course any work sent by anyone during this reading period will be considered for future issues).
My father sent me two red carnations in a green glass vase with baby's breath and leather leaf sprays to school every year on credit from Petal Pushers. There are at least 3 different possible St. Valentines. It was the cheapest thing they'd deliver. There's lots of evidence that February 14 has never had anything to do with christanity and everything to do with pagans meeting in caves where Romulus and Remus were said to have suckled at the teat of a she-wolf. The card said guess who. Men sacrificed goats and cut thongs with which to whip the playfully presented bottoms of girls and women to ensure fertility and ease of childbirth. It's flowers and candy and some of them still can't get that right (not to be too heteronormative or anything). In April they'd start calling about the bill. February was the official beginning of spring, houses were cleaned, salt and spelt were split in dark corners, the year began again. Most victims of sexual violence are raped by people they know and love and trust. For the unloved and unlucky, Valentine's Day is as charming as diet books are to the starving. Though the Catholic Church eventually made this time a celebration for a Saint (or Saints) to subvert the pagan rituals, February 14 th is no longer a holy day on any religion's calendar. Belief in the acceptability of grocery store flowers is yet another common disease. Remember those without. Guess Who.
So, lovers, go back to the fields and take your gods and your red construction paper with you. Plant great fields of white paper lace and plastic scissors. Keep the blue of dirt under your fingernails. The true color of blood.
We will continue to be strong enough for a man, but made like a woman (not our shoe sizes, but our vaginal features, anyway).
XOXO
Your Editors, Rebecca Hardin Thrift & JodiAnn Stevenson
and p.s.: speaking of the L word, we are currently hearting wombpoetry.com, please check them out.