This is just to say that issue eleven is out now. I hope you enjoy it!

Matthew

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Just a quick note to say that we’re open for submissions for issue eleven, until 30. April, or until we reach 500 submissions. Please head here for more info.

Looking forward to reading your poems!

Matthew

In the meantime, enjoy this poem by Mark Fiddes, from issue ten.

Mark Fiddes

Ontology

Consider a chair,
says the philosopher who breaks its back with logic
in his oak paneled study every afternoon.

Its ‘chair-ness’ exists because of the same language
he uses to argue against removing
the stone slavers who stand in the ivy quad below.

Consider a plantation,
says the student, where we might root the statues
safely among stockades of sugar cane.

Crowd the field with painted figures of Shango,
Eshu, Huracan, Jizō, Shiva, Xolotl, Amarok, Christ
and the other world experts in suffering.

Use good speakers to play the old devotionals.
Charge tourists a modest entrance fee for upkeep
with free tour of the distillery afterwards.

Consider good and evil,
how they ripen on the same tree
never falling far apart, like they were family.

I’m excited to say that issue ten is finally out now. There’s an incredible line-up of poets, featuring Jack Underwood, Sanah Ahsan, Rishi Dastidar, Alice Miller, and many more.

I hope you enjoy reading the poems in this issue as much as I do.

Here’s a link to the whole issue: https://berlinlit.com/

And to get things started, here are two poems by Jack Underwood from issue ten.

After a bit of a hiatus, berlin lit is accepting submissions for issue ten until 10 October. You’ll find more info on the ‘submissions’ page on the website.

I’m looking forward to reading your poems, and to sharing ours.

Matthew McDonald, editor.