We opened the range of possibilities for "Issue One: Freedom," and part of freedom is not writing about freedom. There was no rules on the topic, style, or form of the poem. With this issue, we encouraged writers to take bold risks, embracing the weird and bizarre to create works that are truly their own—works that explore veracity.

Issues one authors did exactly that. They reminded us that grief is complicated and multifaceted, weaving through denial, anger, acceptance, and the spaces in between, as seen in one piece where the memory of a lost brother blurs the lines between nostalgia and pain. They showed us that freedom is not always liberation—it can be a cage of false promises, cultural erasure, and historical scars, as another writer grappled with identity and resistance.

Yet, freedom can also be rediscovered in the quiet moments of mindfulness, as one poem tenderly reminds us to pause, to exist, to feel the breeze on our necks and the hues of the sun.

Enjoy.