Sumac Literary Magazine

A digital literary magazine grown on the campus of Carleton University & inspired by the staghorn sumac rooted there

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Sumac Literary Magazine

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Poetry

In a black and white outline style. A hand holds a mug filled with coffee. Surrounding it are floating screws and nails.

How Far We’ve Come

If you said, long ago when we were /
young, when the Sun flew like an idol /
and mothered us, that we’d crouch…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
In black and white. A ringed planet in space among stars and a crescent moon.

Wistful Seasons

sunscreen-covered cheeks mark late spring / when blisters blossom on palms and a waft / of overripe coconut dances with freshly cut…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
In black and white. A pen with red ink glides down a stylistic black and white frame.

Your Favourite Red Pen

Amid the achromic / graphite pencils and the fine-tip / washable markers
and the / ballpoint gel pens, you pick / her out…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
In a black and white outline style. A box containing several items. These items include: coupons, a to-do list, letters, postcards, papers and flowers.

Grocery List

I started collecting them / like a middle-aged woman / collects coupons / saving them / like mementos / of strangers
whose faces…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
In a black and white outline style. An open fridge with a grocery list and small ABC and watermelon magnets. The grocery list reads: "Grocery List: Lettuce, snacks, potatoes ... sale: eggs." The fridge's interior is filled with various foods and containers.

Do We Ever Really Forget Our Parents

I went into the Superstore looking for a head of lettuce. / In the snack aisle, I found my sixth grade classroom:…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
In a black and white outline style. Three pigs in loose garbs stand among each other in front of a grey background.

Baba Yaga’s Breakfast Cereal

Remember / the three / little pigs / how they / smoked up—the chimneys / and rafters, how they / sang like…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
In black and white. A stylistic illustration of rice plants.

Tales of Wild Rice

My lola was a teacher, a young / visionary. She taught her sons how to plant rice / fields that stretch to…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
A black cat with a stern expression.

Pablo

The cat eats plastic, obsessively, / like a real freak, and it seems we’re always / ripping something out of his mouth...…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
In a black and white outline style. A boardwalk extends out to the horizon as the sun sets in the distance.

Meet The Edge

I want to live by the ocean. / Trade city slurs for crashing / waves / and live on the edge /…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
In a black and white outline style. Two trees with flowing bark and short branches. In the background is a road, moose, rolling hills, and dark trees.

Road to Resources

We forage for beef jerky, / transform water into Red Bull, / barter for maps with broken / prayers of safety...…

Issue 1/Issue 1 Poetry/Poetry
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Land Acknowledgement

Sumac acknowledges that our teams and facilities are situated on the traditional and unceded territories of the Algonquin nation, and that many of us are uninvited guests on this land. We acknowledge and thank the stewards and caretakers of this land and watershed. Their presence here reaches back to time immemorial and we hope that our contribution, Sumac Literary Magazine, has a positive impact.

About Sumac

Sumac Literary Magazine publishes work by people connected to Carleton University and/or the land it is on. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, community members, and anyone with links to our campus or community are welcome to submit their work for consideration.

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