EDITORIAL BOARD Editors-in-Chief Claire Bennet Stacey Boulter Ayesha Kottapalli Drue MacPherson Layout Editor Stacey Boulter Contributing Artists Danielle Blais (front) Matthew Rooney (back) Noelle Segato (interior) Social Media Executives Nelly Bateman Meg Collins Claudia Ferraro Faculty Advisor Sue Goyette Editors Nora Adshade Claudia Ferraro Abdulla Al-Khaledi Dana (Dani) Graham Chantal Andrusevich Kathleen Jones Emily Arnelien Samantha Michalczyk Nelly Bateman Matthew Rooney Danielle Blais Noelle Segato Sarah Carruthers Stephanie Sherman Meg Collins Anne-Marie Turenne Taylor Dunne Jack Williams Tarini Fernando Hannah Wood Many thanks to Sue Goyette and Mary Beth MacIsaac for their generosity and guidance throughout the journal’s many phases. This journal was produced on unceded Mi’kmaq territory. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) people first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations. NOTE FROM THE EDITORS The editorial team at Fathom has been the largest in many years, and with this wonderful, talented group, we have been able to work towards creating a more diverse journal. Members of the team hail from a wide variety of disciplines, as do the authors published this year. Our vision was to reach beyond the confines of the Creative Writing department to capture a multifaceted experience; to showcase the extent of interdisciplinary and unique voices present in the literary community at Dalhousie and King’s. By expanding our outreach, we have ended up with a wide variety of student voices, and we could not be prouder to share their pieces with you. We have all been working hard in order to produce this year’s edition of Fathom, which we hope to be a valuable addition to the Halifax segment of CanLit and the literature of Turtle Island. Expression should be accessible to all. As a student journal, Fathom celebrates student voices and student editors. We hope to show that while the title of “student” might indicate a state of learning and gaining experience, it does not mean that these voices are any less than those with a larger a udience for their creativity. We were humbled and honoured to receive a substantial amount of creative, original, and inspirational submissions this year. From traditional forms of poetry to original fiction narratives and our growing non-fiction section, we are sure there is something within these pages for everyone. We encourage all writers, published or otherwise, and all those inspired by the following pieces to pursue their own crafts and express their voices in the creative world however they deem fit. In the words of the esteemed Maya Angelou, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” To our contributors – thank you for sharing your stories with us. This journal would not be possible without your courage to submit. Thank you for reading and supporting Fathom, Claire Bennet, Stacey Boulter, Ayesha Kottapalli, and Drue MacPherson Editors-in-Chief CONTENTS POETRY Claire Bennet ........................................................................................ 2 Danielle Blais ........................................................................................ 5 Hannah van den Bosch .......................................................................... 6 Janet Brush ........................................................................................... 7 Ella Cathcart ......................................................................................... 9 Wynne Clark-Squire .............................................................................. 10 Ruby Coles ............................................................................................12 Meg Collins ........................................................................................... 15 Paisley Conrad ...................................................................................... 17 Bess Doig ..............................................................................................19 Meighan Donaldson ...............................................................................26 Taylor Dunne ........................................................................................ 28 Jeremy Earley ........................................................................................ 31 Claudia Ferraro ..................................................................................... 32 Dana (Dani) Graham ..............................................................................35 Maddie Hare ......................................................................................... 36 Anna Jewers .......................................................................................... 37 Ricarda Konder ..................................................................................... 38 Franklyn Konrad ................................................................................... 39 Chris Koster .......................................................................................... 40 Sophie Lawall ........................................................................................ 41 Drue MacPherson ..................................................................................42 Nicolas Paquette ................................................................................... 45 Sarah Parry ........................................................................................... 46 Matthew Rooney ................................................................................... 48 Jack Williams ........................................................................................ 54 Leah Yacyshyn ...................................................................................... 59 Ata Zargarof .......................................................................................... 61 FICTION Nora Adshade ........................................................................................ 64 Sarah Carruthers .................................................................................. 66 Colin Dobson ......................................................................................... 68 Kathleen Jones ...................................................................................... 70 Samantha Michalczyk ............................................................................ 72 Hannah Wood ....................................................................................... 73 NON-FICTION Ella Cathcart ......................................................................................... 78 Bess Doig .............................................................................................. 80 Drue MacPherson ..................................................................................81 CLAIRE BENNET A Dryad’s Lament Swaying branches in the wind, crinkling leaves underfoot, deep green against grey sky: these trees, I think, are the most beautiful. But they become ugly easily. Ugly, crashing to the ground. Ugly, in absence. U g l y . They make them so. Replacing white clouds with choking air, forcing trees into mulch for neon signs standing stark where there should be dark wood. The tall oak breathes when I breathe. I smile when it smiles. My pulse echoes the beat of the wind between its leaves. The birds sing with us. We fall together. There are no birds left. Not anymore. 2 The Goblin King Through the trees he beckons you forward, one long finger crooked. Looking down his pointed nose at you, he sniffs then says, You’ll do. A guttural sound, victorious. A glint in his eye as he smirks. Rough tongue scraping rotted teeth. Broken fingernails clicking against his tarnished throne. Bony elbows poking out from his ragged gown. Imperceptibly, he places his feet on the snowy ground. And then he leaps. After, he adjusts his crown and settles on his throne again, eyes keen and unblinking. He leaves a scarlet drop of you atop his pale lip. 3 a good view i like the kitchen floor of our first house tiled with cold squares a hand-painted flower on each but the paint bled trying to escape and died that way dried that way i can see every crumb hiding in the cracks in between those cold squares like memories mom’s birthday we had chocolate cake messy and dark after apple-picking you made a crumble from the bruises sunday brunch with sticky scarlet syrup the dog’s biscuit hard unbreakable i can hear the dog now rough loud shouts he’s standing in the puddle of red like tomato sauce remember when you dropped the pot of spaghetti sauce red dripping like melted ice cream through my fingers quick quicker lick it upbeforeitstoolate . i have a good view of his paws clicking on the cold square tiles through the dust and the crumbs and the memories it’s a good view from where i’m lying on these cold square flowers in this puddle of red by your knife 4 DANIELLE BLAIS The curve of your spine. You are a hydrangea bush settling for the winter. Branches turned into yourself appearing smaller, leaves growing thicker, curving into protect your soft heartwood. As you got dressed, you said I inspired you, (sitting on the edge of my bed, early morning light coming in to highlight your back and shoulders, you put your shirt on last.)