Art: "You Don't Know" by N_Mori
Poetry: "Nimaamaa Can’t Find Anyone Who Sells Maple Sugar" by Ana Migwan
in the future no Ojibwe can tap the trees or harvest sap
from the iskigamizigan sugar bushes are closed
Biboon the season of pausing to tell stories
about sleeping spirits under solid ice
has passed on
Nimaamaa grabs her ribboned apron off the hook
rolls up her sleeves grabs the hand of a homeless spirit
& guides them home amid a snowless Bibooni-giizis
in this future her children have had children
& she’ll be damned
if they don’t get christmas cookies
rolled in something
sacred
Published January 2nd 2026
Kendyl Harmeling (she/her) is a teacher and PhD Candidate at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. There she teaches and studys liberation and anti-oppressive composing processes and pedagogies. Her poetry and creative nonfiction can also be found in the mags “Untentured,” and “Miracle Monocle.”
N_Mori is an emerging artist who uses mixed media to create captivating artwork. After an extended hiatus, they rekindled their artistic journey with a passion. Their creations reflect the ebbs and flows of emotions and the state of their mental health, transforming inner struggles into intriguing visuals.