Art: "The Empty House" by Cathy Mellett
Poetry: "The Clouds Became Rest" by Madison Zuñiga
More like astronauts, the moment we commit
to this estranged earth, with oxygen like ash
and moon pale moths disturbing the dust.
We breathe with detachment, mapping backward
glints across glass helmets—so near shattering.
We let this mythic landscape go, resting at the
high clouds, caught in the solar winds, judging blind
before descending again into a wall of flame,
into the bell valley.
Published July 10th 2026
With her head in the clouds, Madison Zuñiga waits for both aliens and Jesus to arrive back on earth. In the meantime, she studies writing and practices sculpture.
Cathy Mellett is a writer and artist living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her memoirs and stories have appeared in The Michigan Quarterly, The Yale Review, The Rumpus, Southwest Review, The Journal, and elsewhere. Her paintings and sculptures have appeared in regional and national juried shows, including Grand Rapids ArtPrize. She has received artist residencies from Yaddo, Ragdale, and Villa Montalvo and a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship. Art: cathymellettart.com Writing: cathymellett.com