Author Archives: iskelementsmagazine

John Randall in Kings,I was smart.Physics, Chemistry, Biology,PhD, Diffraction, Crystallography. I split water-a living Moses,leading my people to freedom,and found the holy grail:Photo 51.My beautiful creation filled with greys andweaved a cross pattern that showedTwo Separate Wholes. We could exist in two forms; separate, distinct, divorced.But you forced one;twisted, hereditary, genetic.Unpublished, unknown, My little secret–but only for a while. IfContinueContinue reading “Rosalind Franklin”

Me, young, pretty,Just as witty,He, already known as the Great British Bulldog,Grizzled, bold, andTen years my senior.We wed, and some might’ve thought that I’d try and change my demeanor Maybe become a few poundsLeanerAnd shift into a brainlessbreederBut noIt was me, whoworked day and nightToiling tirelesslyTo see the light,hands cramping as I wrote so that he would be ableContinueContinue reading “Mrs. Churchill”

Who created the medicine for malaria and epileptic diseases?  A woman.  Who created the first modern computer? A woman.  Who …. A woman. Solely being a woman has been an obstacle for centuries, and for many, it still is today. Men have overshadowed women, ideas have been stolen, and women have been portrayed as incompetent. ContinueContinue reading “Women A to Z”

To be able to knitAnd bear an empty armpitAre accepted qualities:they’re written down in policiesBut as soon as you decide to pick up a carForever will you hold that scarAs soon as you wait for matrimony until twenty-fiveForever will you be the one with a high sex drive No one will forgetThat you’ve exposed a threatToContinueContinue reading “Womanhood”

Him, stout and stalwart.Man of few words, still, love not lostHere forever, thoughtMothers tears flow freeNo coffin of gold, shallow graveBraided beard gone greyA Longworn Knights gownPatterned stichting, grandads war coat. Poor man’s legacy. – Emir

Vital flesh is made. Springtime youth bursts vividlyBoundless opportunity Maggots inch closerSandblasted flesh swift expires Bleached bones lay stagnant.Foliage creeps in Sprawling arbor emergesDust and soil breathe new – Emir