The Open Page

issue one volume three

traditions edition

We all have large and small traditions that provide comfort, familiarity, and camaraderie in our lives. While we have had to alter some of our traditions through 2020 and 2021, those themes continue to shine through. We hope that the eighth issue of The Open Page Literary Journal will remind you of the traditions that bring joy to your life. We carefully selected poetry, flash fiction, and short stories for this issue, and we would like to thank everyone who submitted their work. We would also like to thank all of those that read the wonderful published pieces. We hope your 2021 is going well and that you’re able to fully partake in all the traditions in your life soon!

Marketer and Editor of TOPLJ
Oliver Wehner

writing on tradition

a pretty sky made of grey

'Our traditions are full of our love,'

by summer fulleylove

deep magic

'Draw the curtains, 6.30 a.m., December, the time of deep magic.'

by john de gruyther

old haunts

'It’s dangerous to dig the past,'

by ed blundell

if i can't remarry

'He gave me a '

by lilli h. sparrow

the key

'Corroded teeth'

by anna quartly

when i tell you i want nothing

'When I say that I want nothing for my birthday, I am saying,'

by priscilla thomas

it's a tradition

‘Look, Clara, look at them, you’d think they’d never been in the sea before, splashing and laughing. '

by frank hill

boating trips

'I sailed once, out into the bay,'

by ed blundell

belissimo

'Sharp pungency of onions'

by ed blundell

fruit of late summer

'Most holidaymakers were gone by now. '

by Iga Nowicz

funeral at sacred heart parish

'After bawling comes the bawdy praise'

by jenkin benson

mercy me

'I never realized how much '

by lilli h. sparrow

Robinson's Reviews

For many reasons, I find it difficult to be proud of being British. As I write this, the UK has reached a death toll of over 100,000 people from coronavirus related deaths. This, in my view, is a catastrophic result of a lack of leadership; a highly contagious strain of the virus; and decades of the individual need being seen as more important than the community –

>> click here to read

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