POEM OF THE MONTH!

Dear Readers, NSA, Obama and the CIA, the Eel and her Small Fry thought you should read this poem. Many thanks to Rose Drew for sending us this literary gem! On behalf of Rose, the Eel would like to remind NSA not to forget to floss, and she hopes you have a good day. Given that a life of spying on people and reading mail not sent to you must be lonely, we decided to be nice and include you in all our posts so that you can pretend you have friends. 

Love from the Eel, the Eel's Small Fry and Rose x 

What are you in for?

prison shivs
guard towers
stick with your own kind.

just bigger yards with
private cells
that never the less
can be breached
by guards
at will.

most don’t realize we’re inside.
the walls grew
quietly
while we handed over our bags for inspection
raised our arms,
politely,
for cancer scans,
looked the other way
when our library list was expunged.

the rules lengthened
silently,
while we accepted wiretapping,
unwarranted searches,
being held without charge
for
ever.

sure, they came for them
or they
or not me or then me or fillintheblank cliché:

but the truth is,
they rounded all us up
and we just changed the channel
laughed at Simon Cowell
and forgot to care.

prison shivs
guard towers
stick with your own kind.

just bigger yards with
private cells
breached
by Authority
at will.

By Rose Drew

Dear Readers, Obama, NSA and the CIA...

Dear Obama, NSA and the CIA,

Eel just thought you would like to know that when she was not online talking to people, (but you already knew that bit right), she went in the bath and watched television. The Eel is now going to watch a DVD. Then she is going to have a cigarette, go to the loo, brush her teeth and then go to bed. Because you will have read the Eel's text messages, you will know that she is assisting at an event tomorrow evening. However, prior to that she will clean her house, do some washing, go to university and then go to see her boyfriend. She will probably have a coffee with milk and two sugars while she is with him and discuss what is happening on Friday. She will also tell her boyfriend about the job vacancies you know Eel has found, but that her boyfriend does not know the Eel has found because she has not spoken to him online this evening. Because the Eel knows how you like to be aware of exactly what everyone in the world is doing at what time, she thought she would help you by telling you everything she does when she is not on the internet as it will save you having to spend people's taxes on hiring spies to follow the Eel and her Small Fry. The Eel hopes that you approve of the things that the Eel plans to do tonight and tomorrow, and that they are not a threat to your nation's security. Similarly, she hopes that when you pass this information onto Mr. Cameron, MI5 and MI6, they will not class her plans as terrorist acts. If you require any further assistance from the Eel, please do not hesitate to let her know - you already have her phone number, email and address so the Eel should be easy enough to get hold of.

Many thanks for your time and kind regards,
The Eel.

It's coming.....

Issue 4 of the Eel will be swimming your way...soon. Owing to the increase in how much postage and packaging costs, it is with regret that the Eel will no longer be a printed zine. However, the good news is that Issue 4 will now be FREE for everyone because it will be in PDF format that can be accessed from the Eel's site. Contributors will be sent their own PDF in an email attachment. We know that a number of people prefer printed zines rather than online collections, but we feel this is the most practical way of being able to ensure that the Eel continues swimming. What with the proof reader away, the co-editor moving to the other end of the country and the Eel having just finished her essays for university, it has been a very hectic few weeks. However, the Eel can confirm that she has decided on what is being included in the fourth issue, and is hoping to have #4 on the site within the next couple of weeks.

February-March Guest Blogger!

Introducing Mamta Madhavan!

It is generally accepted that if you are an editor, it is more than likely that you are also a writer. The Eel and her Small Fry are no exception, but how many of us can say that they write poetry in a second language? The Eel certainly can't - she struggles saying hello to the fish she meets in the warmer climes she visits when on holiday. The Eel has a lot of admiration for the writers out there who, like Mamta, are able to not only write in a second language but produce fantastic work. A regular contributor to the Eel's issues and a curator at www.gotpoetry.com, the Eel is thrilled to welcome Mamta to the Eel's Guest Blogger's platform where Mamta discusses what we love best: anything and everything to do with writing! To check out Eel's interview with Mamta, go to the Guest Blogger's section!

Poem of the Month!

WILTING ROSES

By Jeff Dupuis

A petal falls from the roses on the bar

and lands softly on the tile floor.

Then another.

These roses haven't lasted nearly as long

as the last ones I bought you, six months ago

for Valentine's Day.

There's something to be said about the fertility of a relationship

where love can bloom brightly and stay that way

even without roots or soil.

It's like magic, and when that magic runs out

the petals fall to the floor, the roses wilt,

and you're left picking up the pieces

and tossing them in the trash.

Jeff Dupuis writes poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. His work has appeared in The River Journal, The Acta Victoriana, and Blood Lotus Journal, among others. In his off-hours Jeff likes to train in the martial arts, or if nothing else, watch straight-to-DVD martial arts movies. He currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

December Guest Bloggers: Jackie Nerney and Jim Higo!

December Guest Bloggers: Jackie Nerney and Jim Higo! 
As  most of you will know by now, the Eel is based in the River Humber at Hull. She is pleased to introduce Jackie Nerney and Jim Higo who, like the Eel, also spend their spare time rocking Hull's poetry scene. Jackie and Jim are not only here to provide their take on what they look for in submissions to their fabulous poetry anthology called Incandescent, they are also here to talk about performing poetry to a live audience and the best ways of overcoming nerves. To read Jackie and Jim's interview for yourselves check them out in the Guest Bloggers section.

Jackie Nerney is a writer, editor and hypnotherapist.  Jackie previously taught creative writing in prisons and has co-edited a number of magazines and editorials.  Jackie organises and runs the “Away With Words” open mic night and is Editor in Chief of Incandescent Poetry.

Jim Higo is a writer, poet and performer from Hull.  He wrote and performed a one man play at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010.  He is a poetry slam winner and his work has been published in a number of anthologies.  This year he has performed his poetry comedy show “That’s Not How You Spell Pedantic” at the Edinburgh and Ilkley Festivals. A DVD of his work titled “Lazy Poetry Slag” will be released in December 2012.  He also hosts a monthly open mic night “Away With Words” at Union Mash Up in Hull. 

Push Cart Nominees: Read the Best of the Eels for yourself!

Work from the Push Cart Nominees!

With the Eel now one year old, she is thrilled to be old enough to nominate writers from her issues for the Push Cart Prize. She was even more excited when four of her nominees gave her permission to put their work on her site! She is therefore pleased to present Heather Cairns, Linda M. Crate, Kanchan Chatterjee and Mark J. Mitchell! To read their work for yourself, check out the 'Work From the Issues' section!