Foliate Oak Literary Magazine
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  • Crypt
    • Benevolence by Tony Hoagland
    • Sloan's Girl by Molly Giles
    • Stupid Bird by Thom Didato
    • Howie Good, Mar 2008
    • Anchored by Kirsty Logan
    • The Letter by Leland Thoburn
    • Laurence Klavan, Mar 2008
    • Derek Rempfer, Mar 2008
    • And The Winner Is... by Anne Goodwin
    • Stephen Leonard, April 2008
    • Tim Sawicki, April 2008
    • Steve Meador, April 2008
    • That's What You Get by David Rushing
    • Christopher Woods November 2008
    • Ravi Mangla, November 2008
    • Brandon Meyers Oct.08
    • Gail Gray, December 2008
    • Amy L. George, November 2008
    • Michael Barber, 2009
    • Tai Dong Huai, February 2009
    • Beth Rodriguez, February 2009
    • Chris Pike, March 2010
    • Joseph Belser, March 2010
    • Daniel W. Davis, November 2009
    • Matt Lavin, Febuary 2009
    • David Schatman, February 2009
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Scarecrow

How’s it look? I ask,
slipping my arms into the sleeves

of the scarecrow’s battered coat.
Good, she says,

but I already know the truth,
and by portentous coincidence,

the sky has just turned the same
disquieting shade of gray

as various diseases of the mind.
I hold my arms out like so

and assume the somber expression,
including opalescent eyes,

of someone remembering something
he wished he didn’t,

children overtaken on the road
by claw-footed shadows,

regardless of ancient promises
and the shrill little cries of the sun.