Dear ,

Today, I watched my dad reach for a cup of water and his hands failed. The water spilled on the table, floor, everywhere. He looked up at me with eyes that said, there goes my pride.

I became a creative because of my dad. Many poems that I adore are also adored by my father. Lately, I read him Caoimhe Courtney's Teastain because I was sure it would make him laugh. It did.

But, I didn't know life will move quickly to this place where I have to watch him slowly decline. I am trying to make peace with it and spend more time in banter (my dad loves a good argument)

A lot of my friends lost their parents last year and walked into the place of grief. I am trying to savour this destination of ageing bodies and spilled water. Maybe, when it is my turn to walk into grief land, she will hug me and say, life is merely turning, merely turning.

I realize this sounds selfish. But again, what is a human with a little greed for more?

Editor's View: My table

What are you pretending not to see?

­

Stripes Archive

Here is an offering from our archive: An interview with Othuke Umukoro.

I find myself returning to his definition of home and this line "..buildings don’t make homes, people do."

Funny that when we think of home, we never remember fancy chairs or lack of but how we felt, loved or unloved.

Othuke references a place he feels is home as the interview progresses and I am reminded that our theme for Issue 6.1 is places and how they make us feel. Even if that place might be where age spills.

Read the Interview with Othuke Umukoro and other beautiful pieces here.

A STRIPY CALL

We are open for submissions for the Stripes Literary Magazine Issue 6.1 —Places.

Send us to places that still know your name. Take us along as you revisit ancestral lands and landmarks. Show us the street you played in and corners where you found peace. Send us work that has refused to behave.

Stripes Literary Magazine exists for raw, different and divergent work. While we are not yet a paying lit mag, we take your work seriously by promoting and nominating for Best of the Net.

If the theme calls you, answer it and send us your work

What to send:

1 – 3 poems

1 – 3 art/photography pieces

Deadline: January 26th to February 28th, 2026

See Full Guidelines

ON THE BLOG

Stripes Literary Magazine latest issue of places to submit for creatives is now up on the blog. Check it out.

Stay Stripy

- Abasiama Udom, Editor

Stripes Literary Magazine stripesliterarymagazine.weebly.com