In October, ILA Magazine challenged poets with a SEPTOLET Prompt. Initially, we had planned to only pick a handful of poems to publish, however, after going back and forth with a final decision, ILA chose 19 poems out of 26 to feature. The SEPTOLET Poem form consists of 7 lines, written in a total of only 14 words with a break: (Between the 3rd and 4th lines or 4th and 5th lines), with both stanzas written in the same thought by creating a vivid image. AURORA

Arising
Light of promise
In cool, chilly
Morning

Cascading
A new day
Towards horizon

© JOEL APARECIO BERNASOR
PHOTO ALBUM

Indelible
cache of footprints
in the sand.

Click
its pages
Journey
back in time.

© MYRTLE EVE TEJADA

"UNTITLED"

Valley
In hug bound,
Sets leap.

Pats
To lane show
Amusingly
Versifying vibrant chants

© SHIV RAJ PRADHAN

"UNTITLED"

Teacher
Teaches reasoning
Thoughts from insight
In class

Developing character
Of learners
With love.

© AMAR SINGH

"RELY ON LOVE"

If
Nothing
Goes right,
Rely on love.

Love
is the ballast
That balances everything.

© KALUCHARAN SAHU

"STARS"

Stars
Twinkle at night
Without any discrimination.

To convey
message
that we're from
God.

© PRASANNA BHATTA
"KITE"

Kite
Flying smoothly
Thanks
to the thread.

Its alluring catenary
Provides the crucial
Buoyancy.

© SUBHASHCHANDRA ADHAV

"WIDOW MAKER"

I'm despised
In my own land
Widows
And orphans

Wailing
Haunting
Bloody desert sand

© FLOYD GALE CABUS

"AUTUMN"

Greens, yellows
Golds and reds
Autumn

Leaves dying
Colors glowing
Testifying
Beauty in dying

© SUE JONES

"UNTITLED"

Lush wild mangroves
Pink lotus
drowning me
in lustrous state,

Limerence,
easing
into solitude

© SHEILA ANN

"UNTITLED"

Life
A cycle
Seasons change
We evolve

Fair
To grey
We come and go

© GUS PEREZ AMIO

"UNTITLED"

Past - tho'
aeon ere
his
apparition -

In thy
exactitude,
Hath a man of thine.

© ERNEST KEMEDIKUMO CLINTON

"WAR"

What is war
Rulers know
Its gain
Bargainers know

Its pain
Orphans
Widows know

© BALACHANDRAN NAIR

"THE TREE"

I
Am the tree
Whose leaves
Are falling

The memory
Before oblivion
Of wind.

© BOGDANA GAGEANU
Romania

"TODAY'S REALITY"

Waved,
A torn flag
Amongst the debris.

Rained shells
Peace seems never.
Humanity,
Loses.

© PINA S. IMCHEN

"AFTERGLOW"

Pencil,
Restless between fingers,
Etching sunset.

Lovers steal
the Afterglow
Kissing the world,
"Adieu!"

© MARIA EVELYN QUILLA SOLETA

"MOVING FORCE"

Nature's phenomena
fauna and flora
grandiose

Moving force
the whole universe
Verdant
Something magical

© GLORIA MAGALLANES-LOEB

"UNTITLED"

Poverty
of empathy
Richness in warring
un-abating

Screams
in skies
Redness in oceans
un-relenting

© SHWETA SAHAI

"UNTITLED"

Love
Darting out
Of an artless heart

Ascending
Above the heavenly vault
Reclined
Peacefully

© SAFDAR BHATTI