Small Wonders
@smallwondersmag.com
An online monthly magazine for speculative poetry and flash fiction! Edited by @cislyn.bsky.social and @granades.com.
In Dawn Vogel's "Grandmother Firebird," family dynamics get complicated. It's bound to happen when creatures of myth and legend are involved:
Grandmother Firebird - Small Wonders
Grandmother Firebird should be back by now. She shed her last feather, erupted into a blossom of flame, and fell to ash three nights ago.
smallwondersmag.com
February 7, 2026 at 8:00 PM
In Dawn Vogel's "Grandmother Firebird," family dynamics get complicated. It's bound to happen when creatures of myth and legend are involved:
This one's for all the horse girls: "The Horses and Ponies of 8th Avenue" by Jennifer Lesh Fleck in our issue 26:
The Horses and Ponies of 8th Avenue - Small Wonders
One June we became ponies and horses, all of us aged nine to twelve years old, most of us girls.
smallwondersmag.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
This one's for all the horse girls: "The Horses and Ponies of 8th Avenue" by Jennifer Lesh Fleck in our issue 26:
We round out this week with "Grief Trawling" by Suzanne J. Willis. When you throw your nets in these waters, you'll find more than just fish:
Grief Trawling - Small Wonders
The island's fisherwomen came to the shores to haul misery and lament, hair tied back in dead men’s kerchiefs.
smallwondersmag.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:15 PM
We round out this week with "Grief Trawling" by Suzanne J. Willis. When you throw your nets in these waters, you'll find more than just fish:
If you heed the call of adventure, you will surely also have "A List of Sharp Things I've Held In My Mouth." Some of the items in J. Kosakowski's poem might surprise you, though...
A List of Sharp Things I’ve Held in My Mouth - Small Wonders
A list of sharp things I’ve held in my mouth: / —A knife.
smallwondersmag.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:00 PM
If you heed the call of adventure, you will surely also have "A List of Sharp Things I've Held In My Mouth." Some of the items in J. Kosakowski's poem might surprise you, though...
Davian Aw's "Dead Season" is creepy in but overt and subtle ways. Dive into it today, but don't forget to mark the exits well, lest you get lost:
Dead Season - Small Wonders
you sleep and wake and doors are missing / and buttons don't go to every floor / and every face you see has a smile
smallwondersmag.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Davian Aw's "Dead Season" is creepy in but overt and subtle ways. Dive into it today, but don't forget to mark the exits well, lest you get lost:
"Straw Gold" by @mariness.bsky.social is a take on Rumplestiltskin we hadn't seen before, with a thoughtful look at what comes after the fairy tale ends:
Straw Gold - Small Wonders
After this / she never wears a trace of gold, / nor allows it in her presence / unless worn by the king.
smallwondersmag.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:13 PM
"Straw Gold" by @mariness.bsky.social is a take on Rumplestiltskin we hadn't seen before, with a thoughtful look at what comes after the fairy tale ends:
Two years ago we shared Aidan Doyle's "The Royal Wizard's Apprentice Explains the Prophecy of the Return of the Sorceror King in Varying Levels of Complexity" with you, and today you should read it again!
The Royal Wizard’s Apprentice Explains the Prophecy of the Return of the Sorcerer King in Varying Levels of Complexity - Small Wonders
The royal wizard assures me the Sorcerer King is dead and will not return. Go back to your fields and rejoice.
smallwondersmag.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Two years ago we shared Aidan Doyle's "The Royal Wizard's Apprentice Explains the Prophecy of the Return of the Sorceror King in Varying Levels of Complexity" with you, and today you should read it again!
Can you believe it's been six months since we published J. L. Akagi's "Going to Hell"? Let's take that road trip again today:
smallwondersmag.com/...
smallwondersmag.com/...
February 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Can you believe it's been six months since we published J. L. Akagi's "Going to Hell"? Let's take that road trip again today:
smallwondersmag.com/...
smallwondersmag.com/...
Reposted by Small Wonders
"The heron of forgetfulness hovers over the ale-drinking;
he steals men’s wits;
with the feathers of this bird I was fettered
in the court of Gunnlod."
(Sayings of the High One, trans. Carolyne Larrington)
I hope you love this story! It's very dear to my heart.
smallwondersmag.com/piece/drinki...
he steals men’s wits;
with the feathers of this bird I was fettered
in the court of Gunnlod."
(Sayings of the High One, trans. Carolyne Larrington)
I hope you love this story! It's very dear to my heart.
smallwondersmag.com/piece/drinki...
February 2, 2026 at 5:29 PM
"The heron of forgetfulness hovers over the ale-drinking;
he steals men’s wits;
with the feathers of this bird I was fettered
in the court of Gunnlod."
(Sayings of the High One, trans. Carolyne Larrington)
I hope you love this story! It's very dear to my heart.
smallwondersmag.com/piece/drinki...
he steals men’s wits;
with the feathers of this bird I was fettered
in the court of Gunnlod."
(Sayings of the High One, trans. Carolyne Larrington)
I hope you love this story! It's very dear to my heart.
smallwondersmag.com/piece/drinki...
Go to the mead-hall. Go again. The heron of forgetfulness is there, and you don't want to miss your chance.
"Drinking the Heron" by RJ Aurand is our story today, and we think you'll want to read it again. And again.
smallwondersmag.com/...
"Drinking the Heron" by RJ Aurand is our story today, and we think you'll want to read it again. And again.
smallwondersmag.com/...
February 2, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Go to the mead-hall. Go again. The heron of forgetfulness is there, and you don't want to miss your chance.
"Drinking the Heron" by RJ Aurand is our story today, and we think you'll want to read it again. And again.
smallwondersmag.com/...
"Drinking the Heron" by RJ Aurand is our story today, and we think you'll want to read it again. And again.
smallwondersmag.com/...
February is almost here, and that means a new issue of Small Wonders! Subscribe now and get this whole issue in your inbox! Our cover art this month is by Deborah Beauchamp - find more of her work here:
dlbeauchamp.myportfo...
dlbeauchamp.myportfo...
January 31, 2026 at 10:08 PM
February is almost here, and that means a new issue of Small Wonders! Subscribe now and get this whole issue in your inbox! Our cover art this month is by Deborah Beauchamp - find more of her work here:
dlbeauchamp.myportfo...
dlbeauchamp.myportfo...
This is a season of grief and struggle. Today we're going to share a long list of stories and poems - of hope, of not just surviving but thriving, of resistance, of unexpected kindness and connection in the midst of darkness. Save these up for when you need them.
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January 26, 2026 at 7:43 PM
This is a season of grief and struggle. Today we're going to share a long list of stories and poems - of hope, of not just surviving but thriving, of resistance, of unexpected kindness and connection in the midst of darkness. Save these up for when you need them.
1/16
1/16
We're heart-sick and furious. For all who fight galloping authoritarianism, in the Twin Cities, Charlotte, LA, Atlanta, in far too many places at far too high a price, Small Wonders stands in solidarity with you.
To help Minnesotans:
standwithminnesota.com
naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
To help Minnesotans:
standwithminnesota.com
naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
Stand With Minnesota Donation Directory
Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.
standwithminnesota.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:08 AM
We're heart-sick and furious. For all who fight galloping authoritarianism, in the Twin Cities, Charlotte, LA, Atlanta, in far too many places at far too high a price, Small Wonders stands in solidarity with you.
To help Minnesotans:
standwithminnesota.com
naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
To help Minnesotans:
standwithminnesota.com
naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
Avra Margariti invites us to Fairview, where the town mourns its golden girl. And the dead girls? Do you hear them singing down by the lake?
All the Dead Girls, Singing - Small Wonders
Maya is not the first dead girl Fairview has produced, but she’s by far its brightest, most virtuous child.
smallwondersmag.com
January 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Avra Margariti invites us to Fairview, where the town mourns its golden girl. And the dead girls? Do you hear them singing down by the lake?
Sleepy? Take a moment as you slip between dream and waking to read "Amanita" by Dawn Vogel, a curious little story of mushrooms and dreams and more:
Amanita - Small Wonders
There was a fine line between poisoned to death and poisoned to dream, and Madame had taught them to find that line and to ride it for the good of humanity.
smallwondersmag.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Sleepy? Take a moment as you slip between dream and waking to read "Amanita" by Dawn Vogel, a curious little story of mushrooms and dreams and more:
What will you bring to trade with Katherine Quevedo's "The Sauce Packet King of the West Hills" when times get lean and you want a taste of what was?
The Sauce Packet King of the West Hills - Small Wonders
“Heard I might find you here.” She pulled out an honest-to-goodness glass bottle of ketchup, swaddled in bubble wrap.
smallwondersmag.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:12 PM
What will you bring to trade with Katherine Quevedo's "The Sauce Packet King of the West Hills" when times get lean and you want a taste of what was?
Get your fancy clothes on and head out to "Another Cemetery Wedding" - and don't forget to bring a gift for the ghoul and goblin! This poem by Belicia Rhea in our 7th issue is a delight:
Another Cemetery Wedding - Small Wonders
Aria is brave for a girl who is tough as a fish, / she sends an invitation via carrier owl / whose talons tear that love letter to shreds.
smallwondersmag.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Get your fancy clothes on and head out to "Another Cemetery Wedding" - and don't forget to bring a gift for the ghoul and goblin! This poem by Belicia Rhea in our 7th issue is a delight:
"The Duchess of Summer tells you" by Melissa Anne Tolentino hints at stories small & large in margins and between lines. Step into fairyland and try to find your way out again. Bring something to snack on. We hear that plums are good for the heart.
The Duchess of Summer tells you - Small Wonders
Her season is for stone fruits. / You say nothing grows back home, / but she won’t hear it.
smallwondersmag.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM
"The Duchess of Summer tells you" by Melissa Anne Tolentino hints at stories small & large in margins and between lines. Step into fairyland and try to find your way out again. Bring something to snack on. We hear that plums are good for the heart.
Thread yourself through the light and lines of "Half of a green fall" by Eva Papasoulioti today and see where you land:
Half of a green fall - Small Wonders
One moment you’re smiling / at her, the next you’ve disappeared down, down into the— / whole is a word you never owned
smallwondersmag.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Thread yourself through the light and lines of "Half of a green fall" by Eva Papasoulioti today and see where you land:
We love "Contellations of Flesh, Bone, and Memory" by Timothy Hickson for the hopeful way it approaches remaking oneself, finding oneself beyond the body but also in it. Read it in our issue 7 here:
Constellations of Flesh, Bone, and Memory - Small Wonders
Safa knew that twenty-five million years ago her ancestors decided the forests were no longer for them and left her with a coccyx instead of a tail.
smallwondersmag.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:00 PM
We love "Contellations of Flesh, Bone, and Memory" by Timothy Hickson for the hopeful way it approaches remaking oneself, finding oneself beyond the body but also in it. Read it in our issue 7 here:
We love this weird fable-like story by Janna Miller for drawing us into its world. Close your eyes, feel the mud (mud is life), and step into "Root Myth" today:
Root Myth - Small Wonders
Oscar descends earthen steps compressed under his straw-soled feet. The cave walls ooze and drip on the books, on his bed; mud is life.
smallwondersmag.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM
We love this weird fable-like story by Janna Miller for drawing us into its world. Close your eyes, feel the mud (mud is life), and step into "Root Myth" today:
"The Metabolism of Grief" by Elitsa Dermendzhiyska explores emotion in a surprisingly physical and visceral way. Warnings for infant death and cannibalism. We recommend sitting with this one, letting the cathartic beauty of its images sweep you away.
The Metabolism of Grief - Small Wonders
The comma of you nestles against my aching body as if you’re merely asleep and I wonder what you might be dreaming of.
smallwondersmag.com
January 19, 2026 at 5:12 PM
"The Metabolism of Grief" by Elitsa Dermendzhiyska explores emotion in a surprisingly physical and visceral way. Warnings for infant death and cannibalism. We recommend sitting with this one, letting the cathartic beauty of its images sweep you away.
We hope that when you come apart, you keep track of your teeth. Janna Miller's "The Sternum Ties It All Together" shows us that if you don't keep track of every little piece, it leads to trouble:
The Sternum Ties It All Together - Small Wonders
My teeth wandered off their tether in the night, bringing back the taste of calcium bones and morning dew.
smallwondersmag.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:00 PM
We hope that when you come apart, you keep track of your teeth. Janna Miller's "The Sternum Ties It All Together" shows us that if you don't keep track of every little piece, it leads to trouble:
Ghosts come in all kinds, and sometimes scent brings the strongest of them out to haunt us. H. Pueyo's "A Bitter Orange Perfume" in issue 25 is a story of a haunted house, and three sisters:
A Bitter Orange Perfume - Small Wonders
“Now we have to decide what we’ll do with mother’s house,” said Maria Clarinda, watching the grave from above. The priest had left, and with him went the visitors.
smallwondersmag.com
January 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Ghosts come in all kinds, and sometimes scent brings the strongest of them out to haunt us. H. Pueyo's "A Bitter Orange Perfume" in issue 25 is a story of a haunted house, and three sisters:
We have a science fiction horror piece from Guan Un today, and we urge you not to read "Take Root" aloud. For your own safety. For all our sakes.
Take Root - Small Wonders
This is my last report on the loss of transmission from the radio outpost on Ganymede 13.
smallwondersmag.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:12 PM
We have a science fiction horror piece from Guan Un today, and we urge you not to read "Take Root" aloud. For your own safety. For all our sakes.