exit wound by Dara Goodale
“she aimed for soft tissue / her verbal viewfinder / aligned perfectly with my aorta” – excerpt from exit wound, poetry by Dara Goodale
Author: The Metaworker
We are The Metaworker, an online literary magazine where great stories are forged.
Our mission is to publish great things to read. Send us the stuff you don’t think will be published anywhere else. We want new ideas, words that make us ponder, narratives that upend stereotypes. We don’t care if you’re an established writer or someone who’s never been published before, if you're a student or returning to writing after a career in something else, if you're 16 or 80, if you live in the United States, in India, in New Zealand, in Mexico – if you’ve got something you think needs to be shared with the world, submit it to us!
We publish prose, poetry, art, and more on our website every Monday at noon PST, plus we sometimes post fun extras (like our podcast episodes) on Wednesdays or Fridays.
The Steady Heartbeat of The Metaworker by Melissa Reynolds
Celebrate 10 years of #TheMetaworker with a deep dive into the journey of co-founder Elena. Discover the heart, the history, and the kindness behind our ten-year milestone.
Holding My Breath All Night Long by Dolo Diaz
“The old house / cracks its knuckles / all night long.” – excerpt from Holding My Breath All Night Long, poetry by Dolo Diaz
How to Make Friends with Grubs by Stephanie Jones
“Shift the stone with both hands. Block the sun’s glare from blinding or burning them.” – excerpt from How to Make Friends with Grubs, poetry by Stephanie Jones
Turning 30, Motel Light, and Other Illusions by Rowan Tate
“I was supposed to be / someone by then, but mostly I was / a person who hoarded notebooks” – excerpt from Turning 30, Motel Light, and Other Illusions, poetry by Rowan Tate
Sutures by AJ Ryland
“I noticed something fall into the sink. I found with some astonishment that it was my left ear, perfectly detached.” – excerpt from Sutures, fiction by AJ Ryland #TheMetaworker
rapunzel/refugees/slavic by Linda Scheller
“caught / they put me in a cell / i was forced to work / in retribution / my children were led away / for the komandant” – excerpt from rapunzel/refugees/slavic, a braided poem by Linda Scheller
shinigami by Kimmy Chang
“rank‑incense threads snag my throat.
I bow—knees lock—sweat turns salt‑sharp.” – excerpt from shinigami, poetry by Kimmy Chang #TheMetaworker
Eight of Wands by Caiti Quatmann
“listen i was slower once full / of syrup & warnings I used / to believe in build-up sent / my secrets by mail” – excerpt from Eight of Wands, poetry by Caiti Quatmann
The Metaworker Podcast | 026 The Draft I Buried: Nancy Noelke & Bryce Painter
Elena, Mel, and Cerid speak with Nancy Noelke and Bryce Painter about unfinished work—those ‘buried’ drafts. #TheMetaworker #podcast
A Guide to the Heal-By-Scream Method by Chelsea Sutton
“Scream right into the hole. It feels great.” Kathie puts a light, practiced hand on my shoulder… “I’m trying,” I say, but I’m not screaming, the screaming is not coming. – excerpt from A Guide to the Heal-By-Scream Method, fiction by Chelsea Sutton
2025 Pushcart Prize Nominations
Announcing our nominations for the 2025 Pushcart Prize! #TheMetaworker
Change Of Residence, or Donor’s Tragedy by Marc Darnell
“I am dark navigator / where they say love dwells” – excerpt from Change Of Residence, poetry by Marc Darnell #TheMetaworker
An Interstellar Genus of Needing by Nicholas Alti
“These cases end / in bursts like / transitions in rhythm…” – excerpt from An Interstellar Genus of Needing, poetry by Nicholas Alti
If Daphne Monet Were to Converse with bell hooks by Ron L. Dowell
If Daphne Monet were to converse with bell hooks, poetry by Ron L. Dowell #TheMetaworker
Midnight in the Gingerbread House by Linda Scheller
“Runes are scratched on gingerbread walls
in the stammering darkness.” – excerpt from Midnight in the Gingerbread House, poetry by Linda Scheller #TheMetaworker
King of Pentacles by Caiti Quatmann
“wealth is sometimes confused with gravity. both pull.” – excerpt from King of Pentacles, poetry by Caiti Quatmann #TheMetaworker
Trip to Fallsburg by Gillian Fletcher
“I hadn’t planned to leave the city…but after elbowing through…tourists, even a day’s escape sounded like heaven.” – excerpt from Trip to Fallsburg, fiction by Gillian Fletcher #TheMetaworker
Samaritan by Matthew E. Henry
“He needs to regain control. No one knows he took her. There’s no one behind them following. He’s safe.” – excerpt from Samaritan, fiction by Matthew E. Henry
Measured in Ghosts by Tara Hashagen
“The doctor speaks in percentages…as if my body is suddenly a math problem to be solved.” – excerpt from Measured in Ghosts, non-fiction by Tara Hashagen
Available Space by Shannon Cates
“A body speaks in fabric…” – excerpt from Available Space, visual poetry by Shannon Cates
Bug Girl by Taylor R. Kelley
“When I was eight I had a friend who ate bugs.” – excerpt from Bug Girl, fiction by Taylor Kelley #TheMetaworker
Accusations of a Half-Lover by Tejal Doshi
“That one, she’s got nails sharp, mouth sharp, / and a heart blunter.” – excerpt from Accusations by a Half-Lover, poetry by Tejal Doshi
At Play: A Book Review by Aedan Ferrara
At Play: A Book Review by Aedan Ferrara #TheMetaworker #bookreview #shortstories
does anybody know by Jennifer Lubke
“On the neighborhood page they argue about outdoor cats and songbirds, carpenter bee traps and pollinators.” – excerpt from does anybody know, prose poetry by Jennifer Lubke #TheMetaworker
Falling in Love Inside a Stray Hot Sauce Packet by Sarp Sozdinler
“It was dark, warm, and sticky in there.” – excerpt from Falling in Love Inside a Stray Hot Sauce Packet, micro fiction by Sarp Sozdinler
Of Plum and Cherry by Shannon Cates
“moonish, midnight flesh / swollen with frost, / the plum blooms melodramatic…” – excerpt from Of Plum and Cherry, poetry by Shannon Cates #TheMetaworker
The Side Wound of Christ is Intentionally Vaginal by Shivani Kshirsagar
“‘I am sure…’ I started, exhaling in turn, watching the plumes dress their face. ‘I am sure, gods are like…Let me put it this way. Gods,’ I tried again, swallowing, the smoke catching me in my throat…” – excerpt from The Side Wound of Christ is Intentionally Vaginal, fiction by Shivani Kshirsagar #TheMetaworker
I’m Okay by Ed Kratz
“Families and partners mill about in the sun and the warm air. No one is with me. Not anymore.” – exerpt from I’m Okay, non-fiction by Ed Kratz #MetaworkerMonday
Yoko by DS Maolalai
“we’re watching that Beatles / documentary. Get Back. / it’s pretty good generally.” – excerpt from Yoko, poetry by DS Maolalai #MetaworkerMonday
Kicker Kids by Tejal Doshi
“we carve what we call secret tongues / into the tender skin of trees, / fingernails packed with earth / and vows strung like webs.” – excerpt from “Kicker Kids, poetry by Tejal Doshi
Abecedarian Lament by M.R. Lehman Wiens
“…echoes of Sunday School pull me from my book to the unyielding curve of a church bench.” – excerpt from “Abecedarian Lament”, creative non-fiction by M.R. Lehman Wiens #MetaworkerMonday
gelato rain by Azure Brandi
“my shadow slips like fallen light into the gelato rain of second grade ants in raisin boxes” – excerpt from Gelato Rain, poetry by Azure Brandi #TheMetaworker
On the Train from Charlotte by M. C. Tuggle
“I find the station where the long tracks meet. / It’s burrowed beside an old steel mill…” excerpt from On the Train to Charlotte, poetry by M. C. Tuggle #TheMetaworker
Micro Fiction by Dana Wall
“She thinks we can’t see her press her palm against the blank spaces.” – excerpt from micro fiction by Dana Wall
Sharh on Sahih al-Bukhari 5460 by Reyzl Grace
“you rise, / lay your arms like the seam / of the first dawn across / my shoulders and sigh with the robins,” excerpt from Sharh on on Sahih al-Bukhari 5460, poetry by Reyzl Grace #TheMetaworker
Emerald in the Seventies by Joan Slatoff
“Emerald did not tell Harrison that she worked at BIT, the London underground information service.” excerpt from Emerald in the Seventies, fiction by Joan Slatoff #TheMetaworker
Outsourcing by DS Maolalai
“and the beer / tastes of bathwater / but water is not safe / to drink, and so / here we are” excerpt from Outsourcing, poetry by DS Maolalai #TheMetaworker
Micro Fiction by Erin Matheson Ritchie
Micro Fiction by Erin Matheson Ritchie #TheMetaworker
Purpose and Apex Beat by Rashmi Bhopi
“Dragging the laundry basket to the washer, she saw an ant meander on the kitchen top.” – excerpt from micro fiction by Rashmi Bhopi #TheMetaworker
Sharh on Sunan Ibn Majah 3914 by Reyzl Grace
“For a moment, / the tip of your finger / lights / on the edge of my hand…” – excerpt from Sharh on Sunan Ibn Majah 3914, poetry by Reyzl Grace #TheMetaworker
Monday Morning by Mark J. Mitchell
“she asked eggs / for an answer / they could not give.” – excerpt from Monday Morning, poetry by Mark J. Mitchell #TheMetaworker
To find your grandmother’s house by Yev Gelman
“walk the highway until you see the billboard ad of the same two politicians, year-marked with bad graffiti and dust…” – excerpt from To find your grandmother’s house, poetry by Yev Gelman #TheMetaworker
and i agree by Breton Lalama
and i agree, a micro poem by Breton Lalama #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
The Finding Momo Birthday by Madlynn Haber
“My mother’s ninety-fifth birthday was in late June. I couldn’t let the occasion pass unnoticed, regardless of her condition.” – excerpt from The Finding Momo Birthday, creative nonfiction by Madlynn Haber #TheMetaworker
little mercies by Arushi (Aera) Rege
“When I was dying, I dreamed of ice cold matcha, a single shot of espresso, a prayer to god that I would lose another five pounds.” – excerpt from Little Mercies, fiction by Arushi (Aera) Rege #TheMetaworker
Swerve (you’re hit) by Charles Sutphin
“For a dog or a squirrel you might hit the brakes, but for something so small, you lift your foot and hope for the best.” – excerpt from Swerve (you’re hit), Flash Fiction by Charles Sutphin #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Through the Motions by Diane Funston
“The panther paces her cage / Heavy velvet paws pad the cell / back and. forth / left. and right.” – excerpt from Through the Motions, poetry by Diane Funston #TheMetaworker
Light the Fire by LeAnna McEuen
“Tonight we burn away the stain / We bid farewell to the profane” – excerpt from Light the Fire, poetry by LeAnna McEuen. #TheMetaworker
The Metaworker Podcast | 025 The Draft I Buried: Kathryn Temple & Matthew Smallwood
Elena, Mel, and Cerid speak with Kathryn Temple and Matthew Smallwood about unfinished work. #TheMetaworkerPodcast
Fragments of Life by Sonnet Mondal
“The musical instruments
in the wooden cabinet are still alive.” – excerpt from “Fragments of Life”, poetry by Sonnet Mondal #TheMetaworker
Five Micro-Fictions by Ken Poyner
“Our pond monster is the best. He waits under unruffled water, eyes only visible if you grow too close…” excerpt from micro fiction by Ken Poyner #TheMetaworker
Rotten by Bran Winkler
“The swirling tendrils of smoke lifted from the cigarette, manifesting into clouds that hung heavy and low in the troposphere.” – excerpt from Rotten, fiction by Bran Winkler @local__skunk #TheMetaworker
Song for the Diagnoses by Christa Fairbrother
“A medical diagnosis is a baptism into a new name.” – excerpt from Song for the Diagnoses, poetry by Christa Fairbrother
Peonies by Kevin Armor Harris
Peonies, micro fiction by Kevin Armor Harris #TheMetaworker
Exhibits in Orbit by Paige Eaton
“In a different reality a murder encompasses the tree / of metal spires, lining the ground with pebbles” excerpt from Exhibits in Orbit, poetry by Paige M Eaton #TheMetaworker
Get Outta There by Avery Thompson
“Honestly, though, what am I supposed to do / If I’m not present in my poems?” excerpt from “Get Outta There” poetry by Avery Thompson #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Puppeteering by Jackson Mattocks
“A few months into my master’s program, each day had become just another attempt at acting human.” – excerpt from Puppeteering, non-fiction by Jackson Mattocks #TheMetaworker
Blue Boy by Anthony Ikeh
“i am fond of searching / for pearls amidst / thorns…” – excerpt from Blue Boy, poetry by Anthony Ikeh #TheMetaworker
Six-Word Stories by Matthew Kasper
Six-Word Stories by Matthew Kasper #TheMetaworker #microwriting
Sierra Leone, 1982 by Freddi Gralle
“my parents still the effortless rulers of our simple cement house / in the West-African village my brother – the gentle historian” – excerpt from Sierra Leone, 1982 by Freddi Gralle #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
The Dead Are Not Dead: A Review by Lena Bramsen of the Afrofuturistic Graphic Novel, Zana
“Zana imagines an Afrofuturistic scenario set in 2048, where Nelson Mandela had died while imprisoned… and the entire continent finds itself in a racist apartheid.” #MetaworkerMonday
Princess and Dragon by Amy Forstadt
“Did you know I killed a dragon once? / A bully made of scales and fire” – excerpt from Princess and Dragon, poetry by Amy Forstadt #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Lunch At Café 86 by Michael Smith
“The customer ordered the fish and chips, and it all seemed normal until I delivered the fish and chips and he asked for vinegar.” – excerpt from Lunch At Café 86, fiction by Michael Smith #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
The Metaworker Podcast | 023 Pushcart Prize Nominees, Part 1
Listen to the newest podcast episode! Elena, Mel, and Cerid discuss three of their nominees for the 2024 Pushcart Prize, plus readings and interviews with the authors. #TheMetaworker
Anatomy of a Memory by Anthony Ikeh
“in this dream we’re all sharp objects and try, please, dance with me & ignore the burning roof.” – excerpt from Anatomy of a Memory, poetry by Anthony Ikeh #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Daylight under the Geofence by Robin Wyatt Dunn
“I let them into the library to steal the books. They say they’re going to digitize everything. In time, we can write our own.” – excerpt from Daylight under the Geofence, speculative fiction by Robin Wyatt Dunn #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Mother and Child by Julie Mota Kondi
artwork by Julie Mota Kondi #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
We don’t send pigeons anymore by Lou Second
“Your heart’s taken by another now and / so is mine” – excerpt from “We don’t send pigeons anymore”, poetry by Lou Second #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
https://themetaworker.com/2025/04/25/we-dont-send-pigeons-by-lou-second/
Brownie Points by Jennifer Peaslee
“I wish I knew why I didn’t bake Kat those brownies. I only made them once … and she would ask me at least once a year to make them again.” – excerpt from Brownie Points by Jennifer Peaslee #TheMetaworker
Morning by Anthony ILacqua
microfiction by by Anthony ILacqua #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Anathematikon, Part III by Lukas Jackson
“a / new / day / dawns / wolves are howling / far / across the moon” – excerpt from “Anathematikon, Part III” #poetry by Lukas Jackson #TheMetaworker
Exit Stage Left by Bob Gielow
“Person 1: I’ve been thinking about Mom and the prognosis she’s received. Person 2: Yeah, me too. I’m kind of devastated here.” – excerpt from Exit Stage Left by Bob Gielow
I’m easier to manage in bitesize chunks by Zoë Davis
“under nightshade we hold hands / kiss with foxgloved mouths” – excerpt from “I’m easier to manage in bite-size chunks” #poetry by Zoë Davis
Triptych by Tim Love
“Life looked ahead long before it could remember. The better we could anticipate the future, the better our chances of survival.” – excerpt from “Triptych” by Tim Love.
Darkness and Wit, Delusion and Hope: Writing and Art from Parchman Unit 29, a book review by Amita Basu
A book review of Parchman Unit 29, poems, drawings, and creative non-fiction pieces that constitute a powerful call for systemic reform and for compassion towards those less fortunate.
Desiccation Daze by Marla Dial Moore
“I used to believe / in water– / even when the world / told me blood / is thicker…” – excerpt from Dessication Daze, a #poem by Marla Dial Moore #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Field on Butternut by Max Newman
“We could have climbed into the moon. Instead / we biked in the metalshadows beneath Ohioan / hills everything hung still in the air” – excerpt from Field on Butternut, a #poem by Max Newman #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
The Memory House by Maddison Scott
“I sit beside [my mother], pull out a bag of chips and open a word puzzle on my phone. She reaches over and places her hand atop mine. I freeze. It’s been years since she’s initiated a touch.” – excerpt from The Memory House, fiction by Maddison Scott #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Seeing the Eclipse at Sheetz by Eleanor Levine
“Seeing the Eclipse at Sheetz / Is perfect for a working class / girl like me” – excerpt from Seeing the Eclipse at Sheetz, a #poem by Eleanor Levine and featuring artwork by Meghan Reynolds #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday #writingcommunity #artists
Micro Poetry by David A. Goodrum
Micro Poetry by David A. Goodrum #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
A Slush Reader’s Journey by M.R. Lehman Wiens
Slush reader M.R. Lehman Wiens shares his writing journey, plus a poem by the slush reading team. #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
February Submissions Update
Announcement: We will be closing submissions early on Feb 14 at 11:59pm PT. We will reopen on April 1st.
Dadless by Elise Glassman
“Dad was on his way, said, Trust me, Elise. Said stop your bellyaching, said For crying out loud I’m on my way.” – excerpt from Dadless, a poem by Elise Glassman #TheMetaworker #literarymagazines #poetrycommunity
Unbound by Maudie Bryant
“The typeface begins to rise from the aged paper. …They stretch and coalesce into an undulating vortex, spiraling around my outstretched finger like a tiny tornado.” – excerpt from Unbound, fiction by Maudie Bryant @maudiemichelle #TheMetaworker #literarymagazines
Dancing Like Mother by Nadim Silverman
“Mother would stand barefoot in the living room and amuse six million lonely souls from around the world.” – excerpt from “Dancing Like Mother”, fiction by Nadim Silverman #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday #literarymagazines
Micro Poetry by Mykyta Ryzhykh
Micro Poetry by Mykyta Ryzhykh #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday #literarymagazine #writingcommunity
that slow DRAGGED END. by Devayani Anvekar
“the sky no more cerulean blue – soused in black ink, with it its moon and stars too. It is forever pit dark.” – excerpt from poem “that slow DRAGGED END.” by Devayani Anvekar #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
2575 by Tess Hart
“The first set of numerals fell silently. They fell slowly and gently, tumbling like autumn leaves.” excerpt from “2575”, short fiction by Tess Hart #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Artwork by Gregg Williard, from “Scared Boy with Theory and Mask”
Artwork by Gregg Williard, from “Scared Boy with Theory and Mask” #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Fugal Variations of a Marital Theme by Utkarsh Adhrit
“I raise the cup to her and grittily, proudly, intelligently say: ‘this right here is the metaphor for our marriage’.” – excerpt from Fugal Variations of a Marital Theme by Utkarsh Adhrit #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
The Metaworker Podcast | 022 Creating Anthologies, Part 3
Elena, Mel, and Cerid discuss Mel’s launch of River and Stone and Cerid’s updates for Artificial Sweetener, as well as the thought and care that goes into book design and illustration. #TheMetaworker @SpecFicNZ