Introduction

And so, Volume 2 begins....

Twelve issues from where we started, and I am very much excited for Year 2 of Subjective
Substance to commence. What a great Year 1, with so much thoughtful and important writing from 
our poets and writers. 

First of all, I would like to thank the readers and especially the poets for all of their support. You have
entrusted me to publish your work and for that I am honored. 

When the first issue came out, my vision was flexible and simple: Provide an e-magazine on the web
for poems that deal with struggles of spirituality and faith. From this, the journal has evolved to feature:

a greater range of themes
a diversity of poets
an emphasis on personal experience
We still hold to certain principles such as the commitment to inspirational poems, the commitment to 
elevating modern forms to classical stature, and fulfilling the public role of poetry. 

So I thank those who have helped shape new directions for the journal. I am as excited as ever 
about the journal and the opportunities that it conveys.

I thought it would be nice to commemorate the first full year of Subjective Substance by reviewing 
some highlights from the past twelve months. After poring through several essays and 68 poems, it is 
truly staggering to see this superb artistic outpouring in just 12 months. The quality and diversity of 
poetry that has come together on these pages is truly a blessing.
 
We have seen different attempts to address divinity emerge through the experience of the individual. 
Emotion has been distilled into words, spiritual sensation has been captured, and new applications of
logic have been explored. 

Due to the the quantity of works and the quality of words I would like to say about them, I will 
highlight the first six months here and the remainder in the next issue. Also, out of respect to all the 
poets, these are not necessarily the "best," though they illustrate the range of ways that writers have
elevated the craft. I also get to practice my poetry reviewing skills:


Great moments in Year 1

No Room on the Pew, by Fink L. Stiltskin
Captures, through the title chant, the rift that divides us even in sacrosanct places. Alludes to 
the struggle that each person of faith makes while trying to connect with their faith community even 
while witnessing the best and worst of human nature. 

The Shame of Loyalty, by Azhar Muhammad Usman
Captures, at a landmark time in global politics and religious conflict, the ambivalence that a human may
feel when his conscience is torn between such forces as nationality, ethnicity, and morality.

Who Am I, by Vaibhav Madhok
Uses the title question to explore the juncture at which the self dissolves in the gaping vastness that is
the divine. Shows us a state of contemplation at which questions are raised concerning a person's
intrinsic identity. Illustrates that our fundamental worldly disposition is best put in place in relation to 
the divine. Reminds us to spend more time trying to reach out to the divine that is everpresent but 
oft-ignored.

Submission to My Lord, by Aziza Hussain
An homage to the purity of worship. The title refrain is a clever allusion to the principle of faith. 
Like the previous poem, explores a side of life that is usually private but is invaluable in the witnessing.

Is A Jolly Good Fellow (How To Look Good), by Frank Anthony 
An example of  trademark form with stream-of-consciousness nature. Vis-a-vis the elegiac quality
of its title and its storytelling, the poem asks us to stop and think about where our relationships are 
taking us.

Where must I look for God, by Shelby M. Forrest

excerpt:

I once felt a fullness within my soul 
When God played an active part. 
I now seek God, for He has gone, 
But I know not where to start 
A classic in form. Some things need to be repeated  time and again, like the moral in this story. 
In our extroverted, achievement-oriented, live-by-day, sleep-by-night society, one may have to radically
change their whole perspective in order to find what they are looking for.

Left Behind, by Mark Chapman

excerpt:

Ice in hand, cold fire in mind
To wake, to breathe, to walk unchained
On bitter seas
Watching the spider, rising and falling
Knitting esquisite thread of silk
An exercise in projection. Several readings and I still don't know what I am imagining the author to be 
meaning, what I am imposing on the poem through my associations, and what he really means. The 
images are archetypal and loaded. The poem is so unsettling, so layered, so apocalyptic, that it begs several
rereadings.

Please revisit these poems and reread other selections you might have missed from Volume One. I greatly
benefitted as I am sure you will.

I look forward to your support this year.

Omar Azam