redrosethorns journal

Conscious raising, frequently utilised by feminists, involves individuals sharing their experiences to enhance awareness of social, personal, and political matters. This method has proven highly effective in fostering unity, building communities, and shedding light on broader issues affecting diverse demographics worldwide. It's a means of expressing our identities and experiences, ultimately empowering us.

Inspired by this approach, redrosethorns launched an online journal publication aimed at facilitating conversations about mental health, gender, sexuality, self-care, and empowerment.

ISSN: 2978-5316 (online)

If you would like to submit your work

to redrosethorns journal, click here.

Three mini lattice-topped pies on a cooling rack with newspaper underneath. Rustic and cozy setting. Golden color with warm lighting.

Mortification

I made an apricot pie for a gathering. It was a flop. I slipped into shame, humiliation, embarrassment, because it wasn’t perfect, and I hadn’t brought pleasure to the people who had come together to celebrate community. I was horrified when I cut into the pie. It was a soggy mess. Not that anyone said anything. They just didn’t eat it.

Self-Care

Fay Loomis

5 days ago3 min read

Bus stop with graffiti walls, a woman sitting on a bench with a bag, sunny day, green trees in background, peaceful atmosphere.

Guileless

The tall man in the flashy suit appeared as if by magic next to the bus stop, close to the green-painted park bench upon which the girl sat. He craned his neck to read the name tag pinned to the white blouse of her school uniform.

Mental Health

Bill Tope

Oct 242 min read

A white bed with a black-striped pillow lies in disarray. Soft lighting creates a calm, relaxed atmosphere, highlighting the fabric's texture.

Castles in the Air

Tommy's voice was low-pitched and urgent as he murmured beseechingly to his wife. She didn't respond. He gazed at her, strewn across their bed, her auburn tresses spilling over the pillow. She looked beautiful to him, despite the way she'd let herself go since the baby died. Tommy remembered that it had been only weeks, but the heartbreak seemed to stretch back as far as he could recall, years almost, owing to Rachel's mental history.

Mental Health

Bill Tope

Oct 246 min read

Person in orange coat walks through snowy, tree-lined path. Snow falls gently, creating a serene, wintry atmosphere. No text visible.

The Least Suckiest Gifts of All

I didn’t have a father. To clarify, I wasn’t hatched, nor did I come into being by my mom releasing an egg into the water, some dude swimming along minding his own business, dumping out a gallon of his jizz like fertilizer, and poof—there I was. No, I came into the world in the usual way: some random sweaty guy tussling with Mom in a cramped back seat, whispering an assurance of undying love.

Gender/Sexuality

Jill Williams

Oct 2410 min read

Bare branches with red berries against a gray sky create a stark, moody atmosphere.

Troubled Conscience

I’m digging a hole with a coffee spoon, scrambling eggs with a cardboard trowel, combing my hair with the garden rake. I used words that bruised, caused tears that shattered like beads of mercury.

Self-Care

Elizabeth Weir

Oct 241 min read

Pink and purple clouds during a sunset create a serene sky. The warm hues blend for a tranquil atmosphere with no visible text.

Lesson of a Sunset

August night, on triple heels, I raced the sky, I cracked my heels. “Wait, red sun! Don’t descend, don’t let the dusk devour your end!”

Self-Care

Vangel Gable

Oct 241 min read

Vibrant butterfly with iridescent blue and purple wings against a soft gray background. Wings spread, revealing intricate patterns.

A Mother's Lesson of "No"

Thank you, my angel dear, for brushing teeth when I am near, for cuddling close before the night, Mommy loves her girl so bright.

Empowerment

Vangel Gable

Oct 241 min read

Close-up of aged, outstretched hands with prominent wrinkles. Black and white image, conveying a sense of wear and experience.

Palm Reading

my hands tell me I am getting old my heart and mind beg to differ my heart slightly skippy but basically steady my mind strays a bit but mostly stays sound

Mental Health

Mary Janicke

Oct 241 min read

Fallen white and peach rose petals scattered on green grass, creating a serene, natural pattern. Dappled sunlight adds a peaceful mood.

Praying Petals

How many Rose petals have fallen for you Did you seek its source of thorn and jilt How many of your Daisies dropped from the dew

Mental Health

Tracy Duffy

Oct 241 min read

Backlit tree branches with dried leaves against a misty gray sky, creating a somber and eerie atmosphere.

Where Is The Chaos?

My awareness is owl-like. I lay awake hearing every sound that never becomes a thing, as I check every door, each window and the sleeping children. Last night’s dinner is unsettled. My eating, so hasty, turns the anxiety into pangs like a house of dispute. I can’t sleep like the gerbils in my daughter’s room, and I’m frustrated that I’m awake for no reason. Where is the chaos? Why didn’t someone disturb me? How could my soul possibly miss the intrusions of the past? The 2 am

Mental Health

Tracy Duffy

Oct 242 min read

People relax on a sunny day in a green park with large trees. Some sit, others lie down, enjoying the peaceful, natural setting.

Castaway

I lay on the grass in Barnsdale Park, the southern California sun warming my back and pinning me to the earth, like an elephant seal collapsing on the warm sand in molting season. The sound of cars in the background lulls me into half-sleep, like a comforting roll of waves.

Self-Care

Laurie Drabble

Oct 245 min read

Hanging black telephone receiver over sandy ground and blurred background of shrubs, creating a mysterious and abandoned mood.

I'll Never Tell: Secrets between Cousins

I was upstairs in my room at my parents' house on a January night in 2012 when the phone rang. Pork roast was in the oven. My father was just about to take it out to carve. My mother answered the call. I heard her wailing, and I ran down the stairs. She was collapsed on the vinyl kitchen floor, yelling, "Oh my god! Oh my god!"

Mental Health

Bianca Bourgault

Oct 2410 min read

Two orange and black butterflies flutter near a textured brown branch against a soft-focus green background, creating a serene mood.

Push Through

Don't be the one pushing someone else's narratives; own your own. Foster a declarative mindset, not the one "they" speak on... but the one that's shown.

Self-Care

Reebie Ann Flowers

Oct 241 min read

A person lying in bed, partially shaded with light on their face, creating a serene and contemplative atmosphere in a dim room.

Emotional Nakedness

Vulnerability isn't all bad. Wild, how society has entrapped the idea of emotional wickedness. Masking through pretentious attempts to oversell like-mindedness. Worry not, for harsh truths prevail.

Empowerment

Reebie Ann Flowers

Oct 241 min read

Close-up of tall grass with soft, sunlit bokeh background, creating a serene and dreamy mood. Warm tones and blurred greenery.

Chase Not.

This life experience should not be lived like it’s a race. Competing with the competition? Directly deflecting from the idea, I'm only in competition with myself. So, it's no rush. Imagine life at your own pace.

Self-Care

Reebie Ann Flowers

Oct 241 min read

Person in plaid shirt sits on a wooden dock, gazing at serene water reflecting pink and blue sky. Calm, reflective mood.

Crowded Measures

Sit still enough, you can vibrate off the pulling pressures. Harlem shake on, looking for the hidden treasures. In Disguise, doing whatever that's clever, to not be recognized...

Self-Care

Reebie Ann Flowers

Oct 241 min read

A hand gently holds an orange flower in dim light, with bokeh circles glowing in the dark background, creating a serene mood.

Overcoming Narcissism

When I was younger, I had read that narcissism was named for the figure Narcissus from Greek mythology. Narcissus was so taken with his own reflection in a pool of water that he eventually paid for this self-absorption by being unable to experience love with another being. Though it is healthy to possess self-love, it becomes troublesome when one is incapable of mutually loving another human being.

Mental Health

Silvia Fiorita Smith

Oct 2410 min read

Close-up of stacked bamboo poles in warm, earthy tones, creating a rustic and natural texture. The setting is minimal and serene.

A Garland of Bamboo Flutes

A large garland of bamboo flutes of various sizes strung together loosely, lying undisturbed amidst big red rocks on the beach, is a pleasant but unusual find. I used to linger beside these same rocks, listening to the sea, feeling the breeze while taking in the melodious, mellifluous, mostly faltering flute recital. It was obvious the flutist was no Hariprasad Chaurasia, T.R. Mahalingam, or N. Ramani.

Empowerment