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.

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 24, 20251 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 24, 20252 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 24, 20255 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 24, 202510 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 24, 20251 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 24, 20251 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 24, 20251 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 24, 20251 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 24, 202510 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

Subramani Mani

Oct 24, 202511 min read

Three wooden doors with ornate arches set in a pink wall, each showing signs of weathering. Stone steps lead up to the doors.

Trans Doors

Imagine child of seven barely pubescent eleven still forming sixteen standing

Gender/Sexuality

Ellen Riggle

Sep 26, 20251 min read

HyperVigilance

Enter a room pretend bold feel wary wearing the unconcealable

Gender/Sexuality

Ellen Riggle

Sep 26, 20251 min read

Twinkling fireflies illuminate a dark forest, creating a magical atmosphere with glowing yellow dots above green grass.

Cognitive Fireflies

There is art volleyball tests failed tests camping passed texting all around through over beyond within her

Mental Health

Daril Bentley

Sep 26, 20252 min read

Rusty window frame with cracked glass on an old wall. Visible green moss and chipped paint create a worn, neglected atmosphere.

As Ye Deities Scream (Sometime in mid-February, Around Thanksgiving)

I remember three different mountain bikes And submitting my poetry That no one ever likes.

Mental Health

Jordan Veres

Sep 26, 20251 min read

Blurred close-up of a person lying down, eyes closed. Dark hair strands prominent. Monochrome tone creates a calm, introspective mood.

Threnody for a Pig’s Eye (Hemlock or The Pill You Take Before Conception)

No one really cares And nobody ever knows. I’m afraid that’s the way The story always goes.

Mental Health

Jordan Veres

Sep 26, 20251 min read

Man in a denim shirt leans on a railing, gazing at the sea. Overcast sky creates a calm, contemplative mood.

Nothing In Pérez Galdós, Bécquer, Clarín, Alarcón, Juan Valera, or Fernán Caballero About This

Well Ruth, I can’t tell you what I’m thinking about, what we did now, It’s hard to see what all of this means

Mental Health

Guillermo Bowie

Sep 26, 20252 min read

Person sitting on sandy beach near ocean waves, with a backpack. Trees silhouette in the foreground. Sky is clear blue. Peaceful mood.

Epistle to the Thing I Left by the Sea (Inspired by a Balloon's Landing)

Dear my heart, How do you fare? I left you on the bank of the sea - and didn’t look back. I thought the turtles and crabs would covet you - for me, They’ll bury you deep down -

Self-Care

Olivia Mahabir

Sep 26, 20251 min read

Orange maple leaf floats on water with a shadow of a hand nearby. Tree branch reflections create a serene and introspective mood.

It's OK to Leave - It's OK

Golden hue of God’s first gift, melting into the evening trees, Reminding me what’s due - Informing me of what I need to do - Securing me of what I did - Believing in me in what I can do -

Self-Care

Olivia Mahabir

Sep 26, 20251 min read

A withered pink rosebud dusted with snow hangs against a blurred dark green background, evoking a sense of quiet melancholy.

Sonnet - Lethargic Seasonal Transitions

The sounds of laughter withers, Tis’ mind boiled and fried - the heart that searches and slithers, To begin again - under this new guide, of brains unfretted - full of wonder, melodies bleach the earth like lotuses.

Mental Health

Olivia Mahabir

Sep 26, 20251 min read