Oatmeal is an Arthur Newspaper zine edited by Brazil Gaffney-Knox and Nick Taylor in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong.

4. 3

5. 4
by Charlotte Di Carlo

6. by Jonathan Semugaza
5

7. I.
a square box in a round hole
nothing new there
a child lost in an effort of
bonds
say little of yourself
speak often of othersspeak often of others
refer to the guidebooks
if available
i saw how hard it is
for some folks
even myself, in maturity
to find the perfect one
the primacy of human connectionthe primacy of human connection
it is easier to reap the benefits
of hate
than to sow the seeds of love
“i” as it is, selfish,
egotistical
we know who you are, do you?
The idea is faint, a surpriseThe idea is faint, a surprise
blank canvases across boards
we are naked until the linens are
woven
and in the cold our bare skin
shivers
ii knew nothing of true love for
many years
the idea beyond those who
birthed me
and whose blood i share
beyond that, what else?
in brief synapses i saw
whatwhat some are capable, and
incapable of
expressing with whatever pours
from the vessels of their
hearts.
II.
a glass half full is still half
empty
and our thirst is insatiable
despite it all
wewe come in different shapes and
sizes
at one point collectively
deciding
that some simply wont fit
easier to clash than mesh
a child, unmalleable
thethe encumbrances of a cruel
world
destined for a certain
implosion
and jumping to conclusions
his feet never touched the
ground
“i”“i” is a testament, a cry for
another voice
begging for those who will
listen
and often those pleas are seldom
heard
even more so misunderstood
anan immaculate fear looms
evermore
are we not the words we speak?
as if the words uttered in tears
become tattoos, imbedded into
our soul
thosethose in anger become the
tightening
of nerves in our fists and faces
in joy, the fluttering, and
blushes
and in everything else, a
memory
“i” is everything“i” is everything
it all starts with that letter
and it ends when we do.

8. 7

9. 8

10. i look forward to seeing you again on the
other side of everything, when we both know
what we’ve been reaching for, when we have
what we’ve been asking for, and when the
writing, the words, have finally been enough.
how many times do i have to write this before it
becomes true. how many times do i have to write
before i become new. how many words do i need to go
through before i reach what i’m asking for. how many
words before i ask for what i’m reaching for, before
i learn what to ask for. how many words, how many
words. i’m asking.
eventually, we will reach an ending. i’m asking you
to represent my experience after i am gone. what is it,
you ask. i will figure that out, and when i do, you’ll
be the first to know. you will be named right away.
yes, i know, it’s a big responsibility, but i trust you
and will hold you to this. in a gentle way, of course.
there is no need to be afraid. what’s coming this way
is what’s meant to come this way.is what’s meant to come this way.
i am not writing endings (or even beginnings),
i am writing lives, the lives i am living, and so
are you, and really, we are living, living
through the writing and writing through the
living. for fear of without and for without fear,
we move forward, we move forward, we keep moving
forward. we have no choice in the matter.
9

11. 10
Michaela Jennings

12. 11
Arm hairs catch
dry breeze
You fall onto
thinning knees
Praise for the
parched air
You watch
Summer lag
Turd turf
still a
turning gut
And still,
full feeling
Water the
garden
with sweat and
spit; flowers
bloom
on their own
accord.

13. 12

14. "The weight of change should not rest on the
shoulders of Black people. For true systemic
shifts to occur, everyone has to recognize
that the whole underlying structure is so
irreparably broken that no one can afford to
live like this anymore"
-Esi Edugyan-Esi Edugyan
13

16. Arthur Newspaper
JUNE 2020
We hope you will contribute to our
July issue by emailing submissions
to editors@trentarthur.ca