The Linnet's Wings Magazine

A Juxtaposition

Imagine waking up to find the band you founded has replaced you with a machine—and even changed its name. Eight-year veteran drummer Tyler “Rain” Miller refuses to go quietly. From a crumpled Marlboro on his nightstand to the sticky floors of The Metro, Tyler’s day careens through Chicago’s punk-rock heart: confrontations with backstabbing bandmates, a bitter breakup, and an unforgettable night at Wrigley Field’s first rain-soaked night game. “Rain On Me” is a raucous, fast-paced ode to musical rebellion and the ties that bind us to our roots. It’s a gritty, funny, and surprisingly tender tale of one man’s fight to reclaim his rhythm—proof that no drum machine can replace the soul of a true drummer.

In As Our Sun Begins to Fade, Storrie weaves a quiet, elegy for lost youth and unspoken love. When a young soldier returns to the brown, empty fields where a childhood home once stood, he is confronted by absence. Through crisp November winds and memories of daring daydreams beneath an ancient sculpture, he reckons with the choices he never made and the words he never spoke. This tender, forward-looking tale honors the places and people that shape us, reminding us that courage lives in every moment we dare to seize—and in every chance we take to tell someone the truth.

Step into a world where the smallest moments become grand adventures. In "Take Off” Gallagher captures the awe and exhilaration of a child’s first confident steps—no longer clinging to chairs or clinging to fear, but striding boldly into the adventure -- It’s a tender reminder that freedom often arrives one careful step at a time.

Then, in “Warbler,” we shift our gaze to the garden’s hidden corners. ...

Behind Closed Doors by Margaret Cahill is a haunting story of loss, silence, and survival. After returning from London carrying a terrible secret, a young girl struggles to find her footing beneath the weight of betrayal and shame. Told with stark beauty and compassion, this story invites listeners into a world where hope kindles in the darkest corners.

• Not every battle leaves a scar you can see.

• In the silence, courage takes root.

Sara Clancy captures a fleeting moment where the extraordinary collides with the mundane. With humor and keen observation, the poem explores the delicate line between belief and disbelief as a strange sight in the sky causes a ripple of wonder and near chaos. The poem deftly plays with the imagination, highlighting how easily our grip on certainty can slip, leaving us to question the boundaries of possibility. A sharp, playful reflection on perception, mystery, and the unexpected awe that turns ordinary moments into near catastrophes of wonder

Episode Title: Poodles – A Flash Fiction Story by Susan Tepper

🥄 About This Episode
In this episode of The Linnet’s Wings Magazine Podcast, we present Poodles by Susan Tepper, a finely tuned micro fiction piece that captures class contrast, quiet frustrations, and the small details that define human interaction.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed publishing it.

Thank you for joining us for The Sleep-Song of Gráinne Over Diarmuid a poem that carries love and loss in equal measure. If you enjoyed today’s reading, follow The Linnet’s Wings Magazine Podcast for more poetry and storytelling that keeps tradition alive. Until next time—may your nights be peaceful, your journeys safe, and your stories ever told.

Originally found in Duanaire Finn (The Poem Book of Finn), this poem captures the poignant blend of affection and alarm, soothing in rhythm yet charged with the knowledge that pursuit is close. It was translated by Eleanor Hull and later included in An Anthology of Irish Verse by Padraic Colum.

This poem was prologue for The Linnet's Wings Magazine (isbn-13-978- 15191222643)

Thank you for joining us for The Time of Manannán, where the gods walk among seasons, and the air itself hums with waiting. If this piece resonates with you, follow The Linnet’s Wings Magazine Podcast for more poetry and storytelling steeped in myth, nature, and time’s endless turning. And until next time—may your path be steady, your balance true, and your seasons always in rhythm with the world.

In this episode, The Linnet’s Wings Magazine Podcast presents Faith by Bonnie ZoBell, a striking piece of flash fiction about family, expectations, and the quiet ways we navigate the roles assigned to us. Faith was published to one of our early issues and can be viewed on our website at the following link.

Stories Faith by Bonnie ZoBell

📖 What You’ll Find in This Story:

• A family reunion in Mormon country, where unspoken rules shape the air
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• The tension of belonging and otherness, of fitting in yet standing apart
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• A daughter’s search for place and understanding, navigating her father’s past
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• A final, unexpected act of inclusion that reshapes the meaning of family
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With keen observation and quiet emotional depth, Faith explores the spaces where love and discomfort intersect. It’s a story about finding one’s place in the picture—even when the frame seems too small.

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Read more from The Linnet’s Wings: https://www.thelinnetswings.org

Credits & Production

• Story by: Bonnie ZoBell
• Narration by: Ana
• Produced by: The Linnet’s Wings Magazine Podcast
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• You can view more from this archive at this link:
• Stories Archive Summer 2008
  #FlashFiction #FamilyStories #BonnieZoBell #Faith #SpokenWord #TheLinnetsWings #Storytelling #LiteraryPodcast #IndieWriters #Podcast