SweetSmell Journal Issue Five: Peace

What is peace?

Is it the quiet that follows a storm, the warmth of a familiar embrace, the courage to forgive, the hope that survives loss, or the steady assurance found only in God? Peace wears many faces, yet every heart recognizes it when it is found and grieves its absence when it is lost.

Through poetry, prose, and short stories, this issue explores peace in all its beauty and complexity: the longing for it, the struggle to preserve it, the wounds left by its absence, and the quiet joy of finding it again.

This collection features the voices of thirty-six remarkable writers from across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and Australia: Abigail Ottley, Akifa Shazzad Prova, Anne-Marie O'Brien, Barbara Simmons, Bernadette Perez, Breaca Benson, Christine Law, Daniel Miltz, Dianne Casey, Dipak Dikshit, Dr. Afshan Aqil, Elaine Sorrentino, Faith Temiloluwa Dada, Hazel Hall, Honey Novick, Ivan A. Salazar M., Jimmy Lisotto, J. M. Summers, Joanne Marisse Tan, Joseph A. Farina, Joseph C. Ogbonna, Lade Dare, Linette Rabsatt, Lynn White, Mark Kuglin, Martha Ellen, Melissa Ann Wright, Michał Mazurkiewicz, Muralidharan Parthasarathy, Nick Romeo, Peace Nkeiruka Maduako, Rathin Bhattacharjee, Roger Funston, Susan L. Pollet, Yael Shahar Sarid, and Yvona Fast. Together, their diverse voices weave a rich tapestry of faith, hope, resilience, and humanity, reminding us that even in a restless world, peace is still worth seeking, embracing, and sharing.