Borden’s Words Emerge Elsewhere

May 2nd, 2025 — Published today in Ablanatha is a reprint of Borden’s poem, “Ablanathanalba”—written by Jono in 2018 and which, in part, inspired the literary and arts magazine’s name, according to its editor, Trace Fleeman Garcia.

An ancient vox magica (magical name or word), the title is used in spells to ward-off fear. Activated when written in a diminishing, wing-shaped, triangular pattern and read aloud as its letters are individually removed, it is a palindrome derived from a phrase meaning “You are our father,” often found in Greek magical papyri and amulets.