For some, preparation for death starts early, even in childhood, with first thoughts about what happened to grandpa, where did he go? What is he doing? Will I see him again? Ever after this, speculation will lurk in the back of your mind, not rising to the level of obsession, […]
Shadow Man The first time I saw him was in a mall, of all places. I don’t go to malls if I can help it, but it was Christmas and I happened to be working in Toronto at the time, so I headed to the Queen Street Mall — maybe […]
Earle came awake feeling like shit as usual. Another lousy day of walking the streets, looking for work, panhandling for enough change for a bottle of rotgut, checking out the chicks … there was frost on the window again. Wasn’t winter supposed to be over? Christ. He lay there for […]
I first see her crawling across the sand toward the water’s edge a game? If so where are the others? Or if not what? a girl not a child crawling red shorts and a red T-shirt shiny black hair curving in to end at her jawline crawling a few feet […]
I have a project. The plan is to organize the boxes of completely randomized detritus stacked in the basement. The last box I opened had apparently not been explored for almost half a century. As I pulled stuff out of it, old photos, dead batteries, college souvenirs and snapshots from […]
The therapeutic value of writing takes several forms. First there is the actual connection of a pen with paper. A fountain pen is best for this, and a nice smooth heavy vellum. You can lose yourself in this process, the troubles of the world falling away as the ink flows […]
Tabatha sat frozen in the drivers seat of her 2003 Toyota Corolla, her hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. She loved this car. It wasn’t pretty to look at. It had several dents and scratches, and the paint was chipping in a few spots, but it was paid for […]
2019/02/018 I lay on my back in the rough grass looking up, the sharp blades poking through my shirt and prickling my shoulder blades. It reminds me I am alive. The live oak canopy hangs above me like the tentacles of a squid or octopus. The graceful, sinuous branches, spreading […]
Gwyneth sat across the table from a total stranger. “Jeremy” was written on his name tag in bold letters. She tried hard to look interested in what he was saying, working to keep that glazed look out of her eyes; it was a struggle. His words washed over her. She […]
Mary sat on the edge of the bed. She’d been putting on her shoes, looking forward to her morning run. Tom had been searching for something; he’d pulled out all the drawers in the bedroom. Now he was standing in front of her, holding a tiny plastic bag filled with […]
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