By Joan Leotta Journal Entries July 15, 2024 The analyst we saw when they released my precious eight-year-old granddaughter, Jenna, from the hospital said that keeping a journal would help us both. I am not sure what she is writing in hers, but here is mine. And it is helping. Yesterday, Jenna went to the … Continue reading Flowers and Teddy Bears or Deborah and the Mother of Sisera
Not Set in Stone
By Amber Soha Originally published by cc&d magazine at scars.tv I walked into that room, and saw her face, and I knew. I’ve seen it before, on different faces, in different places. Death. We sat down, and held her hand, and listened to the doctor speak. My eyes welled while he asked his questions. I stared … Continue reading Not Set in Stone
Sink or Swim and Other Poems
By Shana Liddell Sink or Swim The divide appears so wide It seems impossible to swim to the other side But you must keep going So you swim on against the tide You had always believed that being all knowing Or having the right zip code or connections was your ticket to growing A life … Continue reading Sink or Swim and Other Poems
Cold Love
By Katie Lane Dei Originally published by cc&d magazine at scars.tv I step out of the warm Australian bungalow and am slapped in the face by a gust of cold air. I pull the collar of my jacket up higher and my beanie down lower. I squint my eyes and see her standing there in front … Continue reading Cold Love
The Boat Trip
By Elliot Slater Sam, behind the wheel, watched his father secure their reconverted lobster boat to a dock cleat in his easy, expert way. The cleat, mottled by salt and sun, served as a footrest for Sam’s grandfather, who stood on the dock grasping a railing against the swells of the ocean. Sam’s father and … Continue reading The Boat Trip
The Faraway Hill
By Betsy Selvam Wildflowers and weeds grow in abundance here. They are brightly redolent of evenings that I spent roaming outside home barefoot, content by myself, plucking leaves and flower buds; bunching them into finger-sized bouquets. Lantana shrubs pepper the landscape around me. Their tiny clusters of pink and orange flowers add an undertone of … Continue reading The Faraway Hill
Cemetery Hill
By Daryel A. Groom Ronny was 7 years old when his grandfather Rodolfo passed away. Dr. Ramirez had come to the house while the village of Marcala was just awakening to the warm tropical sun. He said he had a heart attack in his sleep. This sudden death was unexpected since grandpa was healthy despite … Continue reading Cemetery Hill
Let Sleeping Gators Lie
By Lesley L. Smith When I opened the front door, my go-bag on my back, the humidity was as dense as an anchor. The scent of rot and dead fish assailed me. Ick. I never seemed to get used to the smell; it took me by surprise every time I opened the door. The 'Welcome … Continue reading Let Sleeping Gators Lie
All the World’s a Stage or a Film Set?
By Kat Merrigan This is the true and somewhat unbelievable story of how I went from behind the scenes to a leading role in an upcoming, independent, feature film. I’ve always had a passion for movies and theater. If I had to choose one over the other, I’d pick theater. I’ve been in local productions … Continue reading All the World’s a Stage or a Film Set?
The Gallery
By Thomas Philbrick Edgar folded into the armchair and tried to remember the first time he had looked in the gallery window. He had been young, barely old enough to know what he was looking at, and his mother had held him up so that he could look at one of the seascapes behind the … Continue reading The Gallery
Academy of the Heart And Mind 