By Dawn DeBraal Casey signed, leaning against the door. She’d met her soulmate. Mark was perfect. He had a flawless smile and olive skin and was mannerly, charismatic, and considerate. She’d run out of positive adjectives to describe Mark to her parents and friends. He was husband material, and she thought of him that way … Continue reading Insurmountable Differences
Botanizing
By Jim Bates They were two brothers exploring hills and fields, breathing the rarefied air and escaping for a time the noise and grime of the city, looking for something deeper, more meaningful. They’d walk through deep woods, cool and green in the first light of early morning dawn. They’d tromp across warm meadows fragrant … Continue reading Botanizing
CPD
By Reeve Chudd Sometimes, an arithmetic or statistical obsession in someone can be annoying, but my nephew’s discriminatory feeding calculations are a constant source of pride and envy for me. My brother, Bart, and his wife, Cindy, worked for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID, for short) and lived somewhere near Lima, Peru, … Continue reading CPD
The Dauntless
By S. I. Rocco I knew nothing of boats and even less of the deep, glittering waters of Bar Harbor, Maine. Yet as I reflect on that August at sea some thirty years ago, I do not recall even a trace of fear. I remember the eight-hour car ride, the furthest I had ever been … Continue reading The Dauntless
The Heart of the Matter
By Mary Walsh Foley Stella rose at six. Walking through the dewy fields, she keenly felt her parents’ presence. The sky was streaked mauve and grey. She heard a bird rustling in the brambles and a snipe flew up from the long grass. The horizon was shrouded in a thin veil of fog. Running in … Continue reading The Heart of the Matter
Blue
By Rachel Wilson Bobby McKenna says I can’t like blue because I’m a girl so I tell him blue’s my favorite color. He tells me girls are supposed to like pink and I ask him why and he says because it’s a girl color and I tell him that’s silly I don’t like pink. I … Continue reading Blue
Sylvia’s Lullaby
By Jillian Flexner They were down to their last three dollars. They had sold everything they conceivably could live without from their little cottage – even their tin silverware. Well, they called it a cottage but it was really more of a hovel, left to only nature’s defenses. Now, they were desperate. Sylvia stared into … Continue reading Sylvia’s Lullaby
Bagatelle In A-Major
By Zary Fekete When I was ten my mother drove me to piano lessons every Wednesday. My piano teacher was an elderly lady who lived in a large, Victorian house at the end of the street. By the time the car reached her driveway I felt like I lost control of time. The hour ahead … Continue reading Bagatelle In A-Major
can we hold on to this moment and never let go?
By J. Awad "Did you hear about Nadia?” Layla asked as she took a long sip from her straw. I stared at the coffee visible through the mason jar. It was a light caramel colour, the sugary syrup collecting at the bottom. My lips dipped into a frown; a shiver skated down my spine at … Continue reading can we hold on to this moment and never let go?
Submerged
By S.J. Walker The thrill of the hunt was much more exhilarating back when I was part of a pod. Our strategy as a species is not unlike that of dolphins. We surround a school of fish in bright blue, warm, shallow waters, trapping them against a shoreline. Some leap to the surface, their tails … Continue reading Submerged
Academy of the Heart And Mind 