By Luke Beling I was biting into a smoked salmon sandwich, watching my shadow, when Pretty walked up to me. I wouldn’t have looked at her if she hadn't spoken. My shadow made me appear bigger than I was, and by moving in specific ways, my rail-thin arms became bodybuilder-like. "That's a nice tie." She … Continue reading Smoked Salmon for Lunch
The Vignette
By David R. Topper I was faced with the task of choosing a picture to put in her obituary. Where to begin? You see, at my age I read the obits every day. And I must say that I often look at some of the pictures and mumble under my breath, “Couldn’t they find a … Continue reading The Vignette
Nitrogen
By Jim Bates Twenty years ago, during the spring of the 2020 lockdown, Mom announced, “We are planting a garden.” I was thirteen and my brother Jay was nine so, of course, we complained, me being the loudest, “Aw, Mom. No!” “What, you’d rather play video games?” Well, yeah, of course, but I couldn’t say … Continue reading Nitrogen
Lesson Learned
By Dawn DeBraal More and more, my body betrayed me. My voice faltered, and hair grew in places seen and unseen. I felt like a gorilla looking at my hairy legs that seemed to get apish overnight, and I questioned why this was happening at the least opportune time. Yes, we had the movie where … Continue reading Lesson Learned
A Thousand Years
By Peace Nkeiruka Maduako "A Thousand Years" has been previously first published in a Sweetycat press anthology "Stories And Poems In The Song Of Life" by Steve Lester Carr. The melody rose to the ceiling, resounding as everyone keyed their best voices into the song. Mr. Peter smiled satisfactorily, "You all sounded almost perfect this … Continue reading A Thousand Years
Oxygen
By Jim Bates The summer when I was eight years old a new highway began being built about a mile from our farm. My older brother Lewis and I were fascinated by the huge, noisy machines: road graders, dump trucks and bulldozers. When our chores were completed, we’d ride over to the creek, go for … Continue reading Oxygen
Tongi
By Mehreen Ahmed Tongi It was a glass room, Tongi. Literally, a room which was made of glass built on stilts in the far shade of a village pond. The pond's algae reflected its green on its glass walls. On rainy days, slanting rains fell on it and left its droplets to slide down the glass. Tongi … Continue reading Tongi
Esme
By Wendy Taylor It sat on a shelf in Dad’s wardrobe and each time I went in to grab a jacket to put on him when we went out for a walk, I saw it there. A bible. I had never really given it a second thought assuming it to be a family bible which … Continue reading Esme
Ruins
By James Moran When the sun set I went to the ruins. When mother and George fought I went to the ruins. When George convinced the village mother should be executed I went to the ruins. When mounted nomads attacked the village I went to the ruins. Even when a pair of bears inhabited the … Continue reading Ruins
And He Wondered
By Charles Wiegand White steam suddenly began billowing out from under the hood. He pulled over to the side of the road and parked the troubled car in the gravel. He sat there for a moment without moving, then turned off the engine and slowly got out of the car. He stood outside the car … Continue reading And He Wondered
Academy of the Heart And Mind 