By Tracie Adams I’m positive the assistant manager of the ice-skating rink was not expecting the response he got. He puffed out his argyle sweater-clad chest and squared off his petite, round shoulders as if trying to scare off a bear. His animated behavior only served to heighten the humor of the scene, so my … Continue reading The Good Goodbye
Shopping Memories
By Debra J. White I grew up in New York City during the Cold War era. The city was packed with multi-level department stores that stocked clothing, furniture, toys, linens, hats, appliances and more. There was free gift wrapping and complimentary boxes. Some NYC department stores like Bloomingdale’s were high end for the upscale shopper. … Continue reading Shopping Memories
A Night in an Ethiopian Monastery
By Michael J. Barrington Debre Damos had always fascinated me. I’d visited several monasteries in Ethiopia on previous visits, including several in Lake Tana, but never this one. Getting there by road was only the beginning of my adventure! Having flown into Axum, I drove towards Adigrat, on a reasonably well surfaced road, passing deep … Continue reading A Night in an Ethiopian Monastery
I Felt it in My Blood
By Lennox Shuppe I remember my great grandmother, Maude, collecting things. She went to flea markets in rural Oklahoma, coming home with little treasures that she squirreled away. Her home smelled of cinnamon, sage, and old books. The ground was neatly swept cement in her tiny little home on the Cherokee reservation. As you walked … Continue reading I Felt it in My Blood
A Pandemic Journal, the First Few Weeks
By Bakhtiar Ahmed First published: March 2022 in Kindle Thy Embers Anthology published by Lit-light publishers, Pakistan A Pandemic Journal, the First Few Weeks Bakhtiar Ahmed I woke up with a sinking feeling, a feeling of dread and hopelessness; I had an intense urge to flee but there was nowhere to go. I felt trapped, suffocated, … Continue reading A Pandemic Journal, the First Few Weeks
Who Am I? A Journal of Self Discovery
By Savannah Sisk This essay is a journey of self-discovery contained in a meager two thousand-something words. As you read you will watch me discover, then re-discover the concept of identity. As you read, you will watch me discover my identity. Along the way, you might be influenced to begin your own journey of self-discovery. … Continue reading Who Am I? A Journal of Self Discovery
Brain Silence
By Danielle Evans-Cole Those nagging, spinning, twirling thoughts in your head that weave around in and out of your consciousness. Like an invasive weed sprouting up in your synapses twisting around them. The… Should you be worried about that new knocking sound in your car … leads to the time your boyfriend’s car overheated on … Continue reading Brain Silence
Flop Era
By Savannah Sisk We’ve all seen those videos on our For You Pages: “hey, girlies! Welcome to my TikTok on how to get out of your flop era.” The last two words are spat with such disdain you actually frown at your phone. Am I in my flop era? You wonder. I have been laying … Continue reading Flop Era
Moment of Truth
By Peter Rodrigues Variations of the saying “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” originally attributed to Jesus, are now mottos inscribed in stone above the entrance to several secular universities, and the Original Headquarters Building of the Central Intelligence Agency. “You!” Dr. Steinberger said loudly, his voice piercing the … Continue reading Moment of Truth
Hijacked
By Carol E. Anderson The plane bounces once on the tarmac then screeches to a halt. The flight attendant opens the steel door and the heat blows through the aircraft causing my already pretzeled stomach to twist once again. I snatch my tattered backpack, sling it over my shoulder and step out. Thoughts whip through … Continue reading Hijacked
Academy of the Heart And Mind 