By Tim Law Life looks a great deal different from 12,000 feet. Sure things are smaller, that’s obvious. Almost everyone knows that things get very tiny when they are so far away. No, what I mean is looking down from so far up in the air you can almost believe that everything is at peace. … Continue reading The Point of View
Hydrogen
By Jim Bates I remember hearing the song by Three Dog Night, “One Is the Loneliest Number,” and thinking, Yeah, that’s me. All by myself. No one cares. Now I see that thought for what it really was, a cry in the night from a frightened six-year-old kid whose parents abandoned him to the child … Continue reading Hydrogen
Learning Like
By Earl Smith II As it happened Raccoon was foraging along the eastern bank of Brook That Wanders Through the Western Woods. The air was crisp this late fall day and the trees along both banks had already dropped some of their leaves, many of them onto the surface of Brook, only to be dutifully … Continue reading Learning Like
Black Miniskirt
By Sangeetha G She secretly removed the black colored miniskirt and pastel top from the cupboard and stuffed them hurriedly into her bag. She then adjusted the tip of her saree over her head to make her face only partially visible. She did not forget to wear all the signs of a traditional daughter-in-law - … Continue reading Black Miniskirt
When Winter Whispered, “Wonder”
By Zeyneb Kaya Winter awakes from my window. Wires fall from my heart and coil through white sheets. A crimson-red wristband attests to my captivity, shackles to my freedom. My eyes are red-rimmed and swollen, salt on my cheeks. There are fears that spin around in chaos in my mind, of what I know and … Continue reading When Winter Whispered, “Wonder”
They Call It Halloween
By c.t. zaremba It was a quiet chilly October night. The moon hid its face, there was no light. A black cat crossed my path and hissed. Then I saw young lovers steal a kiss. I saw a pumpkin smile, a witch fly by, Mothers holding babies so not to cry. Monsters, goblins, ladies fair. … Continue reading They Call It Halloween
Soul Cakes
By Stephanie Greene I’m making soul cakes for Jesse, my lost brother. In times of turmoil, we turn to charms. I don’t have fingernail clippings or tender little bouquets of his hair to include in some spell; I’m improvising here. The medievals have us beat, reaching as they did, beyond death. On All Souls’ Day, … Continue reading Soul Cakes
Smoked Salmon for Lunch
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
Academy of the Heart And Mind 