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
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
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
Intro to Poetry
By James Moran “The world was wet with tears. The walls, the desk, this sheet of paper. God’s tears. Only God’s tears rain indoors—” “Clarissa?” I looked up. “I can hear you whispering over there, but I don’t see anything written on your paper,” said Ms. Tannenbaum, my Introduction to Poetry teacher. “The page is … Continue reading Intro to Poetry
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
Academy of the Heart And Mind 