By Steve Carr Aika sat beneath the blossoming boughs of a cherry tree catching falling petals in the palms of her outstretched hands. Her lips trembled as she hummed a tune of her own creation. It was as light and lovely as the gentle breeze that kissed her cheeks, an expression of joy, a celebratory … Continue reading Mado Kara Mieru
On Grandma’s Knee
By Steve Carr When I was just a small boy and sitting on my grandmother’s knee, she told me this story so often of when she was a young girl, that I sometimes forget it was an incident in her life, and not mine. Grandma was born on a farm in upstate New York in … Continue reading On Grandma’s Knee
Tomiko Takes the Train
By Steve Carr Tomiko’s joints ached, especially her knees. She gingerly raised the hem of her kimono and stared at them for several moments as if seeing them for the first time. Nothing seemed to ever make them feel better for very long. Acupuncture, hot baths, daily swims, herbal teas, massage, the small white pills … Continue reading Tomiko Takes the Train
The Basket Weavers
By Steve Carr Mrs. Chattam’s tendency toward exaggerated worries and anxieties led her to view the man outside the cottage on the other side of the pond with a great deal of apprehension. The only things she saw him take out of the back of his car were several fishing poles and a shiny red … Continue reading The Basket Weavers
Wonderland
By Steve Carr Joe pushed the screen door open with his wheelchair footrests and wheeled out onto the porch. With creaking hinges, the door slowly closed behind him as he stopped at the porch railing. The edges of the lightweight quilt around his shoulders flapped in the cold wind. He pulled it tight around him, … Continue reading Wonderland
Noise
By Steve Carr The sound of the 5:10 train coming through town was comforting. In the morning darkness of her bedroom Mrs. Lilly sat up on the edge of her bed, pulled her robe that had been draped over her walker from the top crossbar and slipped her arms into the yellow cotton sleeves. She … Continue reading Noise
Academy of the Heart And Mind 