Drive Down Victory
By E. Robert Pugh Flood within, flood without. The Valley floor accepts the rain, flows it through the streets where I sought you: a friend, a brother, a ghost, a gap—memories dulled by ten wide years, renewed by surprise. These eight miles of straight are the runaway between openness and closure, a heart unguarded and…
Carrier Pigeons
By Angie Chatman Every morning, after dropping Tyler off at school for his half-day kindergarten class, Carmen took her power walk. For this pregnancy she’d read a variety baby books; all of them stated that healthy exercise could induce labor. They also warned not to start an exercise regimen before consulting a doctor. At nine…
Mistaken for a Criminal
A Memoir by Kurt Schmidt While the snowstorm was raging outside, I was reading a letter that said I was a criminal, delinquent in paying a fine. Being accused of a crime I didn’t commit? The words in this prophecy indicated I’d soon lose my driver’s license, or worse. The letter said I was remiss…
there is no such thing as a baby
By Ben Starr Not here at least. Not since last summer. Now everyone emerges fully formed, long ears of corn unfolding out the bottom halves of hospital beds. These latest citizens, moon-faced and hastily shaped, wander like ghosts, somehow knowing and not knowing everything at once. Each morning the town awakens to their cries, fresh…
Mr. Johnson’s Car Trouble
By Jacqueline Erasin It was 8 a.m. on Monday when Mr Johnson’s car decided it didn’t want to drive anymore. It had had enough. Mr. Johnson opened the rear side door and, after carefully placing his folded jacket and briefcase on the back seat, took his place beside them. Leaning against the headrest, he closed…
Peanut Butter Mother
By Evie Skene As a kid, you know to be scared of quicksand, but they never warn you about the peanut butter. My peanut butter mother makes peanut butter toast for dinner when she naps on the couch and can’t unstick herself. “It’s coating the roof of my mouth,” I whine to my sister, words…
A Tender Embrace
By Joanne LePoidevin Although the trees stood silent, I felt the brush against my skin like a gentle breeze. The sky mirrored the clarity of spring. The birds chirped, greeting the sunlit day. My hand lightly touches my shoulder, recognizing the sensation, a warm feeling sweeping through my body like a tender embrace. I know…
Two Wedding Dresses Fall From A Hanger
By K L Ehrie At 1:47 a.m., the discharge nurse sends me home with five fresh stitches and a pamphlet for a domestic abuse support group. I walk past a couple of sleepy cabs, past the bus stop, and keep going until I am rounding the corner onto Union Park, where the new playground sneaks…
The Time of the Nissan Pulsar
A Memoir by Kim Hayes Cane field, road, cane field, road, cane field, road. I clung to the steering wheel for dear life as my car spun around and out of control. It came to a lurching stop and then somehow went into reverse. Gazing in the rear-view mirror, I watched in numb shock as…
Octogenarian
By Elana Shira Segal The old man places his knife across his plate. His tremulous, wrinkled hand works to fork a small morsel of roast chicken. The piece is perched precariously across the tines, shuddering with the constant motion of his hand. He moves the fork with precision and focus. It travels indirectly through the…
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