I WANT TO DIE
By John Tustin The grass will not grow where we have stepped together. The flowers will not flower in the garden And the violin sits atilt in the corner of … Continue Reading I WANT TO DIE
THE BURGLAR
By Clive Aaron Gill Randy scratched his bristly cheek. Got to get me some nose candy. Need money. Standing alone in the kitchen he shared with three roommates in Poway, California, he ate pungent tuna out of a can. A … Continue Reading THE BURGLAR
The Letter
By Melissa Purswell There’s a letter in the console of my car buried beneath carbon copied evidence of oil changes, brake pads, a new muffler. I’ll see it every so … Continue Reading The Letter
Rust Image
By Diane Webster The caterpillar of rust predicts a harsher winter than average as it crawls in tiny steps, leaves behind fuzzy outline of path across metal like a pink … Continue Reading Rust Image
Evening Stroll
By Richard Dinges Jr. To live without guilt is to swim through water and not get wet. Shadows along pond’s shore form spoken words early in evening. Sun’s glare dims … Continue Reading Evening Stroll
Shoebox
By Frank Modica I am grapevines and olive trees heavy-laden with broken promises, working for another man’s harvest in the hot Sicilian sun, I am basil leaves torn in ragged … Continue Reading Shoebox
The Anti-Midas Touch
By William Musgrove I couldn’t afford a car, so I walked everywhere. The bottoms of my shoes looked likesanded wood. Each day, I visited the statue in the park. The plaque … Continue Reading The Anti-Midas Touch
The Decision
I was right to be fearful of after-school detention. But clearly not enough, for that is where I found myself on one dark and stormy Tuesday afternoon. “This is about … Continue Reading The Decision
Over the Brook
Mother and Daughter often liked to go for walks around their woodland home between the hours of four and five pm. In the summertime the trees stood at the perfect … Continue Reading Over the Brook
A Candle
Louisa was a bright young girl. She could read and write from a very early age, baffling her parents, who had never particularly tried to kindle such a studious attitude … Continue Reading A Candle
“Unforgivable”
by Joe Ducato “Unforgivable” My crime comes back when the world is still; when she’s lying next to me, quiet as snow; when darkness pounds my brain; when my hands … Continue Reading “Unforgivable”
“5th Avenue and South Second Street” and “Golden Years”
by Thomas Elson “5th Avenue and South Second Street” One evening in this dying river town on the eastern part of the state – whose biggest exports are corn … Continue Reading “5th Avenue and South Second Street” and “Golden Years”
Chionis of Barry’s Corner
by Matt Gillick Early this morning—three a.m., to be exact—the bronze statue of Chionis of Sparta that overlooks Barry’s Corner in Allston, Massachusetts steps down from his pedestal. The legendary … Continue Reading Chionis of Barry’s Corner
Monopoly Money
by Linda McMullen Lionel Price – yes, that Lionel Price – former wunderkind, current tycoon, Darrow Capital founder and CEO, and ex-husband of that actress who transformed from manic pixie … Continue Reading Monopoly Money
“Awkward Encounters of the Worst Kind”
by Catherine Moscatt “Awkward Encounters of the Worst Kind” I go to the GI with alarming frequency. I stare at the models of intestines next to latex gloves and tissues. … Continue Reading “Awkward Encounters of the Worst Kind”
“Henry’s Room” and “Birds on Parole”
by Bruce Robinson “Henry’s Room” When the wind blows the door closedand shuts Henry inside the bathroom,he’s perhaps reminded of the mysteryof the shrewd proviso, or concerned aboutthe erstwhile inviolabilityof … Continue Reading “Henry’s Room” and “Birds on Parole”