Cubist Mother
By Michelle RossWhen I found my mother throwing dishes at the mortar wall behind our house, she said only, “I forgot these once belonged to my mother.”
My Lover the Fly
By Nan WigingtonAlright, so he throws up all over his food. So what? He doesn't have the enzymes to eat this crap.
Hanover Park
By Chuck AugelloTheir first date: an old plaid quilt spread over damp grass, pint-sized cartons of vegetable fried rice, a wayward kite trapped in the branches of an ancient elm tree.
Photo Story: A Family o...
By Elaine McKayDad enters stage left, and his voice is louder than the television. He points his syllables accusingly.
My Future Depends On It
By Miriam Ben-YosephI was 15 when we left Romania. It was 1965. Ceausescu just came to power. At the airport they searched our luggage and peered into our bodies.
Photo Story: The Other ...
By Melissa JacobMy daily constitutional treads a familiar story arc. Swerve raccoon-eyed adults being dragged along by relentless toddlers.
Underwater
By Sabrina HicksThe silence in Sarah’s head had texture—waves licking sand, leaving foamy layers. She blinked in a doctor removing his mask.
Birds in Heat
By John Paul MartinezThere’s a stain on the left wing. She tells me she doesn’t know how it got there, but I know it’s from when she was younger.
Durable Power
By Ann GelderI found the form giving me durable power of attorney for my father’s health care. He died eleven and a half years ago.
Hydrological
By Todd MercerThe upstairs shower? Solid pressure ‘til it cuts to drizzle. Incomplete rinse of foam from an eye. That’s life, when the downstairs toilet flushes.
Final Tally
By Cathy SafiranThe letters were crude block capitals, searing ink poked into the skin on her thighs with a sewing needle wielded by her own hand.
