FLASH

Small but mighty, these short, incisive pieces cut to the core in a just a few words.
rotarty phone
My Wife’s Phone

Sex is not a thank you card in this house.

Sisters of the Divine Apparatus

The day does not conclude with the gentle exhale of the earth, but with Mother Superior flipping the hourglass over, again.

Little Cow

A man with a fistful of showbags said, “That cow sounds like a person trying to sound like a cow.”

graffiti on cement
Slabs

We drifted junk with a sledgehammer looking for juice. Sometimes the rage.

First Boyfriend

I run with a pack of older boys from our neighborhood, the only girl.

Rose By Any Other Name

Kate Winslet always reminded me of my mom. Maybe that’s why, even to this day, I get defensive of Rose from Titanic when people call her stupid or shallow…

Out of the Harbor and Into the Open Sea

I’d never heard of anyone having a second baby right after the first one, but everything was so strange in those early days of motherhood that I just acted on instinct.

Athena, the Octopus, Solves a Puzzle

The new octopus at the children’s aquarium was named Athena, and as we waited for her to emerge, I thought of the almost-too-faint second line on the pregnancy test three days before.

Teeth and Boyfriends

With great reluctance, I agree to meet a cousin for an outside lunch…

Laika Came Home

When Laika the space dog comes back, bulleted to earth in a tiny white escape pod that dissolves upon opening, nobody can believe it.

photo of windshield
Mother and Her Remains

Mama sped along the highway, unbothered by bits of gravel that flew up from the front tires and struck the windshield of the sedan.

view of earth from space
The Scattering

Allanson looked out of the viewport, at the ragtag flotilla of ships trailing behind, some of them slow to catch up. It was to be expected with the little time that they’d had to cobble the fleet together.

Here in East Greenwich

He used to hold my hand on Commonwealth. I wonder sometimes if he ever still thinks about my mouth.

Damn Good Listener

I know you shouldn’t keep wild animals as pets, but I’ve had the same spider in my bathroom sink for over two weeks.

The Sweetness

I’m dancing with my best friend’s husband, under the influence of his jaws and thighs.

Wilderness

The land here is scarred and wrinkled.

Greetings From Baja California!

Sitting at the bar on Pacific Avenue. With the seashells in the walls. Same bartender from last year, still here, making the same lethal Mai Tais.

Forest Walk on a Friday

Every time I come to the forest, it’s different, but so am I.

Ruminations

Through the dusty window in my parent’s bedroom, I watched the neighbor’s cattle graze.

Cost of Care

I reached for my invoice, which Dr. George, holding it between thumb and forefinger as if it were a soiled diaper, dropped into my hand.