FLASH

Small but mighty, these short, incisive pieces cut to the core in a just a few words.
graffiti on cement
Slabs

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

Theoretical Debate

On the first day of our new life together, my husband realized that I was not interested in theoretical debate. He said it was okay by him and went out to get some pancake mix.

Wilderness

The land here is scarred and wrinkled.

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.

In Rare Cases…

You’re joking, I say, interrupting the steady bumping of the doctor’s bushy white mustache.

The Sweetness

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

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.

rotarty phone
My Wife’s Phone

Sex is not a thank you card in this house.

Ruminations

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

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.

Little Cow

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

Post Pregnancy Examination (Shortened Form)

Infant’s Name: A
Delivery Date: August 1, 2002

Forest Walk on a Friday

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

dead roses
The Cycle

It all started with the curse of my tits. Women’s bodies are cursed. Everyone tries to look at them, everyone tries to ignore them.

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…

Familiar Territory

Could someone hating you really cause a physical unease? Sure, why not.

Dead History

Another image rises to us both: A man hunched before a TV, watching historical documentaries, correcting incorrect facts. Rasputin was not a priest, damn it.

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.

First Boyfriend

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