He plucked his toothbrush from its perch, fixating for a moment on the black ceramic holder adhered to the tile wall just above the bathroom sink. He counted the holes: one, two, three — the recurring ache crept into his… Continue Reading
The mushrooms are poisonous, but locals eat them, says the Gastronome Guide to Ireland. I’m not a foodie. I plucked this guide from a free magazine stand at the Ballybunion bus station, and now I’m curious. “Have you tried inkcap… Continue Reading
Mary is woken by her two little boys. They are already fighting in their bedroom. She can hear objects crashing, bodies tumbling, chaos coming. *** When Julia wakes up, she takes the sheets and the thin summer blankets to shake… Continue Reading
Writer’s block. I never thought I would have it again. But days passed, and I would type out a sentence and edit it down to two words. It’s the pulps, I told myself. A penny a word — by now,… Continue Reading
Autumn is a terminal season. It signals the end of many things — vacation, summer, longer days. In my case, autumn also brings about the termination of my employment. Today is my last day at what the locals call “the… Continue Reading
It was the end of the day in the dermatologist’s office. Only I and another masked patient remained in the socially-distant minor procedure waiting room. When the receptionist summoned a woman to complete paperwork, she called a name that even… Continue Reading
“He died in the field?” I said. “Yep,” said the funeral director, “stone deaf; didn’t hear the tractor coming. Ran right over him.” “Tragic! Farm hand?” “Yeah, kind of.” “Family?” “None that we know of. The farmer’s paying, seeing to… Continue Reading
General Abraham Dewey raised his furry chin, his feline nose catching the fragrances riding the soft Florida breeze. He scrunched up his nose and his eyes softened as he savored the moment. Dewey is my black and white tuxedo cat.… Continue Reading
Ivan Cestney listens to “Jingle Bells” echo down the hallways of Lovely Acres Convalescent Home as he makes a wish to the Home’s Christmas tree. The tree’s lights twinkle at him; the boughs close around him in a pine-scented hug.… Continue Reading
During my previous visit to Houston’s Neurosurgery Center the doctor said the procedure would triple my life expectancy, but I’d forget most things. “Sepia tones,” she said when I asked what memories would look like. “Photographs bleeding color until they’re… Continue Reading