Mandy pulls out delicate items—silk blouses, rayon skirts, summer weight T shirts that could shrink in the heat of the dryer. All the while yesterday’s conversation with Eric’s widow plays and re-plays. He was alive yesterday morning. Donna seemed hopeful, unconcerned even. Or was she? Was she unaware, naive, in denial? Or was she softening … Continue reading While Sorting the Laundry, Mandy Thinks About Death
I’m told these prompts are all band names, but I’ve not heard of most of them! If you like this, please share it with your younger friends who may be familiar with some of these musicians: the Ghost Inside, Monster Magnet, Shine Down, Sleep Token, Pretty Reckless, Vole Beat, Highly Suspect, Bring Me the Horizon, … Continue reading Shine Down
Written with the prompts: mission statement, this is the voice of my body, but then I might not, worth the wait, you’ll thank me later, was I wrong, tap tap tap, urgent, symbol of your independence, live with the itch, a crooked umbrella, the darkness shattered, he was weird We gather because it’s been fifty … Continue reading Voice of My Body
Written with my Thursday night group with the prompts: four seasons, scarcity, paradoxical, starts working instantly, 3,000 miles, money, it’s a breeze, pockets of resistance, until I begin to write, have I ever told you the story of. . ., listening, Argentina, they moo Jenny wanted to go to Argentina, but when she pulled on … Continue reading Pockets of Resistance
When Jenna arrived at the border, she was surprised to find a guard at the gate. His jaw was square and his lips were pinched into a straight line, as if he’d spent a lifetime clenching his teeth. “Who did you used to be?” she asked him. He didn’t smile but his face visibly relaxed … Continue reading At the Border
Striding through the airport this morning, Destiny notes the typical presence of newspapers—Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today—held aloft by focused readers in pin-stripes and gray flannel, wing-tips and tasseled loafers. Destiny marches on, aware that the rustle of thin paper is growing louder--flapping, cawing, squawking. She realizes suddenly these are not newspapers … Continue reading Paper Birds
The Secret to Rubber-Soled Shoes The secret to rubber-soled shoes is that they are often imbued with the ghosts of deceased dogs, dogs who were loyal and eager to serve, dogs who want to cradle the foot of a beloved pack member protecting you from gravel-strewn trails and unyielding cement floors, dogs who want to … Continue reading The Secret to Rubber-Soled Shoes
Because it was my birthday this week, I decided to re-publish one of my very own favorites. Meow. . . After midnight the day-old loaves of bread in the bakery turn into slumbering cats. Some are brown and toasty, some white and fragrant, some calico dotted with black, brown and golden patches that used to … Continue reading Bread Cats
Written with my Thursday group with the prompts: she studied her face in the mirror, it was heavy, incredibly crucial, a red balloon landed next to him, settle down, a stranger, who is afraid to live without illusion, one size fits all, I didn’t have the energy for that, what’s in a name, no two’s, … Continue reading Naming
Written with the prompts: just a dream away, as inanimate as a lamp, overlapping, you know the one, hurry/curry/flurry, urgent information, save time, new friends, three years ago, don’t you want more, live like, wander off, never made me feel inept, never been there before, area 51, guarded opinions I’ll remember that night three years … Continue reading Counterintuitive Curry
