Spoiled Fruit – by Jay McKenzie

I do not like the bird-boned cage she carries herself in these days, or the skin that grows thinner like old paper each time I see her.

Bloom by Bloom, Step by Step – by Doris von Tettenborn

The ruins of my garden had been visible from the deck for some time, but I had not yet ventured outside. It was time to get out there and acknowledge the ravages of time and neglect, weep, and get to work, as my grandma used to say, to formulate a rebuilding plan. The flower and […]

Capo D’Orlando – by Shaun Bernier

She wishes she hadn’t said they could walk alone while she dressed. They still have not reappeared.

A Bump in the Road – by Susan Duffield-Lodge

Moirin’s kerchiefed head bobbed up into view as she made her way up the metal stairs at the front of the car.

Razor Blades Sheathed in Velvet – by Zelda C. Thorne

Eleven voice messages. The first three are garbled, vicious insults interspersed with begrudging apology and admissions of profound, earth-shattering love. Nathan’s voice cracks, wounded.

Road(kill) Trip – by Lindsey Harrington

I’ve hummed every song I can think of, twice, and almost chewed myself a new haircut.

Hiraeth – by Rhonda E Carper

With her right hand at one o’clock on the steering wheel and left hand deep into a one-pound bag of Mister Bee potato chips, Aunt Mary Jo remarked, “We’ll just keep going until we get there.”

Stone Ground – by Jennifer Mariani

All the ways to drink tea were steeped in you: warming the pot as if it were a heart in need of devout attention. The fullness of time required to brew was the patience of good things you taught me to wait for. The tea cozy a relic of the women who raised us; purposeful, […]