by Susan Weidener A beautiful sunny afternoon, the cicadas singing, and I am bathing Lily. She seems a little cowed when I pull out the hose and tie her up to the porch railing, bracing herself for the spray of water, the shampoo which I lather into her short caramel-colored fur. She looks at me […]
September 7 – Careless Whispers
by Lisa Hacker I knew I was in shock because I couldn’t feel any tears on my face. I read the words again, as if a second, third, and even tenth reading would cause the letters to come to their senses and assemble themselves into another sentence, any sentence. One that did not fracture my […]
August 31 – An Ordinary Thursday
by Pat Anthony Sometimes it’s okay to write about the inconsequential, what doesn’t shake the earth, slides to the horizon where it accumulates with all the other slides into a nice hummock, not even a mountain, but there nonetheless. Today was like that as I pulled into Wal-Mart after physical therapy for a bad hip […]
August 18 – Dishwashing Lesson
by Linda C. Wisniewski The grease-filled pan waited on my kitchen counter all morning. He made baby back ribs the night before and the sink was full of pots and knives, the barbecue brush, a spatula, and a large cookie sheet of dark brown congealed fat and sauce. We walked right past it this morning […]
August 15 – Living Among Strangers
by Ariela Zucker My husband and I live in the motel we own and run. Our residence located between the lobby and the laundry room is an example of efficiency. This location ensures our ability to oversee the daily operation with ease. It also means that a constant stream of strangers moves in and out […]
August 10 – Painting, No Judgement
by Martha Slavin A good friend and I sit in the shade of her backyard, which blooms with flowers, fruit, and her mosaics on the fences. Color is everywhere: the clay fish in the simple bubbling fountain, the shards of glass pushed between the stepping-stones of the paths that wander through her yard, the bright red […]
