-
I can’t unsee the ugliness he brought When, after a long silence had ensued, He placed his pains upon me, iron-wrought, As overturning stones, both old and new He—looking, looking, frantic, for a sign To label what he saw and did not like A sin (a grievous error, in his mind)— Laid blame before retreating…
-
When they go quiet I won’t think “What’s wrong with me?” Not anymore. I have wasted hours trying To figure that out Just to go back to the mirror After years of weariness have worn me to dust To find my reflection, with well-worn tear tracks, Staring back and whispering “You’re a beautiful creature. Not…
-
It was not what she intended to do on a Sunday afternoon, but there she was anyway, driving her ex 3 hours across the state. The radio was on too loudly, as they weren’t talking, and she needed to fill the silence. She queued up a Gorillaz album in Apple Music (she knew he hated…
-
A year without you but I’m better Than when we walked the hall Holding hands as I prayed to find Space for my whole self beside you. I found a different door to enter Which lead me where I didn’t wonder Where I would sit, or if there would be a chair No, these new…
-
“Where was the accident?” he repeated. Marie could see fear creeping through his eyes. “What kind of question is that?” he asked. The fact that his answer was another question bolstered her. “I want to know what you know about the accident,” she said. Her armpits were wet, her heart rate higher than it should…
-
Marie stared at the golden man, unblinking, her brain unable to comprehend what he meant. She hadn’t made any deal with him. This was the first time she’d ever seen him. For a moment, she felt unanchored to the world. She wondered if she’d been given too much pain medication. Her head seemed open to…
-
Marie opened her eyes. The soft light of morning peeked into the bedroom. Dawn seemed gray, and that made sense. It rained last night. She turned back the covers, rubbed a hand over her belly and gasped. The swell of the baby was gone. She bolted upright, looking around the room, realizing where she was.…
-
The baby wasn’t ready yet. As Marie climbed back into the SUV, her huge belly feeling heavier than when she had gone into the hospital, the tears of frustration and fatigue she had been holding back began to steadily leak down her cheeks. Her husband, Ned, took the driver’s seat without the usual pep in…
The Quick and the Dead
Short stories. Creative experiments. Ideas that might not pan out.
The Quick and the Dead 