If I were a painter, I would wear a twist of string tied to my ankle long ago by a lover who never promised and left before I ever asked. I would live and work in an echoing flat with iron floor-to-ceiling windows and colorful but cracked tile in the tiny toilet. The window near…
If I were a dog walker, I would keep sprouted mung beans in my bag. Maybe some bits of cooked chicken too. And one of those collapsible water bowls, just in case people let us down. I would live in a big city. The city of my childhood so I’d know all the nooks and…
If I were a mechanic, I would bring my lunch in a paper sack. During the winter months, I’d take a thermos of soup to chase off the cold. My garage would be a small two bay place, painted white with blue trim. Outside would hang a sign in dark blue script that read Mechanic on Duty.…
I’m in a Paul Newman/Stevie Wonder mood. Look out. Paul is always on my list of best men. I do have a list. Yes, I know Paul is no longer with us, but he is on the island (See Well Dressed). He’s still very much alive and writing seriously romantic love letters to his wonderful wife, Joanne, until…
A moment past her prime, Marthe tilted her chin forward. It was a trick taught by her mother that “elongates the neck and makes your decollate irresistible.” She hoped it was working because she felt a bit like a fool, or a giraffe, maybe a foolish giraffe. Boning poked at the tender skin under her arms,…
The letter fell to the floor twenty minutes before nine. Smearing lipstick across her tear soaked face, it was clear she had lost her grip. She sat, one shoe, and waited for the rats to crawl through her forgotten wedding cake mind. That’s all from the laundry room. Lost Dream. Forty-two words exactly. The…
My forty-two words for Yeah Write’s Gargleblaster Challenge. The prompt…“Tell me something, old friend: why are you fighting?” She sat by me in the auditorium, more hair missing now than present under her scarf. The lights dimmed. “Why are we here? You should be…” “Shh. Our daughters are on stage. This is where I should be.” I held…
Wait, what…but you said… When I was in the fourth grade there was a girl that was sort of in my group of friends, but not really. She was the cool girl that knew one of my friends because I think their brothers knew each other? I can’t remember and it’s not important. She, the…
James Patterson has a new book out. I know, you’re thinking, “He has a new book out every other week. Who cares?” I bought it because I am truly a dysfunctional girlfriend when it comes to him. I continue to say, “Oh gosh, maybe he’s not that bad. Maybe he’s changed.” I have read A…