Waking up to the thin blade of morning light below the plastic blinds, Laura sighed, twisted her head to the right and checked the bed. The covers were flung back, the pillow still had the indent of his head and she could smell his cologne. It was Tuesday, but what did that matter? Tuesday was another day, no closer to change or further from pain. She heard the sound of pans in the kitchen and a faint whistling as the…
It’s just coming up to 6AM, and the soft glow of the rising sun is barely visible over the hilltop. Marlene is breathing evenly; a soft almost inaudible inhale, exhale as her nostrils flare ever so slightly. The quiet is what she likes most as she leans into her knee, bracing for the next step. This is the hill she was born on, her mama a single young woman who found herself pregnant after believing the slim, coffee colored young…
Miguel. The sun rises with the chilly mist that floats over the tall grey buildings. It’s the dim light that lets Miguel know he’s running late for school. His sister pulls the covers up over her head and he rips it from her small fingers and tells her to “wake up”. They were up until midnight last night. His mother’s phone was stolen the day before, so they went to the police station to report it. His mother was certain…
He sat on the bench with his bony hands clutching the weathered, dark brown hat. His age dripped from the tips of his twisted fingers: chipped dark nails, the dry skin holding in the swollen veins. He looked towards the middle of the lake, nothing there but water and the dim reflections of a falling sun. His eyes focused not so much on the nothing, but on the future. The hat was his father’s, he had worn that hat every…
I’m about to turn 60, and I believe that I am now truly qualified to speak on the years I’ve spent on this earth. We are all here for a reason, believe it or not, it’s always important. Human beings have developed walls and barriers to keep each other out, be it physical walls or emotional walls. They work the same. In my years of wanderings I’ve often heard the term “it’s not your job to…” fill in the blanks….