He traced his way “zipper-like” across the dry desert landscape leather boots pressing the stench of gasoline into the heat of the afternoon. His tiny toy truck kicking up plumes of dust and then spinning them back into the thick … Continue reading →

The couple sat on either end of the down-filled loveseat, their legs turned away from one another, their heads looking straight ahead at the Michael Fassbender-lookalike who was their marriage counselor. “So Alice, last week you expressed frustration that Sam … Continue reading →

It will happen, perhaps on a Monday morning or Friday evening, the weather might be mild or chilly with a chance of rain. There will certainly be breaking news; an earthquake killing hundreds in a far-away land, another movie star … Continue reading →

Shuffle, slide. Swing beat. My hand’s on the ruffled red waist of her dress. Rock step. Brown and white wingtips scuff the floor. Slacks twist and billow, and our eyes spark electric. Time stops.

Dive into this deep pool of writing. Our themes are loss and love’s return; childhood; and breathing. Our writers are Daniel Raskin, Dennis DeBiase, Merijane Block, Kaye Lesley Cleave, Kalpa Bhattacharjee, Christopher McClean, Carol Harada, Jeanette Esau, and Christopher P. … Continue reading →

For Ben Jackson Carrying him on my chest in a light green snuggly, his reddish brown hair in my nostrils, his warmth against my chest-breast, and on my back, a tear-drop pack with Pampers, wipes, a bottle of milk and … Continue reading →

My parents—like most parents—didn’t get it right about lots of things, but they had the foresight to realize that swimming lessons at the earliest possible age would be the exact right thing to provide their eldest son.

Oh, you three! You are gone from this earth. You are everywhere; you are nowhere.

Say for example, you ride an escalator in a department store, decorated with Mother’s Day hearts and flowers, on a mission to buy your mom an extra-wide slot toaster, when piped music floats across the airwaves. You can press both … Continue reading →

Finally, I can breathe Knowing that it was Simply Breath all along. Impermanence, Flow Transmutation, Flux Expansion, In Vaporization, Out Form springs into being Only to shatter Into Infinite Shards Still new to this liberation, I breathe.  

People sometimes say that others have to earn their respect.  As you climb up through soft Sierra Nevada footpaths, It sounds discerning and analytical,  kicking up dark brown earth and skirting ferns, like they don’t have time for fools, sloths, … Continue reading →

Sting showed up in Una’s yoga class on Tuesday. She was neatening up the props, the foam blocks and bolsters carelessly tossed onto the deep shelf. The previous class usually left a decidedly funky cloud, so she ran the fan … Continue reading →

Bulldoze my childhood home. Bulldoze used-to-be. I don’t need the cold, clear creek, its banks choked with blackberry vines. I won’t want to visit the mulberry trees, once sticks staked in the lawn, knee-high to nothing. The biggest one now … Continue reading →

Bryan wanted to talk about death, and he decided I was the one to talk to. The first time he brought up the topic was the night before I left after a long visit. I’d been staying with his family … Continue reading →

June is here, and our stories reflect family loss and longing, unexpected meetings, and the solace of nature. We have a few pieces inspired by the recent poetry workshop led by Ben Jackson, a few that were read as part … Continue reading →

Ronald walked anxiously down Montague Place towards Russell Square. Taking care to avoid the cracks between the paving slabs, he approached the pedestrian crossing from the usual side but stopped short of the curb. He looked down at the bright … Continue reading →

People say they knew. You know, like twins or even soul mates. They say, “I just knew something was wrong. I’d had a bad feeling all day.” Or, “I felt it deep down in my core, I knew he was … Continue reading →

 Outside attentive                       raptor eager to feel                           nature under redwoods bits of sky                     through green a single bird calls warm aromas                from forest floor distant hills dappled sunlight           drifts of air an electric saw buzzing a single … Continue reading →