Tornado Watch Interesting weather, all that wind. The frustrated trees rub like cogs fingering gears. You and I – awkward commentators, cosmonauts reflecting on the blue. In Russia, love eat you. Branches ache for release over powerlines. I can’t watch anymore, afraid of unseeing, like the sick terror look of that big mouse as the [...]
The dog snarled like a hound of hell, haunches raised which caused the fur along his spine to rise up in a mighty stripe. Dripping fangs born towards his prey helped finish the image. He circled the small boy before him, each step calculated and exact to keep him within attacking position. The boy stood [...]
My brother and his wife live in a cozy little farm house on a hundred-some-odd acre farm outside of Bowling Green, KY. They share the space with a retired bird-dog named Chief (Chiefo!), a largely absent barn-loving cat named Della, four chickens that keep them well stocked in rich-yolked fresh eggs, and the various rats, [...]
I’m cheating a bit with this one. My submission well has run a bit dry, so I’m just making up titles and picking interesting words out of my iTunes track list to use with those titles. Title: Intravenous Electric Fire Word: Metastatic 200 words the dark side of the bright and shining future: Sitting in [...]
Sushi Rice Do this: Rinse and drain the white grains on clean pale linen. Do this instead of thinking. In a yellow ceramic bowl, buff rice in water between fingers and palms til rain clouds emerge. Rinse. Lost in the process. I am lost. My arms around your hollow ribs – not like a daughter. [...]
Info: There are too many stories to be told in Our Fair City. Here are a few I’ve been privy to, including protest against (and celebration of) new development, the rising trends of both teen pregnancy as well as stay-at-home dads, a special field trip for some artistically minded youth and the never-ending debate over [...]
Title: White Cadillacs Word: Gratuitous Submitted by Laurel. 200 words about the unraveling of things: It was too damn hot for a funeral. Looking up, he squints into the sun and wishes that this could be like one of those funerals in movies – all rainy and grey. At least it would be cooler then. [...]
“Come on now boy, no time for lazing about now, there’s crops to bring in!” The Fat Man’s voice bubbled with orneriness and annoyance as he passed by. On his left shoulder he carried a bale of corn stalks, with his right hand he reached out and clouted the boy upon the back of his [...]
Curar -Spanish- to treat or cure; to heal What would I drive South for? Curar. You and debt and Jesus. Your Daddy’s gun and long legs, tall as blue herons, tall as telephone poles. You wear best the ripped white shirt, the gnarl of garden dirty rheumatic hands. Tattooed, I am stamped by you, by [...]
Rockuary Rockuary II Rock-arch Rockril Rock Rock! (Note the use of an exclamation point to differentiate Rock from Rock!) Rockly Rockust Rocktember Rocktober Rockvember Countdown to Rockin’ New Year’s Eve
“Oh it’s so nice to see you back to yourself once again!” Father bubbled over with glee as he took in the man before him. Fat Man smiled warmly in the beams of sunlight coming through the front window. ”Feels good to be back!” The group stood in awkward silence, the only sound to be [...]
I managed to briefly meet and photograph the current governor of Tennessee as well as both gubernatorial candidates this week and was left with an overwhelming sensation of, oh I don’t want to say hopelessness, … hmm…, dread?, no no. How about numb indifference? Too intense? Well, you get the idea.
Title: The Last Light Word: Tantalizing Submitted by Laurel. 200 words about the fear and fearlessness of love: Dinner had been an unequivocal disaster. It had started off nice enough. She looked lovely, the food looked amazing. But somewhere around whiskey four, he’d said something monumentally stupid. Something along the lines of marriage being nothing [...]
Maybe you have seen the signs around town -Charlotte Bergmann Can Win. It is so great to see Republican political campaigns catch up with their overall commitment to mediocrity. Charlotte Bergmann Can Win is absolutely the least they can say about her. It’s non-committal, vague, and in no way speaks to her values, morals, experience or person. [...]
After nearly 18 years as the mayor of Memphis, Willie Herenton abruptly resigned announcing a bid to run for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional district. Herenton, who’s campaign seemed to center on race, was soundly defeated by a 4-1 margin in the Democratic primary by incumbent Steve Cohen. I had the good fortune to photograph “King” Willie [...]
The young boy sat upon the floor cradling his unconscious father upon his lap. Fear consumed his features as he took in the brutish man standing upon his doorstep within the ruins of the entryway. He glanced over to see Dog sitting to the side looking at the man with a quizzical cock of his [...]
Other than people with crippling agoraphobia, everyone loves eating out. Nonetheless, not every dining experience is positive. Here are some failed restaurants that simply didn’t delight the ever fickle foodie public and an explanation as to why they didn’t make it : 1. The Surly Frenchman – Poor service combined with a terrible name for [...]
A linocut of the legendary haggis, based on reports from the few people who see the haggis and don’t get their faces chewed off…
I love the last three lines. The stage lights were hot, and the suit trapped my sweat, making me even more uncomfortable. Which was hard to imagine considering how poorly my last joke had gone over. My large green guest was narrowing his…eye holes? Oh, God, wait, those are mouths. The alien was trying to [...]
