A couple with full sleeve tats, neon hair, chains, and studs passed me in the housewares aisle.
“Look at the cute butterflies on this plate,” she said.
“I wrote an essay on butterflies in prison,” he said. “Did you know they migrate to Mexico?”
“Butterflies are free,” she said.
Sarah Russell writes short stuff — mostly poetry and flash. There’s more like “Overheard…” at SarahRussellPoetry.net.
They first came during Covid, the only bright spot of lockdown, one brown head, one red, building their nest in a faded holiday wreath. Every morning I said hello and made small talk, maybe to remind myself I still knew how, and the house finches cocked their heads and listened.
Rebecca J. Cuthbert wrote this story.
I just looked up at the sky,
It was an incandescent blue.
The sun rays dancing in my hair.
I picked a dandelion and blew it away.
“This could be the last time”, I thought
I was coming from my last chemo session
The doctor did not have much hope.
Ellie Nik is a teacher/researcher who lives in Sydney, Australia. She writes as a way of self-discovery.
Roof leaks fried our chandelier, killing our fan.
Rains flooded our lanai.
Ghost ants, millipedes, and palmetto bugs began invading our Florida space.
The spouse duct-taped and I sprayed and prayed.
Surrendering, we packed up our car on March 31
as two frogs hopped across our living room, waving goodbye.
Linda Freedland is an artist and published writer of poetry and short shorts. You can find more of her stories on the Adirondack Center for Writers website. She calls Albany, New York home.
For the longest time she didn’t know what it was, but it was very simply the writing.
The style, the cadence, the rhythms, the pace.
The psychological connection with the reader.
One day she met the reader and that reader was herself.
The hypercritical, intolerant, easily distracted, easily bored version.
Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Regarded as a master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in Esquire and other magazines, been anthologized 60 times, received a long list of awards, and been utilized in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.
Ever since the bump to six-letter words, Kate’s average greatly increased. Yesterday’s took an unprecedented-for-her six guesses to solve. Phew.
Presently, her doorbell rang.
Two agents introduced themselves. “We need your help with a code.”
“Why me?”
“You were the only one who solved yesterday’s Wordle.”
“I’ll get my coat.”
Dave Myers (he/him) admits that he’s addicted to Wordle and all its derivatives.
Everyone stared at their phones.
Jack dodged someone but bumped into another. He hated phones but—
Coughing and retching caught his ear. Jack turned to see someone convulsing, phone stuck to his face. Blood spewed from his eyes. Then another, and another…
Jack bolted, dialing 911, then realized his mistake.
Joey has a phone. He also has a website at joeytoey.com.au.
I don’t know which haunts more: bombs exploding or the eerie silence that follows. The aftermath… Lives taken. Property destroyed. Devastation complete. Birds no longer grace the skies, their morning songs gone silent. The quiet of nothingness hovers as the dust settles upon the ruins. And rubble makes no sound.
Alyce Clark will continue to pray for peace.
Displaced people exchanging pieces of
their shattered love
with friends and family at the station.
Those left behind
Forge those shards of loss into love of country,
sharpened and breast pocketed
over hearts beating with courage and hate
and told by their blood
to seek the blood
of their oppressor.
Stephen Tilden is retired and giving voice to yet another outrage that we are facing.
Editor: May we all work towards peace so that no blood need be shed, Ukrainian or Russian or otherwise.
Their ships dropped from the clear Winter night like angels, the air as brittle as our so-called civilisation. By Spring we were defeated, but too stubborn to surrender. Summer turned, the Resistance organised itself, and we began to hope. But we would never see the stars the same way again.
Alastair Millar is an archaeologist by training, a translator by trade, and lives in the Czech Republic. His flash fiction can be found through linktr.ee/alastairmillar and he lurks on Twitter at @skriptorium.