Tag Archives: Bob Thurber

BOB THURBER: The Beginning of the Beginning

Artistic, Submissions, ,

One night, after bedtime stories and goodnight kisses,
the parents of God left the door open a tiny crack,
allowing a sliver of light to shine through.
It was just enough illumination for God to make shadows dance on the wall,
before it was time to wonderfully dream about everything.

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.

BOB THURBER: Surprise Ending

Artistic, Submissions, Top Stories, , , ,

My date never showed, never texted.
I sat through the entire movie alone.
The boy didn’t get the girl. They went their separate ways.
The end of the movie was the end of the world. The screen faded to black.
There were no credits, no music. The silence felt right.

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.

BOB THURBER: Midnight Rendezvous

Artistic, Poetry, Submissions, Top Stories, , , ,

Meet me in the marsh, beside the pond near the windmill.
There are willows there, Cattails, distant hills, tree frogs and katydids.
No sign of anyone.
I’ll bring a boat made of folded newspaper.
We’ll watch the moon climb through the branches.
You can never see it all at once.

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.

BOB THURBER: Last Chapter of A Living Fairy Tale

Submissions, Touching, ,

When he sees his wife rousing from her nap he flips the book open and recites the ending again.

She blinks several times, slowly bringing his face and his voice into focus.

Her apple-green eyes look no different now than the first time.

“I love that story,” she says, smiling.

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.

BOB THURBER: The Glassblower’s Son

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

The boy fashioned a tiny bird with arched wings.
Twists and swirls in the glass resembled feathers.
He placed the bird in his father’s calloused hands.
The old man, who was blind, held the bird without looking.
He pressed two fingers to the glass, as though feeling for a pulse.

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.

BOB THURBER: Sanctuary

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

In my room of books, a tower of hardcovers supports a lamp. Neat short stacks serve as low tables. Even the bookcases are constructed of books supporting books, the volumes compacted pyramid-style. Old dogeared pillowy paperbacks are available to sit upon or kneel upon, depending on your degree of devotion.

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.

BOB THURBER: Lost At Sea

Artistic, Submissions, , , , ,

The widowed captain drank himself into a sorry state. The wind shifted and his life tilted toward the horizon. To right the ship, psychologically speaking, he steered straight for an iceberg, planning to execute a last-minute maneuver known as the bump and run. Rumors of his survival continue to circulate.

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.

BOB THURBER: Note On A Sister’s Death (For Dee, 1953 — 2024)

Submissions, Touching, ,

The writing was blurred. The paper had yellowed. All the ink was smudged. We could make little sense of the meaning, barely identify a word, but still detect a voice, feel the breathlessness. Somewhere behind a locked door a child’s shuddering sobs reverberated strong enough to make the walls shake.

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.

BOB THURBER: A Note From My Octogenarian Father

Artistic, Submissions, Touching, , ,

Good news, son. Your mom has returned from the dead in the form of my hygienist.
She’s slightly shorter than you’ll remember, with darker hair and a softer, rather melodious voice,
but there’s absolutely no doubt once you get a good long look into those bright lovely blue mothering eyes.

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.

BOB THURBER: The Curse of Never-mind

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

It’s not true she wished him dead. She never wished him harm.
The real story is she wished him nothing — no pain, no suffering, no joy, no love.
She wished him no part of living, no trace, no participation.
She cursed all memory of him. In herself and everyone else.

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.