William Stanley Merwin passed away earlier today

and tonight there is something seriously wrong with the sky.

The moon is misaligned, hung crookedly low, a cockeyed smile

and all around there’s something the matter with the stars,

those that shine, those that hide, and those that blink like signal flares.

Bob Thurber is the author of “Paperboy: A Dysfunctional Novel” and two collections of stories. A celebrated master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in 60 anthologies, received dozens of awards, and been used in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts where, though legally blind, he continues to write every day. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.