I cherish a single cherry blossom, encased in a miniature glass cube and nestled in a niche of a small display case. A secret remembrance of my heart beating wildly, of an instantaneous, electric, fleeting connection. No one else will ever know. A gift from my very own passing ship.
Eileen delights in turning life events into micro fiction, daring friends and family to search for the kernel of truth that inspired.
A beautiful lifeguard raced towards me, a sinking ship not worth saving. Her black hair flowed like a flag. Her eyes were brighter than the ring I had returned to the jewelry store. She examined me like a pearl that was more than an irritant thrown away by a clam.
Jerome has work in Flying South, Vestal Review, among others. He is hard at work on a novel.
Curled up on his lap, she’d tell stories about cities lit by fireflies and flying to the moon on pancakes.
He watched the sparkles in her eyes fade away in deep melancholy, her defiance repelling him. He wants his daughter back, but the teen in her has a firmer grip.
Chidi lives in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. He’s a teacher and a photographer who loves reading and writing short stories.
He steps off the train. He looks around expecting her to be there. She said she would meet him. It is why he came. She does not answer her phone. As the night approaches, he gets a text message, waits patiently for the next train back to where he started.
Lou Faber is a poet and short story writer living in Florida. His work has appeared internationally and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Over the rainbow,
may your dream be
a wise scarecrow
who sets you free;
a kiss from a frog
who’d been a prince
and lived in a bog—
a king ever since;
perchance a bean
swapped for a cow,
wonder foreseen
someday, somehow.
Fun roads to take
till you’re awake.
Ken Gosse prefers writing short, rhyming, humorous poetry. First published in First Literary Review–East in November 2016, he has also been published by Pure Slush, Home Planet News Online, 50 Word Stories, and other publications. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, now retired, he and his wife have lived with dogs and cats underfoot in Mesa, AZ, over twenty-five years.
Editor’s Note: This poem is a slightly modified presentation of a “minison,” which you can learn more about at theminisonproject.com.
My prenatal name was “IT”.
“Congratulations! When will ‘it’ arrive?”
Then I was “Baby”, spitting image of Grandpa, but that was fixed.
My juvenile names: “Kid” and “Hey you”.
My army names: “Private”, “Dogface” and “!%*#”.
Finally came “Sweetheart”, “Hubby”, and soon, “Daddy”.
“It junior” is expected in the spring.
Gene Newman is a retired old guy (90 yrs) and former New Jersey journalist and columnist. Read more at GeneNewmanImagineThat.com.
The trick is in appearing unsteady while being in total control. She slides her feet along the wire. Waiting far below, he cranes his neck, holds his breath in tune with the rapt audience.
For these two, it’s just a job. When she falls he is ready. Work. Life. Balance.
Clodagh O Connor lives in Dublin, Ireland and has always loved reading. She is working on becoming a writer, but constantly distracts herself with wet felting, origami, bird watching, cycling, haiku writing, baking, reading and internet rabbit holes.
Wind-whipped snow devils lash out, stinging the cheek exposed above her scarf. She brushes away the frost gluing her eyelashes, lowers her head, and lopes off into the deepening snow. She chooses a spot, her skin now puffed fur, and burrows in. Curls up. Wedges her snout between her paws.
Louella Lester, a Winnipeg (Canada) writer/photographer, has been published in many journals and anthologies. Her book, Glass Bricks (At Bay Press, April 2021), is a quirky look at work. See more at https:/louellalester.blog.
The story of the week for January 30 to February 3 is…
Postcards by Susan Gale Wickes
She brought meaning to the life of the old inventor. Yet before today, she never even knew he existed. Her thoughts and feelings came as a surprise to them both. Over the years they learned and laughed, even loved.
It was obvious he had built more than “just a robot.”
Pontius Paiva tries his best to bring characters to life and can be found tinkering away on multiple projects at pontiuspaiva.com.