Tag Archives: cute

KEN GOSSE: Two Little Words Are Not Too Few

Amusing, Poetry, Submissions, , , , ,

I’d like to say a word or two before I go to bed,
and maybe I would write them down if they were in my head,
but since they’re not, I haven’t got a lot of words to write,
and so, instead of writing them, I’ll simply say, “Good night.”

Ken Gosse usually writes whimsical, rhymed verse. First published in First Literary Review–East in November 2016, later in Pure Slush, Home Planet News, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Spillwords, and many others. Raised in Chicago suburbs, now retired, he and his wife live in Mesa, AZ, with rescue dogs and cats.

SAM VAN DER LUGT: Stone

Artistic, Submissions, , , , ,

We visited you today. I think she’s too young to understand. She asked me if you turned into a stone.

“Kind of,” I said.

“Why a gray stone?” she asked. “Why not blue or orange or purplegreen?”

I shrugged.

She thought you should have at least dressed up a little.

Sam van der Lugt is a writer and anthropologist based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He’s working on some short stories and a PhD thesis. Sometimes, he wonders what to do with all of this existence.

JOANNA NORLAND: A Curious Tale

Amusing, Submissions, , , ,

A  young question mark stretches, re-curls his crook and sets off to find The Answer.

Rushing past commas, (swerving around parentheticals) – dashing past hyphens – he skids at last to a full stop.

“I’ve finally reached the point!” he exults.

But then, he spots another.  And a third… leading… elliptically… onwards…

Joanna Norland is a playwright and writing coach who loves the fifty word format as a testing ground for new ideas. The creativity and craft of her fellow contributors are a perennial inspiration and spur.

JOANNA ALEXANDRA NORLAND: Sticks and Stones

Artistic, Submissions, Touching, , , , ,

She seized a stick and scrawled “I love you” in the sand.
He chose a boulder and sharpened his chisel.
All afternoon, he scored, hammered and chipped.
He called to her at last to present his reply.
By then, she had skipped away and the tide had erased her words.

Joanna Alexandra Norland’s plays, including Lizzy, Darcy and Jane, and Mothers Have Nine Lives, have been produced on four continents.

THOMAS MALLOCH: Permanently Marked

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , ,

We were comparing tattoos, grandad and me. His was a dot in the palm of his hand, charcoal grey.

“Two lessons,” he said. “One: never catch a falling pencil, especially when it’s just been sharpened.”

He paused, eyes distant.

“And number two?”

A grimace. “Not all mistakes can be erased.’”

Thomas Malloch began writing in retirement. Short stories and Flash fiction mostly. Sometimes, he even gets published.

GABE BONNEY: Gen Real

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

It’s a sight to behold, that slick of teenagers commuting home from the beach. All salt-encrusted eyelashes and lobstery shoulders, screeching like a murder of crows.

Time travelling. My youth—I can almost reach out and touch it.

The train window reflects my denuded reality… but I’m still 1985 inside!

Gabe has been writing and editing for 30 years, from her home base in Sydney, Australia. She doesn’t plan on being replaced by AI any time soon.

MIRIAM N KOTZIN: The Big One-Way

Adventure, Artistic, Submissions, , , , , ,

On my last visit, Granny fretted. Were the aliens treating Grandpa right? Until now she’d opined that if aliens could do space travel, they shootin’-sure could do the wash and fix a proper dinner. A blessing Grandpa wasn’t fussy about his meals or collars. Her faith in Him remained unshakable.

Miriam N. Kotzin writes fiction and poetry. She is the author of five collections of poetry, two collections of short fiction, and two novels—most recently the novel Right This Way (Spuyten Duyvil). Her 50-word stories have been published in 50-Word Stories, 50 Give or Take, and Blink Ink. She teaches literature and creative writing at Drexel University.

SUZAN LINDSAY RANDLE: The Bookcase

Amusing, Submissions, , , , , ,

I gazed longingly at the mahogany shelves, fingers itching. He’d left the key in the glass door.

As soon as his back was turned, I made my move. Ignoring the silver trophies on display, I slipped ‘Pride and Prejudice’ inside.

It was only one book but it was a start.

Suzan Lindsay Randle writes flash fiction, short stories and pocket novels. She lives in the UK.

S JANAKI: My Other Boyfriend is a Mango

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

He was charming, golden, and soft around the edges. Said he was seasonal but didn’t mention how short that season was. I kept the pit after he left. Planted it in winter, but nothing grew. Sometimes I check the dirt anyway, just in case he changes his mind about permanence.

S. Janaki is a writer and college student based in the Midwest. She likes updating her Goodreads, long walks, and the way Adrienne Lenker writes about futures that never happened.

LAURENCE CARR: In the Village

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

In the village just after dawn, we can visit the old man who carves names on memorial stones. He’ll serve us tea and toast; he likes to talk to those who come by. He’ll call us his children. but don’t tell him your name. His chisels are always within reach.

Laurence Carr lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. His book of poems and short essays is Strides: reflections on 6 acres, with images by artist Edward M. O’Hara. Others include: Paradise Loft, (CAPS Press and Lightwoodpress); Traverse, a collaboration with artist Power Boothe. Pancake Hollow Primer, won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for first novel. This and two poetry collections, Threnodies: poems in remembrance and The Wytheport Tales are published by Codhill Press. Laurence is currently the publisher of Lightwood, an online arts and culture magazine. www.carrwriter.com and Lightwoodpress.com