If you’re ever in Judge S’s courtroom, remain alert. Literal-minded, he once threw the book—Exhibit A in a plagiarism case—at a sleepy defendant. During criminal trials, an overhead projector displays pertinent statutes on the ceiling: a graphic reminder from His Honor that no one is above the law.
John H. Dromey has contributed to a wide variety of online and print publications.
Let’s make—
up – ah, good, but it was your fault
a face – nah, na, na, nah, nah
due – that’s enough, eh
a difference – good for us
believe – ah, that’s cute
up – no, it was my fault
it better – we’re both at fault
And so
out – umm, that’s new, yes, ooh!
Dee Artea found a creative voice at the age of 77, three years ago, from which emerged a variety of short stories and poems – many of which have been published in online journals and magazines such as Mono, Altered Reality, CommuterLit, Tilted House, and Bewildering Stories.
On the links, Bernie wasn’t feeling quite up to par. Was it a stroke? Too many irons in the fire?
It teed him off to leave the game, but the discomfort was off-putting. Thankfully, his doctor diagnosed harmless palpitations.
Nevertheless, no one begrudged Bernie putting his heart before the course.
Lisa Chambers is a Texas writer always honored to be featured here.
“I have reason to believe my wife has a sleep disorder but is keeping it from me so I won’t worry.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The other day I happened to overhear her on the phone, lamenting to a friend that every morning she wakes up with a jerk.”
Jim Courter’s short stories have appeared in the United States, Canada, and England. He is a Pushcart Prize nominee and has won an Illinois Arts Council award for short fiction. His essays have appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Smithsonian, and on the op-ed pages of the Chicago Tribune and The Wall Street Journal. His mystery novel, Rhymes with Fool, was published in 2018 by Peasantry Press. First Things First: Ephemera and Offscourings of a Distracted Writer, a collection of essays, humor, and short stories, was published in 2019.
Lou came flush to the game, with a wad of twenties, fifties, and hundreds. After winning that first hand, with a flush, he felt flush with victory. By midnight—broke, embarrassed—he knew he’d been taken.
He went to the bathroom. Finished, he thought, I’ll show them. He didn’t flush.
Jim Courter’s short stories have appeared in the United States, Canada, and England. He is a Pushcart Prize nominee and has won an Illinois Arts Council award for short fiction. His essays have appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Smithsonian, and on the op-ed pages of the Chicago Tribune and The Wall Street Journal. His mystery novel, Rhymes with Fool, was published in 2018 by Peasantry Press. First Things First: Ephemera and Offscourings of a Distracted Writer, a collection of essays, humor, and short stories, was published in 2019.
She wore the pink bow
which would grace her trousseau
as her new beau would row
down the river, so peaceful,
so lovely and slow.
But when he saw how
she was watching me now
as I gazed from a bough,
I decided I’d better
bow out of that row.
Ken Gosse usually writes short, rhymed, light poetry but sometimes departs from that. First published in First Literary Review–East in November 2016, later in The Offbeat, Pure Slush and others. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, now retired, he and his wife have lived in Mesa, AZ, over twenty years.
It has been theorized that the universe materialized out of nothingness, the past and future exist simultaneously in the present, and mere observation affects and alters reality.
It could be said that what we see as ‘now here’ was made possible by a space created in the middle of ‘nowhere’.
Pontius Paiva’s stories are as intangible as the consciousness they spawn from. Abstract proof of his existence can be found at pontiuspaiva.com
Introduced by a mixologist, Stan was a zoologist, Evie a geologist. They lived in a metropolis, were happily monogamous, their lives never monotonous. Then Evie saw a gynecologist, who sent her to a virologist.
Stan wasn’t a monogamist.
Evie thought him the rottenest. He’s at the ER with a proctologist.
Originally from Toronto, Janet Koops now calls Bend, Oregon home. When she is not sitting at her computer, she is exploring the high desert with her husky.
Carol had never understood Bob. A prominent attorney, he always crossed his t’s and dotted his i’s, but he couldn’t put down a toilet seat.
She filed a complaint; they settled out of court.
She said she simply wouldn’t stand for it anymore, so he agreed not to.
They’re still married.
Susan Gale Wickes lives in Indiana. This is her first story about a toilet seat.
Misha suddenly said: “I don’t like homophones.”
I asked her why not.
“Because they’re dangerous,” she said.
“Do you mean ‘people who are anti-gay?'” I asked.
She laughed. “Oh, yeah. Wrong word.”
I agreed with her anyway.
Then I wondered weather she wished she had rather not said that allowed.
Henry lives in Somerset in the UK. He likes jazz flute.