From desert heat they perish, parched and glum.Bare, blinded, and abused they wander longTo quench their thirst; if only they could numbThe sweltering pain and find their long-sought song. In utter darkness desperate children gropeFor something they can’t even name or dream.Eternity inside demands they hope;In whom or what, though, yet remains unseen. Through blinding … Continue reading To Glory
You Don’t Want This Story to Be True, and Here’s Why
You've heard the tale. In the beginning there was nothing. At some point, for some unknown reason—in fact, for no reason whatsoever—that nothing exploded with unimaginable force. Over the course of billions of years, the debris from that cataclysmic event formed the first subatomic particles, which combined to form the first atoms, which combined to … Continue reading You Don’t Want This Story to Be True, and Here’s Why
The Shipwright and His Boat
A boat floated just off the pier, severe The sight, did not appear to quite cohere To scenes the pier was most accustomed to. Despite its watertight design, a crew That knew their ropes by day, by night, frostbite, Sun’s scorching light that did not one affright, The boat moved not a mote, did not … Continue reading The Shipwright and His Boat
He Who Looked On
"Nose against the cardboard, he still smelled each sibling's scent." The tale of the one left behind. Click to read more.
Special Announcement: Poems are Stories, Too
Poems can be stories, too. It didn't dawn on me until recently, but in one of those rare moments of clarity, I just saw it. I've written poems for years, and—duh—some of them have been just as narrative as can be. And so, we though we'd share some with you. Some are appealing. Others dabble … Continue reading Special Announcement: Poems are Stories, Too
Wisdom from the Bathroom
Our bathroom has more scars than it should for a bathroom of its age. That is, it's a lot like the people here. When we moved into our house, there was no indoor toilet or shower. We had an outhouse and a shower head hooked up in what used to be a sauna room sitting … Continue reading Wisdom from the Bathroom
Cries for Help
A three-and-a-half-year-old's voice pierced the darkness between the back and front seat. "Is your husband home already?" she asked Laura. The little girl was sitting beside her mom and younger brother in the back. Laura was driving. "Yeah, he just got home," Laura said, heading down our street en route to their house in the … Continue reading Cries for Help
From Mere Illusions to Real Magic
We stood in the customs line at Rome's Fiumicino International Airport. A sign said E.U. citizens to the left. Visa holders to the right. Everyone else in the middle. We were in the middle—and longest—line. Ahead of us stood a young Korean American couple. They were chatting with two middle-aged women who were just ahead … Continue reading From Mere Illusions to Real Magic
Nine Years and No Children Later
My wife and I have been married for over nine years. In fact, this summer we'll make it ten. Looking back, I thought our lives would follow the pattern I'd seen play out in the lives of so many others. You take it for granted. That's just how things go, right? There's not a category … Continue reading Nine Years and No Children Later
Why You Should Read More Stories
Long past the time when those college history lectures have faded from your memory and all the latest reports of breaking news have blurred together in that vast sea called the inscrutable past, the stories you've heard throughout your life will live on, some as striking as the day you heard them. They're the stories … Continue reading Why You Should Read More Stories