Thoughts While Waiting by Elizabeth Templeman
What did I think, then, in those years biding my time, waiting?
"Suffragette" by Amy Stonestrom
My second favorite thing about going to church was coming home to the bubbling carrots, onions and pork or beef that stewed while we were putting in our time on the hard benches listening to Pastor Johnson. Suddenly hungry, Dad pulled a few Oreos out of the cupboard for us and then heated left-over coffee on the stove. It was a cool summer morning and I shivered in my sundress and shawl as I munched my snack, watching as black crumbs fell on the white Formica of the breakfast counter.
"Night and Day" By Marni Berger
I’m waking from a sad dream. In the dream, my husband Leo is uncharacteristically crying at me, saying, “When was the last time we were really happy?”
“Details” by Mary Higbee
“What do you mean illegal?” I ask.
The only sound is the metallic ring of the spoon on the china cup as my dad stirs sugar into his coffee. It takes several seconds before he looks at me across the table and answers, “It’s illegal to scatter ashes on a public site.”
"Emboli" by Jennifer Phipps
Last weekend you wore long, loose shorts. Your workout clothes— billowing, breathable black t-shirt and those silky, baggy shorts—obstructed my view. I’d wanted to see your legs. But when I say your legs, you know what I really mean. I wanted to see your thighs. We exchanged details about our son, but then you left.
"Aubergine" by Cara Lynn Albert
“His name is Eggplant,” said John as we examined his dying fish inside the large aquarium in the middle of his living room. This was before we started dry humping on his couch, but after he confessed to me that he was a convicted felon.