He sat on the curb, the gash in his cheek stinging and pulsating. Blood trickled down his face into the scruffy grey beard along his jaw. His head still spinning, unsure sure if it was from the punch that had laid him out or all the Jim Beam. He watched his breath as he exhaled, looked up and noticed the stars shining brightly. He felt small in that moment. Alone, yet not as alone as usual.… more
Tag Archives: son
Hole
CREATIVE NONFICTION by Brad WetherellThe day my father called to ask if I could help him bury Casey, his golden retriever, I said no, and maybe if I had answered differently this story would be over, but instead he still steps out of his garage with a shovel to dig the hole alone.… more
Truth is Violence, Violence Truth
FICTION by Adam LockViolence is all about the truth. You have to hand it to violence — everyone knows where they are with it.… more
Silence, Father
FICTION by Delvon T. Mattingly“When grandmother passed away, father grew reticent. And I was okay with it, since he abandoned his routine of scolding me for lacking masculinity. Since he didn’t condemn every tear that fell from my face, spewing the same toxic rhetoric of how I needed to emotionally withdraw and appear similar to a parapet wrapped in black derma, to protect everyone around me, just like him. When I thought I would cry most, I felt nothing.”… more
Sometimes The Air Stills
FICTION by Chris Di PlacitoA boy under the cancerous spell of his abusive father. A town under the deprived grip of misogyny and violence. Both stunted and silenced with fear.… more
Fly Away Home
FICTION by Joseph Allen CostaThere was purity and punishment to fighting and a release valve at the end of his fists.
OR…
Sometimes birds lose their way or have an accident.
Sometimes they become victims of predators.… more
Plastic Cactus
CREATIVE NONFICTION by Pete Stevens“Lucky came from Egypt, the land of pharaohs and Cleopatra. Now he was dead in a box in a hole in Midland, Michigan, U.S.A. … more
