lucky charm when i was a child i wanted to be lucky. obsessed with it. maybe i could run into luckiness, not on purpose– get dragged into it. into something better. i closed my eyes,...

“Welcome to Class One! You may call me Equal Ithran!” “Good morning, Equal Ithran,” the new students chorused. “First, I would like to explain my title. Please understand: all of us are...

TRIGGER WARNING: WEIGHT, FOOD, AND BODY HORROR The last item left in my fridge is the half-carton of milk I’ve been surviving on since the rain started. I’m terrified to step on a scale, I’m terrified...

They say we are the future, I take it and I grin. They mean well, I know, but I can’t help the despair seeping in.   Because if they are looking to the future, the now is of the...

As I curl a strand of hair around a finger, I feel the dam break. The water knows it can leave, and a wave forms. It crests, and I can’t breathe, I can’t speak, I don’t want to be...

An Apartment, 2023 A sliver of sun peeks through the window, illuminating my room. It’s just enough to wake me, and when I open my eyes, the previous day comes slamming into my mind like a brick....

The View from Classroom 2210   In the early morning hours, As dawn’s light twitches past autumn-stained leaves, Two sparrows alight the branch outside my window.   Momentarily...

She met someone last spring. They reminded her of a feeling she’d yet to name. Once, when the breeze was warm and their eyes were bright, she couldn't help but smile to herself. She adored them.   Sometimes,...

I am cramped.    I am shoved into this tiny space.    A war rages outside,    Mother tells me it is safer,    My heart tells me she is protecting me.    Anger...

Trace to embrace   Trace the wounds time had left.  Fingertips a spider's-web of healed oopsies and uh-ohs  Embrace the kisses mother nature placed upon your skin, tiny bumps and blemishes...

A Two Room Apartment, 2023 The man in the tank top winces as I gingerly place a bandaid on his arm. For the most part, his wounds are all bruises, covering his face, stomach, and legs. He sits on the...

I’m on FaceTime with my uncle, he shows me the TV.  A reporter stands there talking, til news flash: one, two, and three.    Three cities full of people, told to run and hide. They...