Flash Frog
Small. Brightly colored. Deadly to the touch.
Category: Uncategorized
Your Mouth a Tether by DC Restaino
You latch on hard, quick, for your nightly feeding. P tries to distract me while he brushes his teeth. Pokes fun at my dramatics. “Finally putting that theatre degree to use,” he says as he creases the rags used to mop up my leaking… Continue Reading “Your Mouth a Tether by DC Restaino”
Nevada by Evan Fleischer
Cacti growing in the bowling alley. Honky-tonk playing on a PA system that’s so weak it sounds like the music is coming from some distant shore. All this set amongst sunshine of drifting dust. A man reads a book by Tom Robbins behind the… Continue Reading “Nevada by Evan Fleischer”
Watch Me Close by Alex Juffer
There’s a very small woman who lives in my ductwork. I’ve seen her bright pinprick eyes between the vent panels tracking me as I do Youtube yoga in my living room. I pretend I don’t see her. For her sake, or mine. I can’t… Continue Reading “Watch Me Close by Alex Juffer”
Do Not Overtighten by Darryl J. Benjamin
My husband is building a spacecraft in our garage. An actual spacecraft from RYMDFARTYG, IKEA’s troubled cousin. Seventeen flat-pack boxes. 847 steps. The neighbor’s dog won’t stop barking at it. Sometimes screws hover before settling. Six months now. “Does the spacecraft frighten you?” our… Continue Reading “Do Not Overtighten by Darryl J. Benjamin”
Swimming Lessons by Karina Ko
She came childless. Amongst our clutter on the concrete bench, she sat with her designer tote bag. A blue shark hooded towel and a rainbow bottle peeked out. We watched her watch the pool, the skin around her eyes worn. We masked our unease.… Continue Reading “Swimming Lessons by Karina Ko”
Good Friday at the Chickadee Poultry Farm by Frankie McMillan
Our parents didn’t believe in the Easter bunny. They said it wasn’t the real story. And instead of us kids chowing down on chocolate eggs we were in the chook shed grading the real ones. Picking feathers from the shitty eggs, wiping them clean… Continue Reading “Good Friday at the Chickadee Poultry Farm by Frankie McMillan”
Flight by Jane Wageman
Our first place is near the airport. We sit on the balcony some evenings and watch the planes rip into the sky. The space fits two folding chairs so close our knees touch. Flying makes me anxious but before it did, I used to… Continue Reading “Flight by Jane Wageman”
Future Tense by Anna Mantzaris
On Friday I’ll move. On Saturday I’ll get a new job. On Sunday I’ll find a new husband. On Monday I’ll move. On Tuesday I’ll get another job. On Wednesday I’ll decide I don’t want a husband. On Thursday I’ll move into a place… Continue Reading “Future Tense by Anna Mantzaris”
Splinter by Melissa Bandy
I wait until the last possible second to bother him about the splinter. He needs his rest, and my discomfort is so trivial. But it is wedged in my heel, a place where I can’t contort my body to get an adequate grip, and… Continue Reading “Splinter by Melissa Bandy”
Rosie Finger Donne by Robert Long Foreman
Rosie Finger talked about nature versus nurture, about which one decides the course we take through life. She thought they played equal roles, that the way we were raised and the parts we were born with conspire to shape us. I agreed, because to… Continue Reading “Rosie Finger Donne by Robert Long Foreman”