He leaned on the sleeping family dog. He could feel her warm chest expanding and contracting. Mom cleaned the kitchen. He pumps clicked on the linoleum as she traced the perimeter with her broom. Her blond curls bounced as she worked in short, smart twitches. She orbited the kitchen in concentric circles, flicking dust and […]
Waiting for the Bus
The Greyhound wouldn’t leave for 12 hours. Sixteen hours since Dave ate the Mars bar. Thirty-two hours since the wreck on the Bay Bridge. His stomach was a snake hugging a stick. Bedroll in hand, he inched along Market street against busy people, scowling rocks rolling by in a flood. He caught a whiff of […]
Alligator Crossing
The flat bumped as he pulled to the shoulder before a sign that read, “Alligator Crossing.” Taped to the post below the sign, shining in the sunset, was a flier with the title, “Lost Dog.” He looked in the trunk. No jack.
Sentinels in the twilight
I remember them on their horses; ghosts floating with the mist on the mountain grass. I squatted by my Norton Commando motorcycle as the late-day August heat wafted off the asphalt. The engine and exhaust pipes tinkled as they cooled. I was on my way to Portland, but took a scenic route through the Shoshone […]