World of White

Fresh snow is all around me absorbing every instance of sound, lowering the ambient noise by trapping the air’s vibrations between the snowflakes.…


No Return

He tried so hard to make the bad thoughts go away, but they kept circling. Ideas of self-harm collapsed upon one another, creating an avalanche of…


Chin Check

"Call on Me in the day of trouble, I will rescue you..." --- Psalm 50:15 “Mr. Binns?” “Yes?” “I’m calling about the check you wrote for some…


“I Wrote My Phone Number on a Telephone Pole,” “Raining Since Yesterday Afternoon and it’s Still Raining,” “Father,” and Other Poems

translated by Xi Nan I often say that poetry is a kind of reality. This reality crosses the line between dream and daily life. Some of the following…


Meth and Honey Jar

She says she is gonna kill herself after I take a phone call with a writer friend, so I go into the bathroom and lock the door. I stand there and…


Field Recording

I looked over at Connor and saw he really needed to ash his cigarette. Before it all fell to the ground, I noticed how it almost matched his eyes,…


Don’t Make the World Worse

“Don’t make the world worse” was Iggy’s mantra. He thought this while overlooking the point where the Santa Ana River feeds into the ocean. He…


Ensnared, Part 2

After 20 minutes of looking at the videos that consumed Frank Lecher’s soul and free time, Stacy figured that Frank Lecher was either an idiot or an…


Ensnared, Part 1

Stacy and her parents had come to an understanding. In order to avoid bloodshed, a socially distanced vacation would be a really good idea. Summer…


Midnight Garage Sale

I. Victor held his breath as he got near her frail body. He slammed an old dirty sock in his mother’s mouth, tired of all the screaming and violent…