Ghost of a Kung Pao Chicken – Part 1

I'm a server at an Americanized Chinese restaurant. This is based on real experiences: The news confirmed the first local cases on a Tuesday evening, but Nel and Caroline read the news on Wednesday. Nel’s fingers throbbed from the wrong weight of bowling ball as his phone buzzed relentlessly with message after panicked message until … Continue reading Ghost of a Kung Pao Chicken – Part 1 →

“In My Bleak Midwinter” – Day 8 of National Poetry Month

Modeled after "A Christmas Carol" aka "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Christina Rossetti, 1872 In the bleak midwinter Burning sun made blaze; Earth cracked dry as corpses; Water lost to haze; Snow forgotten; snow, what snow? Frozen brow and nose In the tundra of winter lost Long, long ago. Our charge, heaven entrusted, Earth could … Continue reading “In My Bleak Midwinter” – Day 8 of National Poetry Month →

Fears of the Now

Here's a little exercise! What are the fears of the modern day? I don't just mean "clowns and Slenderman." What latent and unresolved notions burrow their way into the modern psyche, whispering frequently and fervently until their refrains becomes a melody of constant dread? We have to know what they are if we're ever to … Continue reading Fears of the Now →

Jane is Basic – A Perfectly Innocent Children’s Story

This is Jane. Jane has a gun. Jane bought her gun at Walmart. Can you buy your gun at Walmart? Jane bought her gun without a citizenship. Isn’t it nice that our constitution works without citizenship? Jane’s gun is an automatic assault rifle with alternating safety, night-vision laser scope, and leather grip. Is your … Continue reading Jane is Basic – A Perfectly Innocent Children’s Story →