Phantasmagoria

As she mused over the whereabouts of the missing monks, a gust of wind tugged at her haori, and the reedy, distant laughter of children seemed to momentarily vanish from the chilled air. She took another wary step down the mountain path, but paused. There shouldn't be children on the mountain this late at night.

Remember When We Were

I believe that I have developed an odd sensibility about men and women, at least as I depict them in my poetry. I suppose I could track this arrested notion to my interactions with my mother, but I would rather not open myself up to Oedipal comparisons, so let's assume this mild distortion was formulated …

It was a most troubling delivery

It was a most troubling delivery for Godot's Bistro. Clearly, the newest methamphetamines prescribed to his now second-favorite sous-chef did precisely their job in handling their worsening ADHD symptoms by obliterating a sense of general rationality altogether. "I must have... missed a decimal or two on the distributor's tags," the distressed sous-chef exclaimed, breaking out …

Endless Morning Sun

The eclipse behind my mind blots out the sun in imperfect ink droplets, radiating malignant rays of pain. The acrid smell of stale beer mixes with the bitter tang of discarded cigarette butts - a sumptuous bouquet of regret. I want to die, or just lie in bed until the crimson sun bursts from the …

Alone on January 2, 2012

I took the train out from North York, staring at my phone and the last three messages I sent into the silent, digital maw. I bit back bitter tears, thinking that maybe I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time... with the wrong person. Luckily, most wrong places have train stations out.

Fear, Utterly Reviled By Years

I thought she'd slam the door on me, but she hurdled over the couch, sheer panic on her sweat-sheened face. I whipped around and drove my shoulder into the door, forcing it against the horror on our heels. "What does it want!?" Just on the other side of the door, we heard it coo: "U-nye-loo-lay-doo?" …

A Beautiful Night

She slid closer, wrapping the blanket tighter around her shoulders, murmuring softly under her frosted breath as she fought against blessed sleep. The other put out her cigarette, complaining idly about the cold while thinking about love and loss. The one who dragged them both outside smiled as lights streaked across the sky. "Beautiful night." …

A Meeting between Friends

I arrived at the coffee shop near Midland early. I was always early when it came to friendly meetings. (Yes, I know that it was rude to be late, but if that was really true, then for those who come too early, weren't you forcing the others to become late on your behalf?) I felt …

After the Night

The sound of the door closing wrenched him from his drunken slumber and into the crushing reality of consciousness. He groaned, the sour smell of cheap beer and bad sex clinging to him like a film. Blearily he reached for his glasses and instead found a note written in crisp lettering: "Hopefully see you tonight?" …

The Anticipation of a Moment

He sighed, leaning back with a look of thoughtful contemplation, then returned to the manuscript. Another smoked beside the window, reading, brows furrowed. She watched them eagerly, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Well?" someone said. A moment of silence dawned with the sun, pregnant with effort, skill, and no little amount of divine inspiration. "It's perfect." …