james The prompt:One morning, you (or your narrator) wake up with the tail of a completely different animal. It’s not a curse—it’s paperwork. Write a 250-word (or so) story or prose poem tracing the bureaucratic process of trying to return it. “It’s not so bad,” Gilford offered, “I’m sure it will come in handy.” Gilford made … Read moreAll’s Well That Ends Well
The writing prompt: Misguided Guide Write a 200-word how-to manual for something that should never, under any circumstances, have a manual (examples: how to sneeze politely, how to make friends with a cloud, how to get rid of a hiccup that’s actually a ghost).
Writing prompt: Write a postcard message sent from a place no one could possibly visit (inside a snow globe, tomorrow’s sunset, the bottom of a teacup, etc.). Include at least one cliché postcard phrase like “Wish you were here” or “The weather is lovely.” So glad I joined the crew! Did you know water down … Read moreUNDER PRESSURE
Strong claws Hard shell Tiny arms feed my Sharp mouth As I devour tender tidbits An itch on my back Then my leg Then everywhere A rising fire Ocean-bottom pressure builds Within me A crack Breaks me open A small relief Jerking and twisting From my petrified suit Like escaping a glue trap Pulling and … Read moreBigger Not Better
Basalt boulders pried from farmland Shouldered by optimistic mid-century Kiwanis Under a high desert sky Stacked and cemented An outsized barbecue Centrepoint of a scorched-earth park Tolerable only twice a year During equinox Otherwise too hot too cold too windy for any except An Andean mummy Grey wooden picnic tables splintering and brittle Easy pickings for wasps Cheerfully nesting under … Read morePark for the Undeterred
A small slice in the fruit A foothold for my thumbnail To softly peel skin from flesh An aromatic spray of oil Catches the light Digging under the navel Prying until the central strand of pith Pops Resonating into the fruity sphere Careful progress preserves The rind as a ribbon A sweet-smelling cloak Rumpled on … Read moreNothing(ness) Rhymes With Orange
My book of days and weeks and months Only reads backwards For me, at least It’s all in there Birth, living, death Time ticks I make my way Just another protagonist Unable to see beyond the now Which makes every day A new adventure If adventure is going into the unknown Where anything and nothing … Read moreTime’s Person of the Moment
Reaching out To those hurt by Life’s Big Bad moments Feels like putting my hand In a blender What to say What to do Google poems About loss Not much help Flip through Emily Post To learn the proper manners So sorry for your loss Feels colorless And small Like canned peas I’m also not … Read moreDon’t Speak
Hoary frill Of albino thorns On brittle twigs Spear tips of white Serrate blades of grass Breath uncurls Thin vapor lingers A translucent scarf Stillness No bird chirp No dog bark Soft earth turned to stone Needles of cold Press deeper into skin Pale sky Cloudless Eyes slapped by Blinding white sun Brings a thin … Read moreWalking on the Moon
I want to open a restaurant. Where? Halfway between Boise and Lucky Peak. What’s the name? The Crow Inn. So, it’s a motel? No. That’s sort of confusing. Maybe you’re right. I’ll call it Ben’s Crow Inn. What’s the specialty? Specialty? Yes. Why do people stop? I’m going to serve clams. Clams? In the desert? … Read moreRisky Business