What’s your favorite color? My environmental receptors Perceive energy at all wavelengths Some of which humans have Divided Into seven adorable categories radio microwave infrared optical ultraviolet x-ray and gamma ray. What humans call Color Occurs in the so-called optical range A grossly unscientific name Since many animals perceive far beyond it. Energy is a … Read moreThe (AI) Critic
Every driver eyes The Vietnam vet Riding his scooter Bouncing along the sidewalk Top heavy Taking curb cuts without Slowing Tilting Into traffic and Teetering On the brink of ruin But just as quickly Righted Even though every pebble makes it Shimmy And Shudder He rolls onward The tiny American flag fully erect From the … Read moreApace
Pumping legs Faster faster faster Muscles burning Near collapse Then glide Lean out over handlebars Flying Then slower And slower Willing the bike to coast until The lip of the hill And somehow It works again. Low flying Slow flying Under the radar Then as now Such fun.
As cow thirty-seven lazily chewed its cud, Morris steadied himself against her flank. The cow lived with many others in a university research lab developing algae-based cattle feed that didn’t taste like a beached herring. The entire herd had windows on their sides opened as easily as a can of soda, connecting one of their … Read moreMapping the Inner Cow
“Stop it,” Tim said. “C’mon, give it a try. It’s fun,” Winnie replied. “You’re wasting electricity.” “It’s not a waste if it’s for the health and safety of the crew. I’m the crew, and this keeps me from going crazy,” Winnie smiled. “I don’t think there’s an activity that’s going to bring you back from … Read moreFeeling Gravity’s Pull
Orville clung to his mother’s pelt; a wobbly passenger new to the world. Through squinty eyes he observed his mother’s steady progress as she went from termite mound, to rotted tree, to jakalberry grove. He considered her whip-like tongue collecting insects and fruit at a mad pace while she remained serene. Several times a day … Read moreBaited Breath
Teddy was typing at top speed–just over ten words per minute. He feared an error that may cause him to start over by melting his block of letters. Fifteen months on the linotype and he was no faster than the day he began, but he seldom made a mistake. In the time he could complete … Read moreOperator Error
Squatting in the dark a mile underground, a feeble headlight her only illumination, Rene fiddled with a coffee can and double boiler. She leased time from a mining company to dig up cinnabar to smelt into mercury. The mining company needed mercury to extract gold, but mercury mining was illegal. Both the mercury and the … Read moreShimmery Deliverance
Horace Mangrove stood at the edge of the dry goods counter, patiently waiting his turn. He observed a customer complaining about the quality of the flour purchased a week prior. “It was infested with weevils! My wife nearly died from shock as she made the morning bread and found more weevil than ground … Read moreThe Misfortune of Fortune
Wes concentrated, his left hand steadying the right as he filled out a postcard of a giant potato chained to a flatbed truck. “He’ll love it. It’s kitschy,” Wes thought. He and Devin were cut from the same cloth—a bolt hidden in a long-dead branch of the family tree. Wes never felt any connection to … Read moreStroke of Bad Luck