From the “Common American Phrasebook for Intelligencer Personnel,” issued to Soviet agents targeting U.S. citizens, recovered when the drunken girlfriend of a low-ranking Soviet Embassy diplomat dropped a diplomatic satchel on the airport tarmac and high winds scattered the documents, later recovered by the FBI. [*translated from Russian] “Americans speak in confusing phrases they call … Read moreThe Never Lost in Translation Department
Goats cling And clatter Across the face of a dam 15 stories high for a lick of salt. I muster my strength To sit up And saunter To the kitchen For another doughnut. Over time all Apex predators Eventually Lose their grip.
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.
Henry was known For his smelling A nose above most He was telling The difference between Musk Or shaved coconut Husk With an olfactory Beyond measure And satisfactorily Giving pleasure To ladies and men Within his ken As a perfumer whose scents Were without precedence. A grassy meadow in June Barnacled boats neath the moon … Read moreSense Defense
Oil lamps flickered inside the Whale’s Teat filling it with dim, orange light. Black curls of smoke mixed with the peppery haze from pipes, cigars, and rolled cigarettes. A brown halo ringed the spittoons marking the patrons’ poor aim. A sour potpourri of sawdust, beer, and manure covered the floor. Every night dock workers filled … Read moreThe Belly of the Whale
“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
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
The white lines of a country highway whizzed under the car as the headlights wobbled about like a set of googly-eyes, but George couldn’t afford to slow down. He knocked the lights loose as he made his escape and caromed off of dumpsters, parked cars, and a building. In the swirling light, he suddenly saw … Read moreA Giant Mess
All the waters were overflowing, Because of all the rain, Rivers swelled and jumped their banks, The dam—broken from the strain. The townsfolk gathered bundles, As the waters rose and rose, People headed for the higher ground, To escape the deadly flows. But as they hauled possessions, Up the ever-steeper land, If the rain kept … Read moreThe Savior’s Secret Sauce