Darkness only passes over

My mind iced and heart throttled. I had read Annie Dillard's 'Total Eclipse', an essay from 1982. Reading old essays; how pedestrian, you think, and so do I. But this chest compresses, and breath comes rough. I'm terrified. Today I saw a partial eclipse. In Pittsburgh, it was a time of sharing: students and citizens …

Hidden Figures &

It's not normal to meet up at the ER. That's what struck her as she drove home, feeling the curved force in her body as she swerved up the Pittsburgh hills. This isn't normal. And it isn't good. She paused on the wrong street. A turn was missed. She'd gone too far. Edging forward until …

Shooting Skin

Six to twenty gunshots later, it’s over. Except for the police, and the nervous whimper of my dog, and the eyes that peek through windows. And a few other things. Yearly, around Christmas or New Years, we have a shooting. The first time it was a drive-by. Six rounds into the brick house beside us, …

Uncheery Reasons to Try

I need something to write by. Nothing fluffy or patently inspirational will do, nor will sideways truth. Here are my uncheery reasons to give it a go.   1. I may not succeed on the first try, but I cannot succeed without a first try. On Monday, a friend referenced a book -- something to do with …