Monthly Archives: October 2013

Diagnosis

Posted on October 18, 2013 by sputterpub

I’m healthy and resilient as a rule so I have trouble knowing I’m unwell. Along with feeling ill I’m like a fool confused by lassitude – I cannot tell how serious or real my symptoms are. Hallucination must be contact … Continue reading →

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Portals (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on October 17, 2013 by sputterpub

Peter thought Lilah was going to go camping with him over spring break. For the last three years they’d gone together to Death Valley, and they’d been planning to do it again. The wilderness is the arena of Peter’s competence. … Continue reading →

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Portals (Part 2 of 3)

Posted on October 16, 2013 by sputterpub

Peter had invited Lilah to dinner that night. They had a reservation at a good restaurant. She was just about ready to go when he arrived at 6:30, but he wanted to make a phone call. She half-attended as she … Continue reading →

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Portals (Part 1 of 3)

Posted on October 15, 2013 by sputterpub

Ostensibly, Peter called because he was seeking his stuff. That was a transparent device; the only items he’d left at Lilah’s were some ratty old exercise clothes. Peter is inattentive to apparel. He is accustomed to leaving bits of himself … Continue reading →

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Still Life with Rain

Posted on October 14, 2013 by sputterpub

The hissing kiss of tires on the street is first announcer that the rain’s begun, and then the runoff fuels the creek to meet the thickened sky that gray surrounds the sun. I witness winddrifts – red and yellow leaves … Continue reading →

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The Alchemist

Posted on October 11, 2013 by sputterpub

Inside each leaf, the gas and water take up power from the vigor of the sun to spark a sweet reaction, as they make the basic sustenance for everyone. The chemistry is almost that profound when I mix flour, milled … Continue reading →

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Whatever (End)

Posted on October 10, 2013 by sputterpub

Coincidentally, Duane made the decision to try to get home at just about the same moment that SuddenJim knocked on Deirdre’s door. Connie had been nagging Duane about how important it was for him to be home that night, for … Continue reading →

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Whatever (Middle)

Posted on October 9, 2013 by sputterpub

Connie called about nothing that night, and Jim didn’t call about something. Without any warning he showed up nearly half an hour early. It was nothing personal; in his perpetual fear of forgetting or being late, SuddenJim often arrived early. … Continue reading →

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Whatever (Beginning)

Posted on October 8, 2013 by sputterpub

W(hate)ver. Deirdre liked the T-shirts and tractor caps at first. She bought an XL, green-letters-on-white, as a sleepshirt for her 12 year-old son. Afterward the phrase came to represent for her the essence of passive-aggressive response. WHATever. WhatEVer. Not nice, … Continue reading →

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Fall

Posted on October 7, 2013 by sputterpub

A folded fallen leaf I saw today, sienna on the sidewalk’s white concrete, appeared at first a dead bird in my way and I prepared to step out on the street, until I recognized it for the leaf it is: … Continue reading →

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