Fiction

The Encounter

Scene: Late on a dark night, a blue minivan hauling a closed, rented trailer pulls in to get gas, coffee, and snacks under the bright lights of a truck stop just off the interstate highway in mountainous western Virginia. Cleo (turning off the car, unsnapping her seat belt, opening the door): Thank goodness. Time to... Read More

Fiction

April 6, 2024

Quantum Soup

“There you are, husband mine,” said Mamie, entering the living room while running one hand through her salt-and-pepper hair. She had just picked up an apron from the kitchen and was spinning it in the air with her other hand like a majorette twirling her baton. “What are you doing?” “Reading a physics article,”... Read More

Fiction

March 12, 2024

The Meeting

(Scene: At Jason and Chelsea’s apartment in North Carolina) “You dog, you. What are you doing here?” “Hah. Got your cat-tention, did I?” “I hate the fact that you’re in my home. Don’t touch my food bowl.” “There’s food? Where?” “No food for you! I’m going to eat it. Don’t touch my water fountain, either. ... Read More

Fiction

February 5, 2024

Valentine Dinner For Four (A Mamie and Solly Dialogue)

Scene: Mamie is making oatmeal for breakfast. Solly is drinking coffee and holding a file of papers. Mamie (stirring at the stove): So, Solly, tall man with salt-and-pepper hair and crooked smile, love of my life, what would you like to do for Valentine’s Day? Solly (thumbing through the file): It’s February? Already? M (frowning): ... Read More

Fiction

January 9, 2024

Time, Cooper, and Me

Time is our biggest asset, but also our greatest enemy. The start of a new year is a good time to think about what time means to us. In terms of assets, heightened awareness of time means making more choices about how to spend it. I’ve chosen to spend more time with the important people... Read More

Fiction

December 4, 2023

Plant XIV: To Be One of The Lights (A Plant Dialogue)

Scene: Linda has brought Plant to a local restaurant table with a good view of the room. She explained to the hostess that she just bought Plant and didn’t want to leave her live purchase out in the cold car. Plant is on the table with a deep green plastic purchase bag pulled down around... Read More

Fiction

November 9, 2023

Plant XIII: Water, Water Everywhere (A Plant Dialogue)

(Scene: Linda pulls the red wagon containing Plant along a major street. She stops to pick up the litter. Plant views each trash deposit into the wagon with increasing distaste.) Plant: Yuck. My bottom leaves keep getting dirtier from the litter you’re throwing in my wagon. I am sharing my vehicular transportation with trash while... Read More

Fiction

October 10, 2023

Plant XII: Walk This Way (A Plant Dialogue)

(Scene: For their daily outing, Linda pulls the sentient Plant inside the red wagon on the leaf-shaded sidewalk along West Main Street. In the wagon, two pots of dirt closely line up behind Plant like a tail extending backward.) Plant: You spend so much time walking. Can you put a leaf on what you like... Read More

Fiction

September 19, 2023

Plant XI: Kindness Matters (A Plant Dialogue)

Scene: Chatting easily, Linda is hauling a happy Plant out for a wagon ride. The distant drone of an ambulance puts Linda in a certain frame of mind. Plant: What’s your favorite human character trait? Linda: What do you mean, Plant? I don’t have a favorite — I just have character traits. I work at... Read More

Fiction

August 10, 2023

Plant X: Broom Therapy

(Scene: Plant and Linda converse while Linda sweeps her sun-dappled kitchen floor.) Plant (curiously): What are you doing? Linda (tolerantly): Cleaning a living space helps people stay healthy. P: And organized. Why are you sweeping around those towers of manufactured goods rising up from the floor like staggering geometric islands? L: The stacks of books,... Read More

Fiction

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