“You know if we stare up at the sky too long we’ll float away, right?” “Shut up, Ryan.” “No, really. My Uncle John told me that. He said if you lay on your back and look up at the sky — but it has to be a really clear blue sky with, like, hardly any …
I live in an old building. Jose is our handyman whenever there’s a problem. This time it was termites. Last summer they were a problem too, but my landlord, Jorges, patched it up. That’s all he ever does is patch things up. The termites were back again this summer in mass droppings near one …
Hello! I hope everyone is still staying safe. I also hope you have taken time to crack open a book or two that were on your when-I-have-time pile. It's always refreshing and a bit relieving to see that pile shorten.I have shared two more reviews from my 2020 Goodreads Challenge down below. This pair are …
Goodreads. It's the site you may have used some time ago and stopped, and/or if you're like me started using it only a year ago. It allows the user to record, recount, and find new and old books you've read or want to read. You also can write reviews and participate in annual reading challenges. …
The world outside the forest grew quiet, inside, nature’s orchestra began its symphony, our voices became violins, the deteriorating oak our conductor. Between a bottle of Red Cat and a pack of Seneca’s, we let the sour moon strum our vocal cords. Jeb philosophized on his bark stool, mmmmmmmn"I wonder, if we were always this …
"Do it!" whispered Jon. I glanced up the aisle, shelves filled with trinkets and toys. The local stationary store resembled a carnival midway, with colorful concessions as far as the eye could see. For months we had shoplifted here; small tokens of bravery from Matchbox cars to key chains. None had any real value to …
We were at the quarry again. The quarry is the closest thing to a beach for people like us, who didn’t live in fancy private lake communities and were not a near drive to any public beaches. The quarry didn’t seem like much to folks who hadn’t grown up near it and been forced to …
Continue reading “The Rock That Can’t Be Reached” By D.C. Gonk
It’s the time of revisions like self-confidence from the open slip n’ slide across my teeth, freed from those gates. Losing the little bumps scattered like a graveyard of self-esteem on the chin that Momma says don't pick and it’s gonna leave a mark. Revisions like the two mounds that get all the stares. I …
Continue reading I Was Told That High School Was the Final Frontier” By Mary Cartwright
I feel my breathing get faster as I sit down at one of the long tables in an otherwise empty room and look at the white, stapled packet in front of me. I read the instructions: “After each presented scenario, circle the best response.” 1. Your plans to get smoothies with your brother fall through. …
Taylor's Thoughts on Ten Stories to Manhood After tearing open the yellow shipping envelope and reading the title, I thought to myself, Crap, how am I supposed to review this when I'm probably not going to relate to anything in it? It was one of those "This wasn't made for you!" moments, but the author, Jonathan Maniscalco, …
Continue reading “Ten Stories to Manhood” – Exploring a Journey to Manhood That Isn’t Just for Men!
Burnt Pine 