My thumb digs into the grooved metal of the striker wheel, pressing and flicking to ignite my lighter. It sputters and clicks, trying to form that precious flame, and then it dies. So I switch to matches. My fingers tremble as I fish out one of the wooden sticks, scraping it against the side of ...

At the end of each day, I used to stumble into bed, and stare at my phone screen until my eyes blurred. I tossed and turned in my sleep, as my arms reached out for the comfort of a warm body, only to find the sheets cold and empty. Then I met you. No longer ...

Holidays are hard.There’s the endless streamOf shopping, gift-wrapping,Cooking, cleaning,And hosting relativesYou barely talk toAny other time of year.The kids are cooped upAnd going crazy-Which drives YOU crazy-Because it’s too coldTo send them outside,So you have to entertain themAs best as you canWhile juggling workAnd everything elseListed aboveWhen all you want to doIs enjoy the liminal ...

I make up stories inside my head, But I choose to sit here Instead of going off to bed. I’m tired of being relied upon, The strong one. Loyal, dependable- “She’s the one.” But, if you could see under this mask, Running from me is now your task. It is unsafe to unmask Anywhere, with ...

In a dark, dark corner of a dark, dark lair  behind a dark, dark door down some dark, dark stairs  sits a pale and handsome woman with some dark, dark hair…   ‘Good evening,’ she purrs as you pull up a chair  ‘Can I be of help in my humble abode? Are you scared? Are ...

I walk through a room that leads to another. The loop continues room by room until I am lost. The rooms stretch endlessly, each one different from the last, or maybe identical to the one before it. Some are empty; others are filled with spiraling staircases- Optical illusions that strain my eyes and leave me ...

I choose to believe  that there is more to life than heartache and grief. I have endured much hardship. Still, I wake to watch the sun rise above the mountain peak. I feel the salt of the ocean waves, catch the scent of something sweet, then let the soft flavors melt on my tongue. I ...

O, downtrodden soul, weep no more. You have a curious mind, a need to touch and see to believe what is right in front of you. But they spit on your face and kick you to the ground. You wonder what it is that you did wrong, as everyone you know looks at you with ...

I want so much to not want you, Yet with every breath, you flood my mind anew I try to shake these thoughts away, But in that effort, I only find I miss you more each day Fingers locked, I drift softly in your touch, Yet I hold back, afraid to fall too much Your ...

Four reasons to call on your ancestors.