Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash
What Will Destroy Us
The Waves
The instances of botched drownings have been increasing. People jumping from city piers, coastal cliffs, driving miles to walk into the sea. Too many coincidences are called something else. Rupture. A stray radio signal brings in new voices from the natural world, whale- song on the way to work, the falling pitch of the subway sounds like bearded seals from Svalbard, makes folks change trains….
I Google Cuba like a stranger
Photo by Valeria Hutter on Unsplash
Jigsaw Leaves
No other experience has made me feel more base and vulgar than losing my virginity. I didn’t have any pretense about the act beforehand. My mother painted all sexuality as depravity, which could only be lessened by your connection to your partner. If it was with your spouse, it wasn’t (as) lascivious. Tolerable. If it was with a long-term partner, you were meant to feel…
To J., Who Picked Us Up Hitchhiking
Where we stood scared across the highwayfrom the drawn-down lake, my friendhad seen ghosts stepping out of firs. “Bad placeto camp,” you’d said. Told us it was my fly rodthat made you pull over. “Those cliffs are whereall the kids jumped to escape. In the old time. Whenthat lake was still a river.” New little fires on the endsof cedars, you said your son was…