A Relationship

They seemed to clash a lot nowadays. Should I go or should I stay, he wondered, like a chorus playing … More

Not the One

“I wish you would try to see it from my side, baby.” See it from his side. I have absolutely … More

A Portrait of the Norwegian Historian as an Old Man

His ancestors were not just marauding, blood-thirsty, war-mongering, pillaging, rapists, and slave traders. Vikings were extraordinary explorers, experts at navigation, … More

Looking for Love

In love for all his life with every poet’s idea of love, he always wandered around in some kind of … More

The Tab

“Well do you or don’t you?” she asked He drummed his fingers on the table but said nothing. Staring out … More

Books Write You Write Books

You think of your life as a library.  It’s a big one, maybe not the size of the warehouse in Raiders … More

What Counts

Do you know what’s easy to count? he thought. The number of people whose deaths were Covid-related.  Well, plus a few … More

The Psychic

I woke up this morning – for which I’m always thankful nowadays – to find that everyone who knows him … More

Opening Wounds

One of the deals with the Lutheran Church was that after you slogged your way through Catechism and Confirmation, you … More

Another Challenge

       This happened a long time ago when I was young and stupid.  Maybe eight at the time, I was part of … More

Sticking Point

“So it’s agreed, then, we should sell the house, right?” she said.  “And we’ll then split the money in half.” … More

Rock of Ages

You remember that Carly Simon song, “There’s Always Someone Haunting Someone”? I suppose she could be talking about actual ghosts, … More

Catching Up

I had a pretty lousy childhood, but my adulthood has been pretty good so far if you really want to … More

The Last Time

Neil Young was playing.  The Comes a Time album.  Sipping a beer, he stared into the fireplace and saw her face.         Young did that … More

One of These Days

“You know me,” he said. “I have a smile for everyone.” His smile, this one to illustrate, seemed to be … More

The Cube

I was riding the Pacific Heights bus toward Ward Avenue when I saw the smoke.  As we neared the source, I … More

Here There Is No Light

For us, two hells might await us at the end of our existence. One is to be consumed in fire. … More

Very Zen

“Excuse me, sir, but you can’t stop here. Please keep walking.” She’s pleasant enough, but I sense a sinister undertone, … More

The Last One

The bud, pristine, sat there unopened.       If you talk to plants, they’re supposed to hear you.  That’s what Helen … More

From Flames

Can smell the fireand the watersometimes imagineif water has a smellthat remnant steamy scentof memories Never cared for the way … More