Themes
Slow Heat
melting in the slow heat of a summer night, damp with the dark air & thoughts of you
Sin Box
Three stories: Variations on a sin theme 1.) I see stuff like this a lot in my dreams, so I decided it should at least be doing something useful while I figure out what it means. 2.) I’ve tried to keep my sins organized over the years. That way I can correct it quickly if I find I’m missing out on something good. 3.) This box could probably put a curse on someone who believed in that stuff, like a burglar maybe. Personally, I don’t believe in curses, but I don’t think I’d take anything from a box that looked like this either just to be safe.
Sing Along
Ever since I found out I was schizophrenic, he said, I’ve been making up songs that are easy to harmonize with. I really like a good sing-a-long.
Single Mind
If I love you with all my heart, she said, what will you give me? & then she stopped & said I didn’t have to answer that because she was going to do it anyway.
Single Point
tries not to change perspective too often because it makes her ears pop
Six Minutes
Time to come out, I told him & he said he’d only been in for 6 minutes & I said that’s not true. You’ve been in the whole day & he shrugged & said all he could remember was the last 6 minutes.
Simple Life
I was going to live simply & give away all my money to the poor, she said, until I figured out then I’d be poor, so the simple thing was just to keep it. I like it when things make sense like that, she added.
Simple Mind
My grandmother used to say life was so much easier when you were simple minded. It’s taken me almost my whole life to understand what she meant.
Simple Pleasures
this is the moon dark as a bird wing & softer, he said
& at that moment I knew only the joy of my child
Simple Rules
I learned 2 things early on, my sister said. The first is don’t blame people for being the way they are. What’s the second? I said. She smiled. If they’re really stupid she said, go ahead & blame them. It’s a really simple philosophy, she added.
Silver Needle
Each night, all the years we were growing up, she sat in the big yellow rocking chair & pieced together our lives with countless stitches of her silver needle.
Short Nose
When I was young, my grandma always used to say it was good I didn’t get my dad’s nose & I thought so, too, but I always wondered if someone somewhere was walking around without a nose because of me.
Short Pants
He wore the devil costume at every opportunity even though the pants were too short & could never understand why no one would take him seriously.
Side Effect
I don’t really get jet lag, she said. I just see my husband’s failings more clearly.
Side by Side
We sat side by side in the morning light & looked out at the future together.
Sideways Ladder
This is a sideways ladder because she likes to feel she’s making progress, but she’s afraid of heights.
Sightseeing
You’re not going to see people like this again for a long time, he said & I said I always saw people like this & he looked at me for a moment & said, You’re not from around here, are you?
Silly in Public
I figured out that if I keep it up, someday I’ll probably get wise enough to be silly in public but I probably won’t wait that long.
Silver Cord
connected by a silver cord that hums with sadness the further it is stretched
Shiny Stuff
One Halloween, my sister made a magic wand & she went around giving wishes to all my friends, but when she got glitter on all the candy they yelled at her & she went home crying & later on my mom made me share my candy with her & she was so happy she flung glitter all over & gave me an extra wish I know didn’t work because I still have a sister who loves shiny stuff.