humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Communicati-off
I remember the thrill every time our postman (who back then, you knew by name, wrote a Christmas card to, and left a bottle of wine out for every New Year) delivered a letter addressed specifically to me. Was it an elderly Aunt sending a belated Birthday card (that I secretly hoped was concealing a five-pound note)? Or was it the friend I had met whilst holidaying in Greece that I later became pen pals with. Or perhaps it was the Pony Club magazine; writing to me to let me know I had (finally) won their monthly ‘write in with your pony problems’ competition, and I would shortly be in receipt of a brand new saddle. Letters were so precious, they would often get pinned to a bedroom wall; with blue tack (which you prayed wouldn’t take off the paint) or sellotape, which rarely lasted for more than 24 hours.
By Victoria Cope5 years ago in Humans
fractals
to articulate what exactly it is about you is beyond me. for the first time, i am at a complete loss for words. i have thought through every conversation we’ve had, everything you’ve giggled into the darkness, and everything that makes my head reel with certainty and uninhibited giddiness. i have spent time thinking through the waves of security, a feeling i have never been offered before. my mother always told me orange looked bad on my skin but the way you painted me disagreed. i never looked better before you took a brush to me; all my scars vanished under the oil. my world was drained of color and you painted me happy, so i never asked why.
By Kristen Marquez5 years ago in Humans
Sweet Nostalgia
Sweet Nostalgia When my sister and I were little girls playing dress-up and make-believe in the basement of our suburban home in Commerce City, Colorado, the outfit almost always included a white towel that we draped over our heads to pretend we had long blond hair. You see, in 1970, Goldie Hawn, Raquel Welch, and Morgan Fairchild frequently graced the television screen and the covers of the fashion magazines.
By Machelle Williams5 years ago in Humans
Legacy of the Sea: Chapter One, part two.
“Bah,” I threw my hand at Martin now and walked away from him some, my boots tapping the metal deck of the Queen’s Hand. Martin motioned at one of my men to lower the boat, and he slowly sank from view. I walked over to stand beside Giles Derrick, and my second officer Drake Anthony.
By Tristan Palmer5 years ago in Humans
Hue of the Day
Red There's a little farmhouse you can see far from this packed dirt road. You're just passing through, a straggler, but you wonder about the family in the wind-battered old place. You can imagine a surly father, an unhappy mother, a little girl in oversized clothes. But then you blink, and the vision's gone—back to the outer reaches of your memory.
By Jillian Spiridon5 years ago in Humans
The Bouquet
The boy wandered aimlessly through the meadow, picking only the most beautiful flowers for his bouquet. His mother watched him from the blanket they had their picnic on, but he did his best to hide what he was doing. He wanted it to be a surprise. He especially loved the tall yellow ones and they made up the majority of his bouquet. His father called these “weeds”, but his mother called them “Dandy Lions”. He wasn't sure who was right, all he knew was he loved the way they looked and smelled, but he thought his mother's name for them sounded nicer. The boy bent down to pick up one he thought was especially pretty and added it to his bouquet. It was mostly a large bundle of yellow with speckles of red, white, and purple throughout it.
By Jarred S Baker5 years ago in Humans
Father George Rutler Getting the COVID Vaccine Changed my Approach to Prayer
Father George Rutler escape the tram and make an off-base turn, which prompts another off-base turn and stresses that I will be late. I begin to run, gasping under my veils and hazing my glasses, however Father George Rutler show up in the nick of time for a beautiful attendant with sky-blue fingernails to give me my infusion.
By Muhammad Ahmed5 years ago in Humans
Curtis
I saw myself in him. Standing at the counter of the bar, trying to order fries, mumbling incoherently to himself. He didn't look very old, if I had to guess I'd say mid to late 30's. The waitstaff were murmuring amongst themselves, asking if he was okay. If they needed to get him out of there. I took that moment to speak up, I asked the man if he would like to sit with me and I paid for his fries. I hadn't even meant to go to the Burger Stand and in my mania state of mind, I took his presence as a sign I was meant to be there.
By Savannah Rose Hannum5 years ago in Humans
Errant Knight
He leant on his shield, the battered metal of the rim digging into the stony ground. Sweat stung his eyes and his shoulders burned from strain. Aways from him, the knave stood readjusting his grip. Both wore lobstered steel, but his foeman wore his with the easy grace of a younger man. I am not such a youth anymore. Damn him!
By Rhys Barnard Jones5 years ago in Humans
