Like a mirror

Broken to pieces

Trust is shattered

All hope ceases

Misplaced trust

Is disappointment

Trust is shattered

No quick ointment

Once so steady

Now unstable

Trust is shattered

It’s a fable

Who we trust

Makes all the difference

Trust is shattered

Only remnants

In the mirror

Broken to pieces

Trust is shattered

My face freezes

Misplaced trust

I’m disappointed

Trust is shattered

Self disj...

My girlfriend looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. She looked so sad and said simply, “I don’t want to stick out like a weed in a field of wildflowers.”

I pulled her into a hug against my chest and rested my chin on the top of her head. I took a deep breath and let it go before responding. The first thing that popped into my head is something my sister used to say. _Weeds are just wildflowers th...

If silence had a scent,

It would smell like earth.

Deep down underground,

Pressing in.

If silence had a scent,

It would smell like damp.

The pause between

The drip and the drop.

If silence had a scent,

It would smell like dirt.

Deep down underground,

Covering up.

If silence had a scent,

It would smell like wet.

The space between

The cool and cold.

If silence had a scent,

It would smell like e...

“Let’s skip the pleasantries, shall we? You and I both know we’re not here for small talk.”

I look at my reflection and stand with my feet hip width apart, hands on my hips. It’s what my cousin and best friend Kate calls the superhero pose. She saw it on Grey’s Anatomy or something and she loves to remind me I’m in charge of my own happiness.

Normally I would be reciting a mantra or affirmation...

“Add a little more thyme to the pot, would you?”

My best friend Lilah and I were cooking a creamy mushroom pasta. Each week we get together to try a new recipe, watch a movie, and get our daily dose of friendship. I pick the movies and Lilah picks the recipes. We know our strengths.

“Sure. That’s more than your recipe called for, though.”

She smiles a tiny smile and nods, licking the spoon clea...

“…psych you out in the end!”

In the lull between the end of the song that’s played for the opening credits to my favorite TV show and the beginning of the next scene, I could hear footsteps somewhere down the hall. The final bell rang 30 minutes ago, which meant the kids were gone and I could play Psych in the background while I completed my laundry list of tasks before my students arrive again t...

_I embrace this new season with a positive attitude._

__

_I embrace this new season with a positive attitude._

__

_I embrace this new season with a positive attitude._

Ashley muttered the affirmation three times like her therapist suggested. Was it working yet? No. Was she committed to keep trying? Yes. No matter if her goal was succeeding at therapy instead of truly convincing herself that this ...

Sunday afternoon

Time to return

Class starts tomorrow

Lots to do

Driving

Dancing

Turning

Singing

Ringing

Wondering

Coincidence?

Pit stop

Travel center

_ “We’ll meet you there.”_

_ “Why? But okay.”_

Plaid shirt. Batman.

Together, at this hour?

She said you were working.

Frowns. **NOT HAPPY.**

_ “I must apologize.”_

_ ...

**Tiana**

“Are you kidding me?” I ask with a flat expression.

“Excuse me?” The waiter is tall and thin, almost wiry, with thick plastic rimmed glasses and messy hair. He was maybe 21 or 22.

“Are you joking?” I try again.

“I didn’t say anything, miss.” This is true.

“Because it’s not funny. Not even a little bit. So if you’re trying for funny, you should know - you’re failing.” Sheesh. When d...

What the actual heck…?

I stare down at my phone again, squinting and blinking to try and make sense of what I was seeing.

The most upsetting text I’ve ever received lit up my darkened room at 2:07am. Twenty eight minutes later, I’m still trying to figure out what’s happening.

I know what you’re thinking. And you’re right. I _should_ be asleep at 2:07am. I _should_ have turned my phone on Do N...