The Weighing Time Again
a short story originally written for the NYC Midnight contest It had happened again. This she was certain of, because she could remember everything and before she hadn’t been able […]
The Bristlecone Incident
a short story originally written for the NYC Midnight contest Absolutely nobody in Bristlecone, Nevada actually believed there was a witch trapped in the ancient tree that had been growing in the […]
Patience (or long ago, yesterday, today, and tomorrow)
LTM – 2013/2020 a rose or somethingforming in my mindfuzzy or maybemore than one thingat once? the allure … obviousand trite, cringingamusing and elusivepunctuated bytragi-comic […]
Shattered
My world is shattered. Isn’t yours?Don’t you walk on shards of broken glass?Each step painful and bloody?The taste of sweat and tears, salt and saltTeasing your tongue? Forgive me if […]
The Roar of Nothing
Night? Bedeviled and sleeplessConversation? Booby trappedWords? Confined and cagedSubstance? Forbidden to speak Guilt? Envy? Love? Fear? Conspiracies and accusations pummel my skull Headache from the roar of…nothing
Half Dead Bird
Oh,I’m here again.Hard to seeuntil up close. At first,A “New And Exciting Place”,but no, nothing new“Same Old Same Old”.Fool myself I havesomething to offerbesides Great Friend. Hope, delusion reignuntil “he”– […]
Punk Drunk Sleep
I can’t sleepthe skin on my noseis on fireand I blame youI can’t sleepthe hum of the fridgeis too loudand I blame youI can’t sleepthe buzz in my headis too […]
Naive
I am Naïve, let me count the ways:I am Naïve because I believed that the slate was clean – this time when I knew it wasn’t, “it wouldn’t matter” when […]
Bean Sorting
[A short story, by Laylah Muran de Assereto (1996, rev. 2020)] Laurel always loved to cook. From her earliest years, the kitchen had been her playground. When she was six […]
An Offering to the Muse
goddess of a thousand works sly smiles and open arms a book for every occasion a door for every entendre I see you, she says with every probing look rolling […]
Walking the Ellipsis 