The trailer park was a sprawling place with plenty of vacant spaces for a boy to roam and get lost. One end bordered a huge lot of scrapped construction machinery with a giant mound of tractor tires we used to play on. Sometimes a truck would rumble through the gate and we would run like … Continue reading Trailer Park
childhood
Primatology
I walked down the hallway to my room. As I passed the bathroom, I saw my mother press her wedding ring into my father’s hand. “I can’t take anymore,” she said. “I’ve had enough.” He laughed at her and tried to give it back. I continued to the sanctuary of my bedroom and closed … Continue reading Primatology
What’s in Ohio?
My grandfather is dead now. I never got to know him very well. I suppose I could have made more of an effort but I had my own problems. My mother’s family all lived out East. We never visited them. I think my father feared that if we went out there he would be the … Continue reading What’s in Ohio?
Cat Trouble
The family cat was gray with white paws and belly. We named it Murphy. He wore an arrogant cat-smirk of contentment and he would purr when I rubbed behind his ears. I went with my father to a farmhouse in the country that had listed an advertisement for kittens in the newspaper. My father chose … Continue reading Cat Trouble
Living with Fidel
The corpse woman's eyes were gaping black sockets. She was propped on a wooden chair with her slack arms and fingers stretching toward the floor. Her abdomen was charred and gutted like a bomb had exploded inside of her. My father had clipped the photograph from the front page of one of his leftist newspapers … Continue reading Living with Fidel
