Freshly Dusted

rootedcan i love another like i love you?is there anything i wouldn't do for you?you ask me to love this worldthe way you do, andhere i am, with arms wide openyelling out to a stormy October skywhat i vow against to November's. and here are treesand there are seasand such is the wayfor my present complaints,to be rooted or freetwo years feels like eternity,but so...

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One hand walks the edge of the steering wheel while the other dangles out the car window, sweatless even in 100 degree heat. In the distance, stars and a red crescent moon shine, and you can still feel the arms of your hostess around you, the faint pointing upwards of, "We'll have to have you and Rebekah and Viji here in the fall....

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These are the moments she'll remember the rest of her life. Her neighbor's face lit by fire held close and a shaking cigarette, from the third box of the day. An addiction rendered beautiful in flickering orange at burnt twilight. Or the secret place at the top of the roof, with a guitar and a Bible and the open stars. She keeps waiting for someone...

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Reminiscence Clutching her father's hand, she skips through the parking lot, weaving in and out around the shopping cart and occasionally tripping into it. Bags of frozen fish shimmer under the Texas heat, condensing even on the walk from the car to the truck. The sun obliterates any chance of looking into the sky, so most days, she and her sister race their...

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A father's hands, cupping his child-to-be. His turn to name her, while the mother rolls her eyes in pleased exasperation at his indecision. He searches for the perfect name, pointing out street signs and writing down the names of his coworkers' kids. Somewhere around here, he'll find the inspiration, something beautiful for his daughter. He wants it to be perfect, the first gift he...

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The child beats her fist upon titanium walls, matching her force with her heartbeat. She keeps time in this way, unrelenting even when her fist breaks open from the force. She screams, but no one hears her, locked away as she is in the darkest of places. She wants to be free, but she doesn’t. She wants to be safe, but she doesn’t....

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  Escaping The VortexFire raged in the center of the Vortex as Ash approached, lingering on the edges of the maelstrom. It blew upwards like a great well of fire, and around it stood twelve judges, watching, waiting, lingering to see what she would do. They sat at their posts and didn’t move, not even Horsey, whom Ash would have thought would be more...

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Noelle's NoseNoelle Ese Nosse had no clue how to make make-up, but she was determined to try. From her thinking position—one foot propped on her bed, one on her desk, and her head upside down between them both—she scribbled out ideas in pink crayon with her free hand, alleviating pressure only to shift the weight between her head to her hand. She did...

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  Daddy's GirlShe moved out at 17 but stayed on her daddy’s credit card because he refused to let her starve. Her cousins loved her more, she shouted. “They said I could live with them. They’ll fight for me like you’ve never fucking done.” “All I’ve ever done is fight for you, you piece of shit. Everything I’ve ever done has been for you...

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Mountain Man In a crag on a mountain a former explorer nurses his wounds and counts his losses. He’s had every reason to give up, to sit in the cold and roundly assert he continues to suffer. He’s not comfortable here, but he doesn’t try to be—it’s easy to sit in the cold, and at some level, he thinks he deserves as much....

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 Seasoning To dilute a sea, use salt.  To preserve a meat, use salt. To restore a taste, use salt. To heal a heart, use salt. To inflame a wound, use salt.To destroy a field, use salt. To fight a war, use salt. To befriend a man, use salt. To protect a path, use salt. To light a world, use salt. To spark a sneeze, use...

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One of the Ransomed Isaiah 35: The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen...

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