A harsh crack of wood
Slimy, suctioning squelches
Screams from the sailors

Aye, all hands on deck
Ropes burning through deathly grips
Canons fired with haste

The briny water
Choking vulnerable throats
Swallowing shed blood

Gargantuan head
Tentacles of grotesque length
Eyes of the devil

Adrenaline sweat
Brackish waters merge with bile
Death reeks in its wake...

Gazing from the window, looking down on all who pass

‘Pathetic’

‘Putrid’

‘Unworthy’

The good of the many does not exist

Life is too precious, they’re wasting it away

‘Withering’

‘Sprawling’

‘Decaying’

Every last one of them, worse off than the rest

They stand, gathered round their stalls

‘Cackling’

‘Mocking’

‘Sneering’

Their talk is marked with vicious bite

Their smiles consume their faces

‘Dec...

“I’ve never been any good at cooking,” Vanessa mentioned sheepishly as we sat down at the dinner table.

“It’s really about the passion behind the food you choose to prepare. It’s okay for it not to be visually appealing as an end result. What you want are the flavors, that’s going to be your winner,” I told my cousin, grabbing a roll from the basket on the table.

“You’re so good at it. Do y...

“Hurry up! Grab your suitcase! Don’t forget the one by the bed!” Anne shouted to her son Martin.

“I can’t find my charger,” Martin whined.

“Chargers are cheap, don’t worry. We’re going to miss our flight!” Anne grabbed her rolling bag and ushered Martin out of the hotel room.

“I’m hungry, are we going to be able to eat on the plane again like last time? I want one of their turkey sandwiches. Wi...

The machines continue to beep;

The slow metronome of life.

A countdown he’s willing himself to face.

Family drifts in and out; ghostlike in themselves,

Their expressions morbid; hope fleeting

But he watches nonetheless.

He thinks back on his time with them

The memories seem complete,

Guidance, wisdom, and sanctuary

He gave himself to them.

He hopes they’ll take those lessons learned

And pass the...

Sometimes when we hear glass shatter it’s followed by cheers of Mazel Tov! Or laughter as everyone in a restaurant enjoys the spectacle of a destroyed glass or plate. When it happens at home, people are concerned, immediately sweeping it off the floor for everyone’s safety. But there are some situations where glass breaking is a bad thing, a very bad thing.

I arrived at the lab late that morning....

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. But I’ve been doing that every morning since you passed. The bed is too big now and I feel swallowed by it every night. Pulled into the depths of the sheets and comforter melting into darkness.

I make the bed just the way you liked it, with all 7 pillows placed precisely at the head of the bed. At the opposite end I fold the extra blanket lon...

Swallow. Hidden. Guilt. Swallow: That is the best thing I have ever eaten! It’s juicy, it’s meaty, it’s oozing with flavor! Another bite wouldn’t hurt. Just as good as the first! I could eat this entire meal! In fact, I will. I mean, it was left out here on the table, so clearly it must be for me. Why else would it be within such easy reach? I could eat this every day for the rest of my life. Now,...

Out on the seas there are many superstitions. Not all of them are sensible and certainly some border on ludicrousness, but if you want to return home in one piece then you’d be best to heed them.

The siren’s call is a tale told by all sailors, but few have heard her songs. Few have heard the sweet tonations of what her voice is capable of. The vibrations of her vocals that resonate deep in your...

Many times we will try and just as often we will fail,

But let not our courage be regarded as frail.

For it takes a great strength to pursue one’s desire

And a stark humility that we ought to admire.

From the ashes rise the purest form of growth

As we sign our hearts to an eternal oath:

We will not retreat, surrender, or refrain

The capabilities of a mind not easily slain.

Instead set our sights ...