They were in their room changing out of regular clothes into pajamas. “The Jensens asked us to watch their dog,” said Lauren, stepping into the closet. “Obviously, you said no,” the man said. “Actually, I didn’t.” “Come on. Seriously?” “She’s hypoallergenic. Maltipoo or something.” “Great, but it’s not like you like dogs.” “I know. ButContinue reading “Origin Story of a Super Hero”
Author Archives: Gordon Laws
Stop Snitching
Their cheeks were pink from the cold air, but they were both sweating from their run. “Lindsay was being a jerk, Dad,” said Grant. “Oh my gosh!” Lindsay exclaimed. She looked at the man. “He was soooo slow.” “It’s not my fault. I haven’t worked out in, like, six weeks.” “So the Missionary Training CenterContinue reading “Stop Snitching”
No, I Am Your Father
In week three of online school with all extracurriculars canceled, they are now in episode V of Star Wars. The kids’ phones are at their sides. They have watched an episode per night–one night they made popcorn, another they made sundaes with packs from Peaceful Meadows. They have watched in chronological order, supposedly as GeorgeContinue reading “No, I Am Your Father”
Wiener Pond
He hates taking the side trails home to avoid the 20-meter puddle. Today, he has an idea of how to navigate it. He slows to a walk and starts around the edge of the puddle, his feet on the edge of the sand and water. He brushes against the thorns and sticks. At the pointContinue reading “Wiener Pond”
April Is the Cruelest Month
He was raised in the home of Master Baker Boswell DeGraffenried and only knew himself as Hank. His mother was a housemaid to Mrs. DeGraffenried, and she went by Ginnie. It wasn’t until he was nearly ten that he heard a field hand call her “Virginia,” and he said, “Why does he call you that,Continue reading “April Is the Cruelest Month”
The Ballad of Johnny Mather Sloan
[Sing to the tune of the “The Yellow Rose of Texas.”] Young Johnny Mather Sloan Lived on the Texas range. Stole a horse when six years old; His brother thought him strange. Y’all never heard the tale of the boy soldier from the heart of Texas. Damn shame. That boy and his story are asContinue reading “The Ballad of Johnny Mather Sloan”
Angel Glow
As the light faded, so did the sound of artillery, and the musket fire was only sporadic. The sounds they had been masking all day now pierced the night–the moans, howls, screams, and curses. The man was sitting up against a tree, his left thigh useless from a wound, his right shoulder blade also immobileContinue reading “Angel Glow”
Ain’t My Land, Ain’t Your Land
The old woman rocked slowly in the dwindling summer evening. She gazed out over the cotton fields and listened to the midsummer evening crickets and the creaking wood of the rickety porch. Her husband, brother, son, and daughter were all out there in the distance, shades in the sun, stooping and rising, swinging hoes, andContinue reading “Ain’t My Land, Ain’t Your Land”
The Orphan of the Orphan Brigade
“Excuse me, ma’am,” a weak voice said as she passed up the aisle. Kate turned around. “Yes, sir?” she said, a pile of fresh bandages in her arms. At first, she wasn’t sure who had even spoken. The men all lay with eyes closed, but one of them shifted. “Private Fugate, ma’am. Fifth Kentucky,” theContinue reading “The Orphan of the Orphan Brigade”
A Story Hardly Known
Years after Kate Cumming published her diary, she returned to it to write an author’s introduction. While still lamenting the outcome of the war, her emotions had cooled somewhat, and she reflected on causes of the South’s failure. As she did, she also extolled the virtues of many people she had worked with, saying, “WholeContinue reading “A Story Hardly Known”
His Smile Lit Up a Room and Other Things to Say at My Funeral 