I'm going to write about an old coin. Specifically one side of it. It's an exercise I read about in a book. The idea that you could get a couple hundred words down about one side of a coin intrigued me. How do you do it? And how do you make it enjoyable? I walk … Continue reading A Penny for a Tale
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Signs of Fate
"What's your name, darling?" "Georgia." "Ah! Georgia like the state--- Georgia on my mind." He rolled a fat cigar around between his teeth, and the fine lines around his eyes flared like ripples on water. "You look pretty hungry, honey." "I eat." "You want something now?" He tapped the bourbon-shine bartop. "It'll blunt that cannibal … Continue reading Signs of Fate
Poem VI
Can you be a poet in starts and dashes?Someone who, at random, gashesA few words onto the page-Neither silly, wise, nor sage-Just wordsLike birdsToo scared to fly. © 2023 Katie Baker
Mama and Mrs. Cho
After a while, the hunger began to buzz in her ears like flies. She would sit in the back of the shop, looking out toward the wide, bright window, listening to her own death rattle come slithering closer. From somewhere beyond the bright windowpane, the scent of fresh-baked bread and caramelized sugar wafted. Traffic noise … Continue reading Mama and Mrs. Cho
Starry Skies and Golden Eyes
I went to the fair last week and felt like a bit of a loose end. I walked around with my sisters and my nephew, my brothers-in-law, and a friend. But even in a crowd, I discovered you can feel lonely. Especially when you remember fairs from other years when there was a hand to … Continue reading Starry Skies and Golden Eyes
Something I Never Do: A Poem
I'm not a poet, but I enjoy poetry. And as I writer, I believe in challenging yourself. That said, here is my humble attempt at a poem. Enjoy. I.Put a few words in a row,And-- what do you know!--A sentence.Line a few thoughts on a stringAnd maybe they'll singOf endurance.String those thoughts over time. Fast … Continue reading Something I Never Do: A Poem
Say No to the Barbarian Horde
I come to you this week asking a genuinely curious question. Should churches update the old hymns' language--- when they sing them at all? It's a thought that's been lurking in the back of my mind for some time. It resurrected last week while I listened to a podcast interview between Jordan Peterson and Douglas … Continue reading Say No to the Barbarian Horde
It’s Not the Unknown You Should Fear
It was just a stop on the way. Rimrock, the sign said. A lookout. Ben almost drove past it, tapping the brakes so hard I had to clamp onto the grab bars and brace my feet against the floorboards. The bike brapped down through the gears in a progression of growls. We wound around a … Continue reading It’s Not the Unknown You Should Fear
My Mind is a Mirror
Some mornings my mind lies as still as a pond. Can you see it? A platinum sheet. Tufts of steam shimmering in the air. Beautiful but still. Where are the words? Hidden somewhere beneath that molten mirror. Hidden by the reflection of the high cirrus skies. Down with the fish, darting in the shadows. They … Continue reading My Mind is a Mirror
Writer’s Hibernation
All writers enjoy times when the words zing from their fingertips, but just like blue skies and sunshine, that energy doesn't always stay. You wonder--- where do the words go when the mood clouds shift? Are writers like bears? Do they need to hibernate --- store up the fat and juice of life? Sit awhile … Continue reading Writer’s Hibernation
Seeking Prose 