I realized
I awoke from a deep slumber. To you, it probably was A mindless action, But I got a revelation. When you left for the bathroom, Your paw had escaped me, And I did not pay attention. Before I became aware, My hand was empty. I realized at...
Red Riding Hood and the Wolf meet again
* * * I have caught myself thinking of my childhood lately; actually just a specific moment. It happened in late elementary school, when I was eight years old. We needed to put on a play based on a classic fairy tale. The class voted, and we...
Deer fight
* * * To the foreign observer, the Scandinavian town of Lärkanshem is small and irrelevant. Its entire area fits twice within Manhattan, and its population is only a quarter of the residents of Austin. Not even historians are too interested in this...
Briga de cervos
* * * Para o observador estrangeiro, a cidade escandinava de Lärkanshem é pequena e irrelevante. Sua área inteira cabe duas vezes em Manhattan, e sua população é só um quarto dos moradores de Rio Branco. Nem mesmo historiadores têm muito interesse...
Alan & Elton's Holiday Plans
* * * I feel my eyes open in small doses. Never thought I'd be waking up on my own. Must be an age thing. I grunt as I turn to check the bedside clock. Sunday, 8 AM. I could stay under the sheets for a while more, but the body does what's gotta...
Knife (Your Lancer Interlude 2)
* * * On a sunny day, in the agora, My teacher asked me: "What is a knife?" What a strangely simple question. "A knife is a weapon." I answered with pride. "Is that so?" The old jackal waddled to a bench. With the assist of his...
Beads (Your Lancer Interlude 1)
* * * To the centennial battlefield, I was called. Where once a victorious flag stood, A temple to Her had been erected. I am here so that She may bless the beads I carry, Like Aolians of the past did. The sacred pool before me, A small...
Violet (Your Lancer Interlude 3)
* * * Red, I don't think you remember, When we first met. But I do. Even when your father brought you, I knew your origins. You were quiet, But eventually opened up to me. Only to me. I often reminisce about When we were children. I...
Lowering your guard is not a weakness
* * * "Fuck. Fuck!" The word had lingered in the samoyed's head all week. Maybe Andrey really was fucked, because he stalked the dinosaur he met the week before. Among the aisles of a grocery store, the little dog cast discreet glances at his...
Baixar a guarda não é fraqueza
* * * "Que merda. Que merda!" A frase tinha se repetido na cabeça do pequeno samoieda a semana inteira. Talvez Andrey estivesse mesmo na merda, porque ele estava basicamente stalkeando o dinossauro que ele conheceu na semana anterior. Entre os...
I want you closer
* * * "I have to be better," he whispered through gritted teeth. Each squat burned, the weights he carried barely slipped his sweaty, feathered hands, his sharp talons scratched the mat flooring of the gym area; but he kept going. Lifting provided...