Haunting Silence

“If Sam took a hearing test today, she’d fail it in the left ear, probably both.” The doctor points to diagrams, talks about adenoids and semi-clear liquid the color and consistency of honey.

Since January, I’ve watched Samantha’s world get smaller. She laboriously mastered “DaDa” and nothing more.

The doctor and my wife talk about tubes and advances in the technology of tubes.

I’m haunted by an image I haven’t seen yet—Sam unconscious, on a white hospital sheet awaiting surgery. I see this when I check on her.

In her crib, the sheets are pink, stuffed animals all around.From Guest Contributor Shane Borrowman

Greek Yogurt

Have you ever tasted Greek yogurt?

The consistency is so thick, and the taste is so bland.

It comes in 2% reduced fat, 1% reduced fat, and fat-free.

Add to it your favorite fruit or other sweet toppings, you’ll be surprised how delicious it will be.

Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, oranges, or even dark chocolate chips.

Finish it off with granola to give it some crunch and some honey to give it some sweetness.

Yum, delicious.

Greek yogurt is that simple yogurt that tastes bland until you add delicious toppings to it.

Give Greek yogurt a try; you might like it.From Guest Contributor Hope Scippio

Hope is a published author, as well as a student of journalism, graphic design, and broadcasting at Pikes Peak State College.

Imperfect

Some say handwriting is an art form. Practice makes perfect, the preschool teacher said. If it were true, I would have the handwriting of an exquisite 14-point Arial. Instead, my wastebasket overflows with paper balls of failure. Black smudges across my skin like dried blood from the words I’ve killed with imperfection. Sweat seeps over pores as I seethe at my incompetence. When the flawless blue lines of loose leaf repulse me, I succumb to technology. Every keystroke delivers proportional consistency, yielding blissful pride as my fingers connect. Only then am I free from the curse of my obsessive mind.

Laura Widener

Laura is a wife, mother, and coffee addict living in rural Georgia. She holds degrees in Sociology and Human Services, and completed her MFA in Writing at Lindenwood University. Her forthcoming work will be found in Riding Light and NoiseMedium, and her previous work can be found in TWJ Magazine, Morpheus Tales, and Life in 10 Minutes. Visit her blog at: http://incessantpen.wordpress.com