The other night, I thought I might like to have a roast beef sandwich — comfort food. So I went to the kitchen (this is about 1 a.m.) and I got out what I might like. The fixings: roast beef (deli style, nothing fancy), mayonnaise, some provolone cheese (I used two slices!) and a load […]
*written in appreciation of a nativity painting, within the Church of the Pantanassa, a Byzantine church in central Athens, Greece. No photos were allowed, just imagination. What goes into a sacrifice? How deep must the cut be? The Ancient Greeks slaughter lambs for absolvement and fear, the modern for gyros with tomato and yogurt sauce. […]
By Philip Runia *atop Mount Parnassus on a field assignment in Greece The stories of the past present themselves to us through excavation, the uncovering of secrets once lost. We retell, mis-tell and immortalize these stories through preservation of the artifacts we find and replicate. The great myths of Ancient Greece are kept in this […]
Jane is short. She can’t reach the bottle she wants on the top shelf. — Could you help me out? I can’t reach the seltzer. — Uhh, yeah one sec. Kieran peels his eyes away from his cravings to pull the bottle from the top shelf. Jane is annoyed with Kieran. He makes her needs […]
By Philip Runia *Published in Vol. 7 of Fools Magazine , Illustration by Tayden Seay The ruddy dirt in Texas, just after a Wyoming rain spattered across my back. The hide of piglets, squeezed squealing in my palms until almost white, but not quite. The lone drop of buttermilk chocolate that formed the mole under […]
by Philip Runia *Published in Volume 6.5 of Fools Magazine The cheep-cheep of the bird outside is rapturous. Not quite a joyful song, but as if it were demanding or anticipating that something happen. Though I don’t have my glasses on, I can tell by the gray shade of the sky and the cool smell […]
“Hey, it’s okay, don’t be upset.” Cody said. Cody placed his hand on my thigh, and I didn’t respond. His fingers pressed low enough to be friendly, but high enough to remind me when we had been more. I crossed my legs, pushing him out of the space between my thighs. I looked away from […]
1918 Death does mysterious things to people. It can create sorrow, anger, riches and envy. It can leave the high-headed unbred. It can unravel the tightly wound, knot the unhinged. It can expose the true quality or value in a thing. Dusty, Dorothy thought, as she scrutinized the veneer of grime atop the chipped […]
Sometimes it’s you in your bed, your grandchildren’s soft, sad eyes and your last breath surrounding you. Or you’re choking the life from the steering wheel of a sedan, gazing at the roadkill behind you and wondering why it was so important to look down and skip that gimmicky song. Or perhaps you’ve collapsed the […]
*Published in Vol. 5 of Fools Magazine My coat is itchy.Wool isn’t supposed to feel that way.The finer kind, anyway.The warmth from his grasp has disappeared,separated by that old, yet familiar, barrier of isolation.A chilling shiver creeps through my veins,causing my spine to shake and my neck to jerk.The coat isn’t warm enough.It was expensive […]
Philip Runia