The hedges around my house were as high as they were thick; they were downright dangerous along the driveway, blocked sight lines, and during our summer parties, caused more than one fender bender. But that day, as I walked to the car, the privacy they provided was a blessing. And I’d been right about the […]
Well, You’re Dead and I’m holding my own,taking on water, mainlyin my feet and ankles,filling up like a rain gaugeor the Edmund Fitzgerald.Time hangs burdens on us:weight, fatigue, regretthe most noticeable.They bind our hands andplant our feet to the soil,to a moment thatno longer existson this twisting Earth.A mediocre boxer,I keep moving, clockwise,around this ring,shoulders […]
And from there, the series of events became increasingly sketchy, the memories like a half-finished puzzle with remaining pieces that didn’t fit anywhere. The barmaid had arrived to take his order, then eyed us both with mistrust. I was already a potential problem, and now here was one of the community’s well-known criminals. To be […]
Tucked into a bay on Lake of the Woods’ most northern tip, at the height of summer, Kenora had boasted a population of forty thousand, jumping to forty-five thousand on weekends. The marinas, cottages, and campgrounds around the lake had been packed, the colourful beaches all busy; even the shabbiest of motels flipped their cracked […]