Pushing through the heavy, green metal doors, then down 17 steps, to a landing, a 90* right turn and then down a very long and very steep grade of steps to reach the train platform. It was the kind of dirty; where the 5 second rule was not in effect...ever. He was trying to catch the Q train. His usual choice of operation was to tuck himself into an impenetrable capsule of self-consciousness.

The release date for the Zombie slash Apocalypse party had been changed so many times there was reason to believe it might be a fake social event altogether. For absolute certainty, she looked down at her own grubby sneakers, but imagined a pair of Christian Louboutin Marlenalta Platform Pumps for $1,045.

What appeared to be a gentle brushstroke on the landscape was a river that cut into earth, rock and life itself. In this distant painting a mist of uncertainty hung over it.

You would call him a scientist. When you dedicate your life to search for something you may never find the answer to – that made my father a scientist.

From their seats they had a pretty good view of just about everything. This night there was particular majesty about the disturbing blue sky and clouds that looked like tidal fluctuations. The sky seemed to move in and out, like high and low tides, forming little pools of ocean.

When the sky could get no bluer, the delicate butterfly wings sliced into the air like a scalpel attempting to remove a deadly lesion.

In the early 1970's, America was in turmoil.  The Viet Nam war was still raging on. His college deferment had expired and he'd already passed his physical. He applied for and was granted a Conscientious Objector status.

The smell was tropical. Not like sun tan lotion or mango or papaya smoothies, but decomposition. The feeling was like taphonomy - from the Greek taphos, meaning tomb.

He was traveling with the Louis Vuitton of public transportation, 2 doubled up CVS plastic bags. Ample storage for rain pants, a bag of gummy bears, a paperback book - not memorable and some smoked almonds. It was fine for his commute of 20 minutes.

Rows of azure blue plastic seats and brushed stainless steel grips were secured by tamper-resistant fasteners. As usual, he rode the MBTA #38 bus, enjoying the predictability of each passenger's routine - who got on and off at what stops. Sometimes he pretended he could look into the future. He knew which drivers were friendly and which drivers would not respond to his tentative greetings.

A man and his wife had just crossed the railroad tracks.
The snow made a temporary journal of their travels.
It had just turned to dusk as they walked to their car.

The night before she had gone to a seafood restaurant. She was seated directly on a floor of clear, glass tiles. The tiles were about 18” square and 1" thick cast glass. It reminded her of the "rustic" glasses with tiny air bubbles frozen in a bluish vitrification. She sat atop an architecturally sized aquarium.

It was frightening, to consider of all the things he did not know. The fact was, he never really had a job before. In college, he studied sculpture. His youthfulness did not realize the world was not going to come to him.

He could tell by the woman's deeply creased, too tanned face and froggy voice. She would line up as soon as they landed. Looking down, big things became smaller.

A cartographer’s mother made cards to send her daughter. The mother saved stamps from different countries. The daughter knew her mother would steam the stamps, releasing them from the letters. She would mount the stamps on colorful paper. The daughter studied maps of places that no longer existed.

When an economic crisis came to the ecosystem, all the animals of the savanna were affected. Maybe the hardest hit were the zebras.

The boy's favorite painting was called "Watson and the Shark". He would stand for hours and gaze deeply into the painting. What intrigued the boy so much?

This Italian greyhound was rescued from a life of racing and poor treatment. With the largest heart and percentage of fast-twitch muscle of any breed, this greyhound was exceptionally gifted.

It was a December day in Boston. A man and woman walked towards each other. Neither one could see the other because there was a hill between. They were both dressed in black.