Your mother’s voice, calling you to get ready for school. Immediately, the slice of the headache. The undercurrent of nausea in your throat and stomach, the leaden quality of the bones. You shouldn’t have gone out drinking last night. She is calling again, your mother—her footfalls are nearing your door. When the drinking first began,… Continue reading The Kali Yuga is a teenage hangover
Author: JHB
The awkwardness of expertise
“People suck.” “Skin is stupid.” These are actual statements made by my doctor in our most recent appointment, the first being a comment on the origins of the outdated food pyramid, the second with reference to the issue which had led me to seek the appointment, a skin issue. There may be some truth to… Continue reading The awkwardness of expertise
A man remembers
Shape-shifting nylon; Squid ink begets a world. The hand of God has given forth More than it could possibly hold, A whirling, infinitely faceted creation. * Draped within the illusion, A man remembers.
Of her I sang
There were certainly elements of my childhood that were less than idyllic. My parents divorced when I was small, and there were confusing, turbulent years during which I spent summers and holidays with my father, the remainder of time with my mother. During these years, a core memory is of flying through the vast desert… Continue reading Of her I sang
Hungry Ghost, 23A
An earlier version of this story was published by Sixfold Magazine in the winter 2024 issue, available here. For moments now Jeff has entertained the fantasy that he will secure himself an entire row, two empty seats beside him along which he can stretch, lie, even sleep. Perhaps it is the tattoos on his face… Continue reading Hungry Ghost, 23A
Jackson Holzberg Buckley 