“Four Shorts about Feet,” by Louisa Wolf

I don’t often think about my feet until they talk back. There’s the occasional bruise, or such matters of aging like bunions, fallen arches, and plantar fasciitis. Regardless of the insult, our feet convey our heft through life but the first person narrator in these stories takes a perspective closer to the soul. Rich imagery and memory weave a series of stories as child, wife and mother. While the image of feet links these stories, here’s an image that stuck with me. The language evokes a parent’s conflicting feelings during the teenage-rearing years: “My heart, a leathery pouch as wrinkled as a hobbit’s purse, hiding hope, and maybe a dagger.” Read it here at Agni Online.

"Caiman," by Bret Anthony Johnston

Lies, secrets, and prayers uttered by parents often come from an urge to protect their young from the looming violence of the world. We understand. Daily, we are exposed to the underbelly of our culture through broadcast news and the Internet. Strong dialogue carries the surface tension and intimacy between these parents. Preparing dinner, their bond is palpable as revealed in the following statement: “The meal was starting to feel like a celebration, like one of us had gotten a raise or was having a birthday.” The father’s surprise for the son, a small alligator, a caiman, is perhaps an invitation to violence in an attempt to come to terms with the world through love and prayer. The language is full of wonderful detail and depth of emotion. Read it here in Agni Online.

"Watchers," by Scott Cheshire

Where I grew up in New England, I was mesmerized by the ocean rocks and the stonewalls of blue slate that marked the boundaries of "good neighbors." In this story, rocks are elevated to the mystical plain of the desert, the playa. Watchers turn out to register the movement of rocks across Death Valley. Strong dialogue reveals depths in what is not said by the characters. Crisp description bridges the now and ancient, the physical and the mystical. Enjoy the story at Agni Online here.