Published in The Bad Influence

·Jul 16

A Eulogy of Sorts

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #76: Blank — Three shootings in my neighborhood this summer. A drug deal gone bad. Revenge, probably. And Sunday, Patrick* from Ghana.** He’d knock on my door, drunk. “Teach me to drive.” “My wife tells me I smell like shit.” “I was a surgeon, in Africa. Look at my hands!” “Like my jacket? $20, it’s yours.” Yelling, drunken…

The Bad Influence

1 min read

Published in The Bad Influence

·Jul 9

Inspirational-ish

Fifty Word Challenge #96: Shit —

The Bad Influence

1 min read

Inspirational-ish

Fifty Word Challenge #96: Shit

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Published in The Bad Influence

·Jun 25

Enough is Enough is Enough

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #73: Enough

The Bad Influence

1 min read

Sign reading “We won’t be silent anymore.” — Sign from this week’s Poor People’s Campaign Moral March on DC, image taken by author.

Enough is Enough is Enough

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Published in The Bad Influence

·Jun 11

My Community Garden

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #71: Fix It —

The Bad Influence

1 min read

The author’s chickens. From left to right: Vulcan, Magnus, Alpharius, Frasquita, and Mercedes.

My Community Garden

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #71: Fix It

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Published in The Bad Influence

·Apr 23

A Wicked Witch

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #65: ‘Hovel’ — The witch’s hut is foreboding, just as the young woman was warned. Dead trees stand sentry over weeds and peeling paint as she cautiously makes her way to the ajar front door. Steeling herself for the worst, the young woman hesitantly steps inside. And she blinks at the hearth’s warmth…

The Bad Influence

1 min read

Published in The Bad Influence

·Mar 23

The Slipperiest of Slopes, and Then Some

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #61: Elaborate —

The Bad Influence

1 min read

The Slipperiest of Slopes, and Then Some

Young tiger-striped cat looking surprised while lying on a tile floor next to a dead cockroach. — image by GooseB on Pixabay

The Slipperiest of Slopes, and Then Some

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #61: Elaborate

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Published in The Bad Influence

·Feb 4

One Day at a Time

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #54: Impulse Control —

The Bad Influence

1 min read

Small house made of matchsticks partially consumed by flames, on a white to aqua gradient background. — Image by Myriams-Fotos on Pixabay

One Day at a Time

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #54: Impulse Control

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Published in The Bad Influence

·Jan 28

God’s Gift

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #53: Penis — Hey yourself. Thanks. You’re not too bad looking either. Sure, just not — okay, I guess I’ll have an IPA too. Social worker. You? Well, I guess maybe the market’s tough right now for midlevel managers. I’m sure you’ll find something. What to say? I love music, being outdoors…. Wow…

The Bad Influence

1 min read