Elane Gutterman

At the D&R canal, my friend & I saw a herd of turtles sunbathing on a log. Lucky photo. Only later, my hand searching my pocket, I couldn’t find the car key In the heat of walking, I removed the jacket. Of course, I buttoned the pocket holding the key but over 7000 steps, somehow, I left behind my key My friend inquired if I had a spare. Without my asking, she drove me home and back to the canal and my car. Her rescue, so kind for a backup key Alone, I retraced our detour into the secluded woods.

Medusa’s snake hair has met its match as I glimpse the gray green stripes and shiny black heads of the wormlike creatures violating my Mugo pine. What a slithering is scissoring my Mugo pine! In my rage, I prepare for a fateful match with a ruthless plan hatched in my head. I dislodge the larvae with a stick to their heads, use a paper cup to gather these pests from my pine and, seeking their fiery end, strike a long match. Alas I need a rematch, when I find still more beady heads in my pine.

Talking Swastikas with My Neighbor, Swapna, Over Chai Tea Swapna remembers her grandmother's morning devotions. I recount the spectacle on TV. The rangoli her ajji designed with dyed rice powder. The white nationalists marching in Charlottesville. I recount the spectacle on TV. An ancient symbol, called a swastika. The white nationalists marching in Charlottesville. The way it assures a family’s good fortune and well-being. An ancient symbol, called a swastika.