you made a choice to be here

It is 10:40 am, I’m sitting cross-legged in the middle of my mat and there is a block on either side of me.  I’m quite proud of myself for even being here, I’ve made it to exactly three 10 am classes this year.  Mornings aren’t my thing.  I swing my Read more

By justk, ago

the oldest cheese in Canada

Jeremy loathed these visits with his old aunt Violet.  They always started like this, the endless questions that never evolved into an actual conversation.  (What is going on with your hair?  Are you still chewing on your fingernails?  Are you trying out for the tennis team? ) And it was Read more

By justk, ago

“mouth breathing”

“You know it’s been like five days,” she paused to give him entry to the conversation but as always he misses the cue.  Her stare is a silent but pointed prod.  Emerald irises shrink as her pupils expand at high-speed.  Her eyes have always transfixed him, they shift so quickly Read more

By justk, ago

“it’s very authentic”

Troy always picked the place.  Even if he was joining after the meal, Troy always picked the place when they came to visit.  Joanna had tried to convince her parents to let her choose but no, Troy was the expert.  He’d lived in the city for five years and as Read more

By justk, ago

“I can just walk there”

Benny decided to leave the car.  He’d have to come back early and get it, early as in before the street sweepers came.  Not that they ever came right at 8am, but the ticket police sure as heck were timely with their citations.  Benny decided to leave the car because Read more

By justk, ago

zac for short

There was no question this Gene was doing a good thing. Fuck the puppy mills. Why does my best friend have to be a pure breed? I had to convince Clea because she had her heart set on a pug. “How superficial do you want to prove you are? If Read more

By justk, ago

got vices? i’m okay with it.

  “I bite my nails, that’s my one vice” M says.       I used to bite my nails.  But in my teens I was shamed into stopping.  I had just started modeling and I remember a hair stylist using words like ‘disgusting’ and ‘gross’ when he looked at Read more

By justk, ago