Sidelined, or No Pain, No Gain

I think it was the first time it hit me that I was disposable, that we all were, that we players were on an assembly line of talent, and when we reached the end, it didn’t matter much whether we fell in the trash or not.



RECENTLY PUBLISHED


An underwater photo of pink coral in a turquoise sea.

Ngoại and the Coral Reef

I think of time. Like Ngoại, this reef only has so much of it left.


The branches of a large, moss-covered tree extend outward in dozens of different directions.

Every six months or so

There are more emails from a series of strangers. They have questions. They’re confused by my branch on their family tree.


Four closet shelves with an assortment of clothing piles in disarray. Among the items are yellow, gray, and brown knit sweaters; a pale blue and white striped button-down shirt; and T-shirts.

To Have (Stuff) and to Hold

Who were we as an adult couple, not just two college kids sleeping on each other’s hand-me-down mattresses?


A small, window-less jail cell with a single cot and a short stool beside it.

The Court Trip

This is what I deserve, I thought the whole ride from court to county.