Yesterday, before the cocktail hour, I went shopping for loopholes. Bridget said it’s been her life-long dream to own one. Downtown, I felt like an animal lost in an animal city. So many attorneys. Fortunately, I was my other self, so I was able to take full advantage of my tricky symptoms. Of course, I’ve never been a big fan, but my reputation preceded me. As is often the case with heroes, it was said about me, We can’t say enough about him. No use flying off the handle, especially at gratuitous compliments. Who am I to accuse others of making false accusations? Transitions, like homicides, are always so difficult. Little Monte wouldn’t let me get away with murder. There aren’t enough bodies to go around, he said, although, if the truth be told, I nearly dropped a bomb on myself. But that was before I realized, sooner or later, something has to kill you. Like Oedipus said, if you can’t beat them, join them, particularly if you’re not sure whose side you’re on. I made the strongest case I could make against cannibalism. No way I’m going to get pink-eye. Not like I did last time.
Brad Rose was born and raised in Los Angeles and lives in Boston. He is the author of a collection of poetry and flash fiction, Pink X-Ray (Big Table Publishing, 2015, http://pinkx-ray.com and Amazon.com.) Brad has three forthcoming books of poems, Momentary Turbulence and WordinEdgeWise, from Cervena Barva Press, and de/tonations from Nixes Mate Press. He is also the author of five chapbooks of poetry and flash fiction. Four times nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and twice nominated for Best of the Net Anthology, his poetry and micro fiction have appeared in, The Los Angeles Times, The American Journal of Poetry, Sequestrum, Hunger Mountain, Folio, decomP, Lunch Ticket, The Baltimore Review, Bending Genres, and other publications. His story, “Desert Motel,” appears in the anthology Best Microfiction, 2019. Brad’s website is: www.bradrosepoetry.com Selected readings can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/bradrose1 A list of publications is available at: http://bradrosepoetry.com/2019/03/a-list-of-publications/