Exterminating Angel Press

Creative Solutions for Practical Idealists.

Exangel

Aside.

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by Marissa Bell Toffoli.

Field of infinite whispers.
Supple blades of pale sage,
the color of cat eyes.
How they widen / wink
in sunlight. It’s not always clear
what is real. The past is ever
present / now slips out from under us.
Day at the shore, look out
for the horizon. Memory traces
a collapsing trail through sand.
Sat down to speak of what?
Instead, a photo. No one in it.
No background, no slip of stream
edges the shot. Only lush, long grass.
/////////////////////////////
The texture of time. All wisps
swayed aside by wind we didn’t feel.
Wanted to leave the plank-board path / fall
into those waiting arms.
Close my eyes / give myself over
to something that need be
nothing more.
A simple comfort.

 

Pop Song.

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by Virginia Bell. after Diane Seuss I met my father again in The Pleasure Chest on North Milwaukee, in the garden center on Clarke called Gethsemane, in a nightclub in Spain back when everyone was playing The Police on repeat, and he said to me, is that you, little chickadee, he said, like a monk […]

Playing to Die.

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by Jim Meirose. “Isn’t this game great, great fun?” “Yes it’s fun!”         walking off the court each time, after another profitable game, they whacked their thighs with the flat of their hands as they strode off the court headed for the two matching water bottles on the bench they were to sit on and after […]

Contraband.

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by Sean Murphy. One night just after counting my tips I stole an entire chocolate torte from the walk-in, absconding to the roof of the restaurant for a late-night snack. Predictably, I felt immediate regret: not only had I effectively robbed my place of employment, but worse, betrayed a friend. Kathy, in addition to being […]

Not a Trick.

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by David D. Horowitz. “Yes, that’s my foldable luggage cart!” “Someone brought it in two hours after you checked last time you were here.” “That was Monday, a week ago. I’m so glad I checked with you and security again! I used it to transport two boxes of books I was selling at a used […]

Magic Missing.

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by Diana Morley. Sun not yet set rampaging winds whip the earth as if wanting to wipe off the whole mess and start over. Pleas from earth keepers torn apart—hanging chads pelted to the ground under a sweeping roar. Our planet, our home no child’s Magic Slate with pull-up plastic.

Tail-end News.

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by Diana Morley. When an arctic air blast nears zero here maybe 60 under my desk near the door best to check tail-end news for the magic of an LOL! to warm up down to my toes. Today totally rewarding. A young Dutch chess player was fined for wearing canvas sneakers at a chess championship—as […]

Does Chat GBT Dream of Electric Sheep?

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by Bruce E. R. Thompson. You might suspect that I didn’t write this essay myself. Perhaps I simply asked ChatGPT to write it for me, slapped my name on it, and submitted it as per usual. Sometimes, when I teach philosophy, I ask my students to write papers. Like other teachers, I worry that student […]

Matter of Conscience.

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by David D. Horowitz. About seven years ago I chatted with an attorney working on a case involving drone technology. He looked fatigued and admitted negotiations were proving difficult. I asked him why. Respecting client confidentiality, he offered nothing specific. He hinted, though, that laws governing drone use are often imprecise and difficult to enforce. […]

e-station.

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by Tom Ball. E-station was a space station orbiting Earth. The population was 1000 of the richest and most famous and 20 000 clever servants. And typically 1000 tourists. All sorts of celebrities: geo-architects, Virtual Reality (VR) actors/actresses, VR designers, various magnates, famous escorts and so on. Gravity through a gravitron/centrifuge. Powered by the sun […]