Exterminating Angel Press

Creative Solutions for Practical Idealists.

Exangel

Imprints.

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by Diana Morley.

Swearing
at the arctic blast
fast-freezing
my nose to toes—
laughing
at my old fridge
whining pitifully
ice cubes clinging
together, chilling.

Late afternoon
still a hard shine
on the dark-watered lake
frozen overnight
hiding life and depths.

Backyard snow
reflecting sunlight
into my home
till early evening,
the bright white cover
now a low glow
as if lit from below
holding tracks
from gentle wildlife
leaving for the day
passing under trees
that drop clumps
of snow to the ground
planting water for spring.

Mother May I.

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by John Van Pelt. There’s always red, double-deckers resolved from fog and granite, the boy’s glasses blearing city lights in slashes of impasto, no holiday cheer but reaches his ears in a sodden frenzy, clots of pleasantries pinched off by tinkling bells, muted all beneath the threadbare coverlet of incessant rain. He’s late to a […]

Straight.

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by Holly Day. There is a stretch of highway in Kansas where the guy who was responsible for painting the line down the middle of the road fell asleep and drove into a field instead. It’s not usually a problem to pass this spot in the daytime, although if you’ve been following that white line […]

For an Acquaintance and His Wife with Alzheimer’s.

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by Barry Vitcov. Who are you to say I would not be there? After all these years, you still have some doubt that in the end, when the world seems unfair, you would be abandoned and left without someone knowing well your questions and fears. Although we’ve often talked of the unknown, with worry in […]

I Wasn’t Mature at Their Age, Either.

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by David D. Horowitz. My memory feels like an underground river. It flows into and just below consciousness as it meanders through my day, which is sometimes spent tutoring. I’m semi-retired but I work part-time as a verbal skills tutor at a nationally franchised learning and test prep center in the Seattle area. My students’ […]

Profile.

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by Joel Glover. There’s a lot to know about Gwen Leonhard. For example, this is a woman who really loves a footnote[1]. Another thing about her is that she is laugh-out-loud funny, adding beats of wry humour[2] or pure silliness which bring a depth and vibrancy to her characters. As an emerging author, Gwen isn’t […]

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 […]

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 […]