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Coach Walls started calling me “Tank.” Coach O’Brien said, “J.P. is out to kill.” Dad said nothing, but every time I looked at him — shin-high socks, gray shorts, V-neck tee with chest hair spilling out, whistle dangling around his neck — he was unable to hide his grin.
By John Paul ScottoAugust 2023Take care of yourself during this essay, whatever that means for you. Perhaps you need to drink a lot of water or unwrap a snack (quietly please!) or play Angry Birds on your phone — whatever works to tamp down your discomfort.
By Brenda MillerJune 2023Before we eat our snow cones, pet this dog. Don’t expect to earn a Wolf badge for your troubles. . . . Move slowly down the back, like you’re taking your fingers on a trip, until you get to the bulge on the haunch. Yes, it’s a tumor. Yes, it’s cancerous. Pet it like it’s nothing special, just part of the dog.
By Lance LarsenMarch 2023Angel’s hooves stay planted, but I feel the question in his back, the offer to spin and gallop. I hold firm in my seat, knees forward, signaling to my horse that we should not move. He trusts me and squares his stance.
By JoDean NicoletteDecember 2022A Thousand Words features photography so rich with narrative that it tells a story all on its own.
December 2022I count out the dog’s pills — one for pain, / one for swelling, five to oil those scraping joints — / a rosary I pray will go on forever. I believe / I am staving off the inevitable.
— from “Devotion”
By K.T. LandonSeptember 2022And I didn’t say there is no philosophy of life that covers this / I didn’t say how am I supposed to breathe when you stop
By Beverly HartzMay 2022A Thousand Words features photography so rich with narrative that it tells a story all on its own.
May 2022A Thousand Words features photography so rich with narrative that it tells a story all on its own.
April 2022I’m the one who was so desperate for a dog that I sat on the wood floor of our living room, hour after hour, week after week, and memorized the dog section of the encyclopedia.
By Esther EhrlichFebruary 2022Personal, political, provocative writing delivered to your doorstep every month—without a single ad.
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