I was born in El Cajon. It’s close to the border, epitomized by the greedy lust you would find lounging against the bowling alley that caters to teens looking for relief. My mother had lived there a good portion of her life until moving to an equally disagreeable place. Across the pond she called herself Raven and…

He drove past the church with the neon crucifix and I laughed and said, “I find that funny.”
“Why?” Could I help but notice the way his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly and think about his hands on my neck while we were having sex?
“It’s confusing to…

I know the tradition of finding you alone in the den, sitting on pillows and watching The Blues Brothers. I would see you and leave and get dressed in the white button-down and black tie I wore when we first met.
We would parallel one another in our scene, conversation quelled until the credits rolled…

I would never admit this, but summertime is my favorite time. I remember the summer you saved me from myself. I was sixteen and heartbroken after- you reminded me what it was to laugh again. This summer reminds me a lot of that one. I am not so naive, anymore. My spirit is less free. The buzzing…

The first night I met her was no different than the last time I was with her in that she led me the entire time. We didn’t fall in love when her uncle let us use his sailboat and roam the bay or when she took me on a picnic on a mountain I had always overlooked. No, we fell in love on that…