These are three 55-word fiction pieces I wrote for a campus literary magazine. Feel they 'work best' as poetry.


From a Depressed 4th Grader

One day, Tom woke up and went to the store.

"Do you have any peach scented soaps?" asked Tom.

"No, I'm sorry," said the shopkeeper.

"Oh. Okay," said Tom, and went back to bed.

Three hours later, Tom woke up because he left his bedroom light on. He turned it off.



Venti, plz

"What are we doing here?" axed Jennifer over her chai latte.

"Here, in this Starbucks?" Lauren axed back, "Wasting time. But in our lives?" Fuck if she knew.

"Yeah, that's what I mean," Jennifer said.

Lauren stood up from the table and started packing her shit.

"I don't like questions that will never have answers."



Cormac McCarthy Eats a Salad

I want to be King of the World.

I want to hold my head under a blanket.

The stars at night overpower me. Infinite.

My doctor diagnosed me with celiac disease. Feel scared of food.

Maybe I should adopt the Atkins Diet (author's note: is that ironic yet?) or possibly just eat vitamins. Who knows.