How Cold the Morning, How Heavy the Waltz was the first story I wrote after my son died. It’s in my flash collection Songs from the Blimp Ruins, published by Silverbacked Punk. Here's a clip of me reading the story: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8swh... The book is available here: shorturl.at/0rZqb

“… I felt, perhaps for the first time in my life, or at least it felt like the first time—it always feels like the first time, doesn't it?—a deep, atom-shaped despair.”

In Case You Need an Explanation by Ashley Hutson in @eldiagram.bsky.social
thediagram.com/26_3/hutson....

“The undertow of grief buzzes between us as if I’d put my tongue on a power line.”

@lisaalletson.bsky.social in SugarSugarSalt Lit sugarsugarsaltlit.substack.com/p/locating-t...

“They should realize that a boy wakes. Always the next morning or the morning after and looks for her.”

“She sets …”

“She hears …”

“She hears …”

“She sets …”

@thorntonforreal.bsky.social in Flash in the Court flashthecourt.com/2026/10/09/a...

"I’d ask her if she knew where we were going, and she’d sigh and say, 𝘖𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘰, but …”

@megpokrass.bsky.social in Craft www.craftliterary.com/2026/10/07/c...

“See, I’m the kind of girl who will keep doing one thing until there’s reason to do another.”

@francinewitte.bsky.social in @newworldwriting.bsky.social newworldwriting.net/francine-wit...

“… if it’s evening, his non-silhouette will eat a plate of cookies, wash it with a glass of milk, drink down a day that was filled with the glare of being real.”

@francinewitte.bsky.social in @100wordstory.bsky.social 100wordstory.org/silhouette-b...

“She says it’s okay to be sad and want to die only don’t.”

@lucindakempe.bsky.social in Unbroken Journal www.theunjournals.com/unbroken51

“… I can’t unsee it, can’t unsee him, can’t remember a time when Mama ever leaned on Daddy’s shoulder–not like that.”

@karenc.bsky.social in @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social gooseberry-pie.com/runaway-train/

“I tried writing with my toes but at this I was unsuccessful except for two expletives I wrote on the wall which offended them greatly.”

@bronwengriffiths.bsky.social in @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social gooseberry-pie.com/such-a-weigh...

“Listen to me: all I want is to listen to you.”

“… but also, and more importantly …”

@kimmagowan.bsky.social in @fracturedlit.bsky.social fracturedlit.com/song-of-chlo...

“It always starts
with a single decision …”

@jackbedell.bsky.social in @bloominonionlit.bsky.social www.thebloominonion.com/diatribe-jac...

“No need to go inside

to be sanctified.”

@jackbedell.bsky.social in @tinywrenlit.bsky.social www.tinywrenlit.com/11/gouffre

“How, when I look at a canvas

I can see the past perched on the shoulder

of the present …”

@megpokrass.bsky.social in @tinywrenlit.bsky.social www.tinywrenlit.com/11/self-port...