On Another Night In Paradise

Helen McGurk rose and prepared a lovely rare roast beef for her husband's dinner. She rubbed in salt and pepper with her bare hands, shelled peas, and boiled some potatoes into paste. Mr. McGurk came through the door around five, said hi honey in his sweet voice, only to find her on the table, legs spread, roast toppled, peas scattered, potatoes in her hair. Drive me like a stolen car, baby, she said.

He appreciated her sudden candor.

Rusty has published poems, stories, reviews and essays in many places, most recently Post Road, Small Spiral Notebook, Barn Owl Review, Lit Up. His collection of flash fiction, Breaking it Down, came out last year from Sunnyoutside Press. He cofounded and oversee’s the lit journal Night Train (www.nighttrainmagazine.com) and maintains a webspace at www.rustybarnes.com.