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The Hawks in the Leaves

From the October 2018 Print Edition

The silly chickens huddle in dismay.Each shadow cast by falling leaves they taketo be a hawk descending on its prey.They’re scared, while I’m just resting on my rake.Today’s the stripping day, when in a blinkour postcard fall receives its fatal blow.Some blame the southwest wind. I’d like to . . . . Continue Reading »

The K-T Boundary

From the January 2017 Print Edition

The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary is a distinct layer in the rock strata laid down about 65 million years ago. Its creation coincides with the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and it contains high levels of iridium, an element found in asteroids.On top of the food chain, they had few . . . . Continue Reading »

Los Alamos

From the February 2016 Print Edition

The mountaineers of Hitler’s 16th corpsstood on Mt. Elbrus and admired the view,confident that peace was near. Case Bluehad gone as planned. In one last blitz they’d tourthe storied Caspian—along its shore,the vital oil of Grozny and Baku.Russia would fall in 1942—the stronger race deserved . . . . Continue Reading »

Nothing Lies

From the February 2012 Print Edition

An atom’s 99.9% nothing at all. The world’s an empty place. Its solid shapes are objects we invent to give a form to nuclei and space. But these constructions aren’t exactly fake” it hurts when, as a test, we kick a stone; electrons charge across the void and make illusions . . . . Continue Reading »

Sales Pitch

From the June/July 2011 Print Edition

He walked with me around the grounds, expecting me to give away” by how I sighed at this, or shrugged at that”what I might spend, today , to buy a proper burial plot in his North Derry cemetery. We ended up out in the field where all the new graves were arranged in cul-de-sacs and . . . . Continue Reading »

Not2B.com

From the Aug/Sept 2010 Print Edition

This is a choice”it’s not atragedy” And we exist to help you get it done. Why make this harder than it has to be? Click through, review a wide variety Of products and advice. Please, have some fun! This is a choice and not a tragedy. Our pills? Organic, and they’re . . . . Continue Reading »