Yash Seyedbagheri is a graduate of Colorado State University’s MFA program in fiction. His story, “Soon,” was nominated for a Pushcart.  Yash’s work is forthcoming or has been published in WestWard Quarterly, Café Lit, 50 Word Stories, (mac)ro (mic), and Ariel Chart.

Blue Shadow

blue shadows shimmer over snow
while I walk weary country road
crescent moon whispering white
rows of pines broken only by faint lights
across distant valleys
a goose honks, unseen
honking hanging over
the blue hush
where are you going tonight, goose?

Jell-O Empire

Older sister Nancy and I loved Jell-O, its jiggly form, something light and delightful. While Dad drank and Mother disappeared into the world, we built round mountains and constructed fortresses out of Jell-O blocks. We marveled at our ability to create. To induce beauty, as Nancy put it. Sometimes, we just held it, felt its lightness.

Then Dad took off. He didn’t leave a note. Just bills. We donned oversized suits and responsibility, but not before we destroyed our creations. We stabbed each mountain, each block. We wept, wounding Jell-O with forks. No matter how we tried there were always reminders.