Two Christmas Stories

Jeffrey MacLachlan

I.

Firewood ignites in a burst of classifieds.
Marijuana joint-ends appear and vanish
in the air with fireflies while clouds arch
like surprised eyebrows and stars
close like bruised eyes.
The small fire reveals mountains
of fentanyl and paper
bills. Three men drag
a body into the water in a hush.

II.

A woman waits for her teenage
son who walked with his step-
brother at dusk to their father’s across
the lake for matches. Her womb
feels empty and she worries of spending
the rest of the night alone.
Fireworks shatter in the sky
as their twins decorate
the dark waves.
 

Jeffrey H. MacLachlan also has recent work in New Ohio Review, Columbia Journal, the minnesota review, among others. He teaches literature at Georgia College & State University. He can be followed on Twitter @jeffmack.