FATHERS Your father used to gasp after every drink of water, now his ghost has possessed you to fill the silence with his breath. And with every bite you swallow of birthday cake, with every scent of burnt wax, the same scars and moles emerge, the skin wrinkles in all the same directions. And now, after every drop of water I swallow, I gasp.
About the Author: Oscar Moreno is a Mexican writer and filmmaker from the bordertown of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. He co-wrote the thriller “Kaz” with Njue Kevin for Kenyan television. His short stories have been published in literary magazines and journals such as Levadura and The Wire’s Dream Magazine. His novel, “Hedgehogs” is slated to be published by FlowerSong Press in Winter 2022. He’s currently in post-production of “Ente”, his first feature film as a director.
Image Credit: Willem Claesz Heda “Dessert, still life with cake, wine, beer and nuts” (1637)
As It Ought To Be 