In honor of my wedding anniversary, which was this past weekend, this week marks the second of a two-part look at love. This time, our contributors tackle some of love’s thornier challenges:
Mary Julia Klimenko’s poem, “Blue Hydrangea,” explores the mixed feelings of fear and desire that can accompany love and sex.
In Julia Ryan’s short story, “Dunkirk Dilemma,” a World War 2 nurse honors a dying soldier’s wish and finds herself on the front lines of a war against homosexuality.
Kaitlin Deasy’s poem, “Tsunami,” shows what happens when people with two very different elemental personalities fall in love.
David W. Landrum’s short story, “The Girl Who Was Like Ruby Tuesday,” is a romance from the age of Free Love, where sex, drugs and music lead to an unforgettable connection.
Kaithlin Deasy’s poem, “Mule Heart,” ventures into that nebulous territory when love lingers even after the loved one is gone.