Her Lips by Claudia Smith Praying hands on a cedar box. I kept it empty, because nothing seemed important enough for it. I liked to close my eyes and sniff the wood. With my eyes closed, the box was a forest and I was inside. My husband tells me I'm a target, the way I lean forward, courting everyone. We are just married. He thought that was all for him. I tell him that the world is my target. Everyone will love me. I read about Marilyn, how she wanted to be the most beautiful woman in the room, and how she was. Even though she wasn't. I don't want to be the most anything, I say. Good, because you aren't. He's angry. My impression of Marilyn, my husband tells me, was that she acted with her lips. He wants me to tell him something I don't tell everyone, some story that hasn't taken shape yet. I tell him about the cedar box. Is that true? He asks me. Yes, only I'm not sure about the part where I close my eyes and there's a forest. But that's the best part, he says. Well, it's true now. We are lying down on a mattress with the covers pulled up to our necks. My dog, now our dog, wants to climb in bed with us but there's no room. It's a twin. Lie down, Daffodil, I tell her. I take my clothes off under the covers. It's cold. With my eyes closed, I can feel him better. He smells of smoke and musk. His heart under my ear. I'm not drinking again, I tell him. I won't tell any secrets to anyone but you, ever again. He's falling into sleep. The dog is snoring. I want to get up, get out. Go out in the cold and walk to a bar, where there's a only a few and I don't know them. All content in SmokeLong Quarterly copyright 2003-2008 by its authors.
	Claudia Smith's stories have appeared in several online and print journals. Her story, "My Robot", is forthcoming in the W.W. Norton anthology The New Sudden Fiction as "My Lawrence". More of her work may be found on her site, www.claudiaweb.net. Read the interview.
	Issue Thirteen (June 15, 2006): A Foreign Woman by Roberta Allen «» Fetichismo by Christopher Battle «» How the Broken Lead the Blind Until They Both Become Something Else Entirely by Matt Bell «» See Odi Naked by Lisa K. Buchanan «» Memory of Sky by Jai Clare «» The Captain by Ron Currie, Jr. «» Bingham by Steve Cushman «» The Table by David Erlewine «» Daffodil by Kathy Fish «» Fishing by Mike Hagemann «» Real Estate by Jennifer A. Howard «» Emily Avenue by Jeff Landon «» Tough Act by Steven J. McDermott «» Cheering by Srdan Papic «» Something Blew by Ellen Parker «» Euclid's Elements by Mary Lynn Reed «» Miracle by Chad Simpson «» Her Lips by Claudia Smith «» Man and Dog by Girija Tropp «» Randomization by Joseph Young «» Interviews: Roberta Allen «» Matt Bell «» Lisa K. Buchanan «» Jai Clare «» Ron Currie, Jr. «» Steve Cushman «» Katrina Denza «» David Erlewine «» Kathy Fish «» Mike Hagemann «» Jennifer A. Howard «» Jeff Landon «» Steven J. McDermott «» Srdan Papic «» Ellen Parker «» Mary Lynn Reed «» Chad Simpson «» Claudia Smith «» Girija Tropp «» Joseph Young «» Cover Art "Despair" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editor