Twining by Donna Laemmlen art by Gay Degani Morning glories cling to a trellis, their flowers fully opened, camouflaging the stone wall behind the garden. A walking cane lodged in the thicket sprouts tiny leaves from its willow staff, roots having taken hold without signs of mildew. Your fingers turn the soil, moist and cold, extracting the dead roots from last year's planting. Worms churn, angry at being awakened. Frenzied ants hunt their broken trail. Somewhere a snail lurks, tiny half-moons chomped into the camellia leaves. You think, Now is the time. No more wood to stack, snow to shovel, or his relentless pain to witness, just the night arriving later and later, the day as warm as the perfect bath, the sun bearing down on everything, even the shock of a bitter winter. You imagine, Throw extra sardine bones and egg shells into the compost before planting, then mingle your toes with the willow anchored in the soil and wait, for the tugging at your feet, the slow pull of roots ferreting the earth, the tendrils of his favorite flower snaking around your ankles and calves, twining their support and ribbons of leaves. Hope the first lilies bloom next spring. Watch how you thrive in the sun. Once you are rooted, your inflorescence will rise above the clumps of leaves, your petals spreading wide, flattening all the curled edges. You will never close. And when the tiny snails seeking shelter tickle you, you will laugh, for him, for you, for the twenty years gone in a breath. Read the interview. Donna Laemmlen is currently pursuing an MFA in Writing at the University of San Francisco. She has been published in Slice magazine, Switchback Literary Journal and sPARKLE and bLINK. She teaches screenwriting and storytelling at the Academy of Art University and is a member of the WGA's Independent Writers Caucus. Nominated for a Pushcart, Gay Degani has published in journals, anthologies, and her own collection, Pomegranate Stories. A list of her online writing can be found at Words in Place. Her artwork has been featured at Faraway Journal, 3 A.M, and Smokelong Quarterly. She’s a staff editor at SmokeLong and managing editor of EDF’s Flash Fiction Chronicles. All content in SmokeLong Quarterly copyright 2003-2012 by its authors. Issue Thirty-Two (June 27, 2011): Bible Camp by Wyatt Bonikowski «» Instead of the Glass by Randall Brown «» Sum of Her Parts by Katie Cortese «» Cotton Fever by Brandon Courtney «» Three Girls by Trent England «» Pebble in a Pool by Frances Gonzalez «» Elephants by James Greer «» All My Friends Are a Lot Like Me by Kyle Hemmings «» Marbles Loosed by Jac Jemc «» Twining by Donna Laemmlen «» On Becoming Women by Cynthia Larsen «» Belly of a Fish by Rachel Mangini «» After Stories by Dylan Mohr «» People Go to Jail for This by Dave Newman «» Gradius by Brian Oliu «» Last Sight of Land by Heather Peterson «» You Alone Are Privy to This Vision by Eliezra Schaffzin «» The Tycoon by Curtis Smith «» An 8mm Clip of Violence by Peter Stenson «» A Morning Routine by Weike Wang «» Interviews: Wyatt Bonikowski «» Randall Brown «» Katie Cortese «» Brandon Courtney «» Trent England «» Frances Gonzalez «» James Greer «» Kyle Hemmings «» Jac Jemc «» Donna Laemmlen «» Cynthia Larsen «» Rachel Mangini «» Dylan Mohr «» Dave Newman «» Brian Oliu «» Heather Peterson «» Eliezra Schaffzin «» Curtis Smith «» Peter Stenson «» Weike Wang «» Cover Art "Doll Parts" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editors Interested in subscribing to SmokeLong's weekly newsletter? Click here. An email should be created. Send it as is, and you'll be subscribed. If the link does not work for you, send an email to imailsrv@smokelong.com with Subscribe slq-info in the body of the email (no subject is necessary). You'll receive updates detailing the release of new issues, new reading periods, contests, etc. We do not make our mail list available to anyone else.