A Secret

Blurring via train across

across the northern tip of Ireland,

The woman with

The white hair

Strokes the hands of

Her grandson

Swaths of ocean blues and forest greens

Occupy the eyes in hard flashes

And the boy nearly drifts

To something of a slumber

Placing his head on her lap

But, before his lids

Fully drop

He says

That he had

A good time

And the grandmother

Pats his cheek

And tells him

That

that

is the secret

Always have something

To look forward to

No matter how mundane

Or simple, or misunderstood

Always have it

Just beyond the bridge

Anything will do:

The soft crumble of a meringue,

A letter to write, a dog to pet,

Someone with whom

To sit

And deliver,

Even receive,

A “good boy”

Mathieu Cailler is the author of seven books: a novel, two short story collections, two volumes of poetry, and two children’s titles. His stories, poems, and essays have been featured in over one hundred publications such as Wigleaf, the Saturday Evening Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Cailler has garnered numerous awards for his writing, including a Pushcart Prize; a Readers’ Favorite Award; and accolades from the Paris, Los Angeles, and New England Book Festivals. Connect with him on social media @writesfromla or visit mathieucailler.com.

Treatment

When I sprained my ankle, 

The doctor told me to get some

Rest, 

To ice it some, elevate the joint, 

Then, to apply heat

After some time like this, 

I would be able to resume

Normal activity, even exercise

While being mindful of the ankle

When I broke my heart

People told me I was better off

That she would regret it

And that with time, her name would lose power

But I preferred the ankle treatment 

For my heart too:

Rest, elevation, ice, heat, 

And after an indefinite amount

Of time, some light use

Then, see how it responds

See how it feels

in the morning

Mathieu Cailler is the author of seven books: a novel, two short story collections, two volumes of poetry, and two children’s titles. His stories, poems, and essays have been featured in over one hundred publications such as Wigleaf, the Saturday Evening Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Cailler has garnered numerous awards for his writing, including a Pushcart Prize; a Readers’ Favorite Award; and accolades from the Paris, Los Angeles, and New England Book Festivals. Connect with him on social media @writesfromla or visit mathieucailler.com.

Little Prizes

while in traffic 

on an L.A. freeway,

in the fast lane,

going zero, I look out

and see a pigeon

it has but one leg,

and pecks with vigor

at the delight of a

strewn piece of bread

its gentle eyes connect

with mine

soft, pure

and this moment

shall be tucked away

with the others

that have been

gifted to me

solely for 

paying attention

Mathieu Cailler is the author of seven books: a novel, two short story collections, two volumes of poetry, and two children’s titles. His stories, poems, and essays have been featured in over one hundred publications such as Wigleaf, the Saturday Evening Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Cailler has garnered numerous awards for his writing, including a Pushcart Prize; a Readers’ Favorite Award; and accolades from the Paris, Los Angeles, and New England Book Festivals. Connect with him on social media @writesfromla or visit mathieucailler.com.