‘Can-on-a-String’ by Alex Kitt

We moved back to our old town, my sister Lynn and I, and shoved our lives between the bed stands, boxes, and dust of Uncle’s home. That first week, I drew faces in the dust and sometimes I’d laugh at what I came up with, or I’d laugh at the way one drawing might look up at me. Laughter was good, but now I see how all those faces were me spread out, my laughter in the attic and my sorrow next to the washer/dryer.

Two months passed before anything began to change. Two more months of dust, layering and layering. Lynn would use the lint roller on her head before she left for work.

Dear Ms Trebbo,
I am writing to you for the Exploration Geologist position at Kingfinn Metals Corp. I believe that I may be a great fit for the position because I am highly motivated to gain experience in exploration field geology as a newly registered geologist-in-training. I’ve recently completed my Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta, and I am keen to integrate myself into a career path that I am truly passionate about.

The fact is that at this moment — if someone would hire me — I could be in a gold mine or on the side of a glacier. In an interview, one company asked if I knew how to shoot a rifle in case of bears. I could be a bear-rifle person on the side of a mountain. But I’m not.