Andrew Cyr

My friend and neighborand secret crushLevine spent the summerin a psychiatric ward.Levine’s red, long hair cascadedto the small of her back,and her freckles camouflagedher face to hide the diamondsof her deep, oval green eyes.Levine’s parents sent her to a placefenced with tall razors near Spokane.That’s a three-hour drive from Yakima.We were friends, not best friends.But good … [Read more...] about Happy Depression, By: Andrew Cyr

Madisyn knocked on the dooron our agreed-upon date night.The fireplace cracked over oak logs.The flames whipped a mysterious auraI arranged wine glasses on the wooden coffee table.I chilled the wine in a tin bucket filled with ice.I positioned a rose in a vase on the kitchen table.I dialed the lights down to romanticism.Soft pop music played on the radio.I rushed to the … [Read more...] about Madisyn’s First Internet Date, By: Andrew Cyr

You won’t believe it.I knew it as I typed this.I sat at my office desk.I glanced at the large monitor.I adjusted my glassesand went to work.A man with a dream.It was more than a dream.In a Birmingham jail cell,begging for peaceful protests.Civility had no time for threats of violence.No guns.No fights.Just the power of wordsand ideas that piercedthe veil of separationas the … [Read more...] about Believe A Dream, By: Andrew Cyr

The Yakima temperature dipped below zero.I wore a thick, dark coat zipped to my chin.I shivered, waiting for Dad in the driveway.My heart raced with excitement at the thoughtof spending time with him. He said he’d come.Tufts of dead grass poked through,accumulating white.Thick layers of snow accumulatedon roofs, cars, and walkways.I hung a duffle bag over my shoulder.Mom packed … [Read more...] about Belated Visit, By: Andrew Cyr

It was the start of the new year when I learned my lesson about medication. I glanced out the window of our cabin on the outskirts of Sunnyside, Washington. In the backyard, tufts of dead grass poked through drifts of accumulated white lacy flakes and blended into rows of evergreen trees that spread for miles.I struggled with aches in my bed.“Sit still,” Karolyn said calmly, … [Read more...] about Medication (I Need A Dose), By: Andrew Cyr