Five Minutes explores five minutes of a life in one hundred words. Five minutes is edited by Susanna Baird, with editorial support from managing editor Maria s. picone, newsletter editor kate meen, and founding reader bobbi lerman, plus our rotating team of guest readers, who you can meet in the latest newsletteR. Five Minutes was founded in October 2020, with the Salem (Mass.)-based writing group Carrot Cake Writers supplying the journal’s first pieces. We’d love to read your five. Submit here

How You Know

It’s a grey day. I’m lazing around on the couch playing an inane game on my phone. My boyfriend sits on the carpet in front of me. “Remember how I said I was going to lunch with my daughter Friday?” I nod. “I scheduled a covid booster for Thursday, so I told her we should reschedule.” His eyes are moist; his lips taunt. He’s about to cry. I ask if he’s OK. “I didn’t ask if you wanted to come.” He pauses, “I can be a real jerk.” I say I know. He breaks into a smile and we laugh.

Sally Simon lives in the Catskills in NY with her boyfriend. Both have retired. He walks in the woods looking for animal tracks. She writes. Find Sally at www.sallysimonwriter.com, on Twitter @ReiserSimon, and on Instagram @salgal80.

Oil

Roundabout Rage