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

Not Guilty

BabyGirl fell during her beginners’ dance class. She came out crying, holding her right arm. To my untrained eye, nothing seemed broken. At lunch, she was still weepy and holding her arm. Better safe than sorry, I drove to the emergency room, remembering a time in my youth when I fell and no one believed I was injured. Hairline fracture of the left elbow then. In the examining room with BabyGirl, the doctor asked me what happened. The nurse recorded my reply. He then covertly stood between BabyGirl and me and asked her what happened. Realization dawned. They suspected me.

Sabrina Christian, recently retired from the professional work world, is exploring the world of writing. She is looking forward to being able to freely travel again. Find Sabrina online at dndmeditation.com.

A Toronto Ghost

Sycamore