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

Our First Moment

Carried into the room, you were still and quiet. I thought to myself, “He is incredibly handsome.” My new son. Brown skin and deep, dark, beautiful eyes that matched your new daddy. I was captivated. In silence, you gazed around the room, quiet, but vocal with your gestures. You walked me to a picture on the wall. “You want to show me around the room?” I said. We stopped at a picture. “Boy!” I said. My gaze went from your brown eyes to your finger to see the boy again. I smiled. A first precious moment between mother and son.

Deirdre Parker is a teacher from Maryland. She is a proud wife and mother of a sweet boy through adoption. Find Deirdre on Medium, Adopting.org, and Instagram @deirdreparker77

Waving

Trespass