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

Pandemic Time

I have my dog-combing paraphernalia — cushion, soft-handled comb, wrist splint — set up on the sunny living room floor, as I also prepare to join my sisters and our elderly mother for our weekly Zoom call, proud to be accomplishing two things at once. At five to four, Husband says, “Come outside. I fixed your snowshoes. I want you to try them.” I reply, “But I can’t, you know I have this other commitment.” He says, “Yeah, on Thursday, I know.” Me, with certainty, “Yeah, like in five minutes.” His smile is skeptical but tolerant. “You know it’s only Tuesday, right?”

Jo Darlington is easing back into writing to express herself after a long hiatus of blank pages ... and is having fun!


Nona

Hollow