July at the beach.

Jaunt with a boy after dark.

Judgment was lacking.

Amity Island

Appalled at the gruesome sight

After Chrissie’s found.

Watching the ocean,

Worried about what may come

When they start chumming.

Shark seen! HOLY SHIT!

Someone needs a bigger boat.

Surviving is hard.



Richard Henkle is a literature and composition teacher in Northern Virginia, where he lives with his wife and two children. He enjoys soccer, playing board games, cooking, and a good Hendrick’s martini. His work appears or is forthcoming in Alternative Field, Burnt Breakfast, The Daily Drunk, Inkblot, Necro, and Raised Brow Press. See a sampling of his random thoughts on Twitter, @rsthehenkle.