Dian Duchin Reed

The Blob

Saturday matinee and I’m walking in the dark down the aisle when I look up and faint at the sight of my first alien. Somehow I make it to my seat, and after it’s over the young man in the next row flirts a little with me, letting me know he’s fresh out of juvie. Exciting? Scary? Who knows? A little boy—clearly from the naval base—asks me for the time and adds “ma’am,” which makes me smile? frown? So this is what it’s like to be a teenager.

the butterfly waits
for its wings to dry
the wind holds its breath

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About the Author

Dian Duchin Reed is an award-winning writer, essayist, and photographer. Her books include Medusa Discovers Styling Gel (poetry, Finishing Line Press, 2009) Dao De Jing: Laozi’s Timeless Wisdom (translations, Humanitas Press, 2016), and Moonglow (haiga, haibun, and haiku, Red Moon Press, 2025) Learn more at dianduchinreed.com.

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