Your Impossible Voice
March 4, 2025

My Sister’s Pink Mustache

By Kyle Smith-Laird
Photo by Monserrat Soldú on Pexels.com

She’s not this cancer-ridden husk; in my memory Sara lives.

She’s with Dad at the dinner table, ignoring Mom’s savory flapjacks and salty bacon, guffawing an arpeggio scale of unfettered glee, her eyes closed, cheeks ruddy, upper lip glistening pink with a Strawberry Qwik mustache.

I hold onto her hand — and the memory.

About the Author

Kyle Smith-LairdIn between walks with his dog, Kyle Smith-Laird enjoys writing, video games, reading, and learning foreign languages. His works have appeared in WIRED online, Cosmic Daffodil Press, One Forty Fiction, and The Simpsons.

Related Flash
dark clouds in the sky

Shawl with Bees and Sage

By Claudia Monpere

“She wants to want again: the smell of rain on warm asphalt, the feel of granite threaded with glittering mica. She wants to know about ripples not cracks.”

Read More
close up of woman breasts in red bra

Aunt Sadie Holds Forth on “Boy Trouble” After You Tell Her Jimmy Wouldn’t Stop Staring at Your Boobs in Chemistry Class

By Kathryn Silver-Hajo

“When some boy snaps your bra strap or comments on your figure, brush it off like a fly tickling your eye. Laugh, even go hobnob with your girlfriends. Teasing just means they like you.”

Read More
Three black balloons

No Clapping

By Sean Ennis

“Today the class was told, no clapping! It is simply too loud, and there isn’t that much to celebrate. The sound baffles match our school colors, but they are ineffective. The antique windows rattle with applause. If you came here to be congratulated, I’ve got news for you. But if you came here, you’re in the right place.”

Read More

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This