2024-04-17 13:00
By Kelly McDonaldEditor's note: This is Episode 2 of a three-part memoir series comprising micro-essays. Each essay touches on a memory highlight, describing it in less than 500 words… Read More
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The Pensieve publishes immersive fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry by emerging writers. If you want a good, short read each week for free, visit us! Writers may submit their work for possible publication on the blog.
2024-04-03 13:00
By: Colin James Delmore, that's the third … Read More
2024-03-20 15:00
By Elizabeth SmithThis morning, the tree sparklesin its blanket of white,bestowed from the mostrecent storm.The snow drips down a branch,almost becoming an icicle locked in place,reflecting… Read More
2024-03-06 19:00
By Jeanette MillerIn the 1960s, an invisible, unwritten code of the small, midwestern town where I came of age required girls to grow up Iowa-nice, and nice meant you didn’t get angry… Read More
2024-02-21 14:00
By: Kelly McDonaldAuthor's Note: This literary piece is the beginning of a series of micro-essays, which is an experiment in expressing memoir as a sequence of remembered experiences… Read More
2024-02-07 14:00
By: Melissa CookThe days before my mother died are a blur of colors. I am not sure if this is because I was too young or because so little of it seems grounded in reality. It was not until a… Read More
2024-01-31 19:00
By Elizabeth SmithThree women stretchTogether with the bands and gabAbout some family drama at Christmas.A couple dozen members flood inFor the morning spin classAnd finish in an exodus.An e… Read More
2024-01-17 21:25
By Lauren DerrickEditor's Note: This story is the final episode of the Marvelous Mind of Marilyn Hansen series hosted on the Pensieve. Madelyn aimed a small pistol at Byrd. &ldquo&hell…Read More
2024-01-03 17:00
By Tony Hozeny1Virgil was glad to escape home for errands. He stopped at the liquor store and bought a six-pack of India pale ale. At the library, he selected a new biography of Harry Trum… Read More
2023-12-20 14:00
By: Kelly McDonaldIf the path before you is clear, you areprobably on someone else’s. Joseph CampbellI was the youngest of five brothers, growing up in a rural Utah community… Read More
2023-12-06 14:00
By: Mitchel MontagnaStanford Goldman’s rental skidded into the parking lot of a school just west of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, near Amish country. He’d forgotten how suddenly… Read More
2023-11-29 17:00
By Lauren DerrickEditor's Note: This story is part of the Marvelous Mind of Marilyn Hansen series hosted on the Pensieve. “Brigham’s sending you the tracker link and so… Read More
2023-11-15 19:00
By Elizabeth SmithI gaze at the hair in my reflection: It is evidence that I am ripening,that my body is catching up with my “old soul.”It is a testament that I have survived the… Read More
2023-11-01 16:00
By Alexandria WyckoffThe clock ticks forward.It’s hard to believe only a minutehas passed while I listen to this monotony in front of me.I scribble down meaninglesswords as the ink run… Read More
2023-10-18 13:00
By: Kelly McDonald “Call me trimtab” &nbs&hell…Read More
2023-10-04 13:00
By: Shelley SmithsonThe afternoon basks in the autumn light,Sunshine warming the seconds of the dayAs they tick onward against the aging blossoms.Future and past meet in the angle of the lig… Read More
2023-09-27 18:00
By Lauren DerrickEditor's Note: This story is part of the Marvelous Mind of Marilyn Hansen series hosted on the Pensieve.Finley and Robert Byrd walked through a subway station, followed clos… Read More
2023-09-20 17:00
By Elizabeth SmithConfidence does not stay nearno matter how it comes, fast or slow,and I must try to keep it here.Like when the ice in March last yearquickly melted, retreating in a flow,co… Read More
2023-09-06 16:00
By Kaitlyn R. SullivanIcebergs drifting in a line,one by one and side by side.I know you see them, seemingly fine.With what’s below will you collide?One by one and side by side,all our… Read More
2023-08-30 13:00
By: Lauren DerrickAt the crack of dawnAn egg yolk slides upSizzling in skyPeeling back the skinSingeing the red flesh—Dewy grapefruit.Aroused from slumberUnable to wakeSearing, s… Read More
2023-08-16 13:00
By: Kelly McDonaldThe sun peeks over the east mountains as we begin our morning walk. Our long shadows reach toward the west as we, man and dog, start this regular regimen, tethered to… Read More
2023-08-02 13:00
By: Erin SchalkPraise the lifetime surgery scar, the hidden mark of a child-survivor.Praise the teenage hair loss, teachingbeauty can be grown within.Praise the damaged intestines… Read More
2023-07-19 18:00
By Elizabeth SmithTrucks full of gravel slow us on the country road, adorned with traffic cones until we turn toward the trailhead. We stroll, my family and I, along the thawed marsh, where… Read More
2023-07-05 18:00
By Anita PanIn the hot, muggy days of July and August, China takes it upon herself to be as unpleasant as possible. Furious streams of light burst forth and tear curtains apart in forty-some… Read More
2023-06-21 13:00
By: Kelly McDonaldNow that I am on my journey as a septuagenarian, my regular exercise regimen of running has slowed to a brisk walking gait. But I keep going every morning when the we… Read More
2023-06-07 13:00
By: Lauren DerrickEditor's note: This is another episode in the series, The Marvelous Mind of Marilyn Hansen.Marilyn Hansen stood at the front desk of an aging reception room. Th… Read More
2023-05-17 16:00
By Elizabeth SmithTwo magpies glide to the treeOutside our bedroom window.“Look!” I whisper to my daughter,Who looks too much like meToday: tangled hair, stillIn a nightgown, wet… Read More
2023-05-03 16:00
By Lauren DerrickThe Pensieve Editor's Note: This story is a continuation of the Marvelous Mind of Marilyn Hansen series. Brigham’s phone lit up, and he jerked, then stood upright. By… Read More
2023-04-19 13:00
By: Kelly McDonaldMy upstairs window looks out on many vistas.From my darkened room, I can see traveling neighbors,leaving their homes, then returning.I might wave, and they may notice… Read More
2023-04-05 14:35
By: Kallie FarraI remember afternoons filled with subtle wind, ruffling glass, and snow glinting off the distant mountain range. When the wind would carry my words to the wisps of dandelions… Read More
2023-03-15 16:00
By Elizabeth SmithThe Pensive editor's note: This story is the final episode in the Classified series.The baby screamed. Jade unplugged the curling iron and dropped it onto the bathroo… Read More
2023-03-01 19:00
By Lauren DerrickThe Pensieve Editor's Note: The following is a continuation of the Marvelous Mind of Mariyln Hansen series. As the passengers dispersed into the airport, Finley turned to he… Read More
2023-02-15 15:15
By: Kelly McDonaldThe timer counted down. A focused quiet surrounded me as I hustled to get everything ready for the finale, carefully following each item on my checklist, making sure… Read More
2023-02-01 15:00
By: Chanel EarlEditor's Note: This is an example of a literary form known as a 'haibun'. Haibun originated in Japan and typically combines prose and haiku.My two daughters and I travel… Read More
2023-01-25 19:00
By Lauren DerrickThe Pensieve Editor's Note: This is a continuation of the Marvelous Mind of Marilyn Hansen series. Brigham fidgeted with his phone, cycling through a series of cameras that… Read More
2023-01-18 17:00
By Elizabeth SmithThe Pensieve Editor's Note: This is a continuation of the Classified series.Gloria knelt and buttoned her granddaughter’s lacey dress.“Are you excited, little f… Read More
2023-01-04 17:00
By Jarom PetrichEach flake of drifting snow can tell a story all its own,The frigid cold and howling wind help shape the way they’re grown.And crystals formed in boiling depths compres… Read More
2022-12-21 15:00
By: Melissa SmithWith the Christmas season just around the corner one year, we had a baby. This new addition changed the way I saw Christmas from that year onwards, but not in th… Read More
2022-12-07 15:00
By: Kelly McDonald I’m waiting for Heather, my running partner and a daughter-in-law, to arrive. Most of the congregating 975 runners are in costume, mine a… Read More
2022-11-30 19:00
By Elizabeth SmithEditor's note: This story is the fifth part of the Classified series.“So which kind of bed are you thinking?” The saleswoman asked.Jade shifted her weight, her… Read More
2022-11-16 19:00
By Lauren DerrickEditor's Note: You can access the previous episodes of this series by clicking here.Brigham stowed his ear buds into their case and let out a breath. Inside the airplane, he… Read More
2022-11-02 18:00
By Kath RichardsPhoto by Rendan LovellNora hooded a hand over her eyes, a feeble attempt at blocking the yellow light blistering through the window of her cousin’s PT Cruiser. Talia ha… Read More
2022-10-26 14:00
By: Lauren DerrickEditor's Note: Though we normally publish on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of a month, we'll sometimes post a special publication in another week, highlighting something… Read More
2022-10-19 16:02
By: Kelly McDonald I walked into the classroom as a few other students were finding their seats around the long conference table. I surmised the professo… Read More
2022-10-06 14:00
By: Melissa SmithEditor's Note: Normally we publish on the first Wednesday of the month. However, due to a special day for the author, we published this poem on Thursday, O… Read More
2022-09-21 16:00
By Elizabeth SmithEditor's Note: This story is the fourth part of the Classified series. Jade unbuckled the baby from the bicycle attachment and set him onto the grass. The two held ha… Read More
2022-09-08 02:23
By Lauren Derrick Wednesday (three days ago) Madelyn Gray stepped out from the back seat of a black sedan onto the sidewalk. She… Read More
2022-08-31 18:00
By Elias OrregoEditor's Note: This poem was first published on the author's personal blog, Writer's Digestion.A log, carried by time and the river,sat propped between two rock walls.The top… Read More
2022-08-17 15:00
Editor’s Note: This past June marked the second anniversary of The Pensieve, and as we had done last year, we marked this commemorative milestone with an author’s interview… Read More
2022-08-03 15:00
By: Kelly McDonaldEditor's Note: We continue our exploration of the sub-genre of flash-fiction, complete fictional stories captured within a general range of 500-1500 words.“James, our… Read More
2022-07-20 18:00
By Elizabeth SmithThe Pensieve Editor's Note: This is the third part of a series. The first is The Classified, and the second is The Plate. Brett peeked through the bedroom… Read More
2022-07-13 18:00
Dear readers,Since we founded The Pensieve two years ago, we have consistently published four pieces of literature per month. Some talented writers wrote the poems, short stories, and… Read More
2022-07-09 01:47
By Elizabeth SmithThe Pensieve Editor’s Note: This story is the second part of a series of stories. The first part is “The Classified”. “Are t… Read More
2022-06-22 15:00
By: O. HenryEditor's Note: This is a public domain short story by the celebrated O. Henry. We thought this classic tale from a well-recognized author would certainly qualify for… Read More
2022-06-15 15:00
By: Jarom PetrichWhy does water always flowWhen it melts from winter's snowAnd the rivers rushFull of glacial slush,Down to valleys far below? It always seeks the easy wayTo navig… Read More
2022-06-08 15:00
By: Kelly McDonaldThough I had a living grandfather, I have one memory of when he was my grandpa. He took me for a tractor ride around his farm. I was five years old. But in a few year… Read More
2022-06-01 15:00
By: Bronwyn BlankinshipI couldn’t tear my eyes away from her face. I stared, surely longer than was polite, as I considered what her story might be. Was there a boy somewhere who… Read More
2022-05-25 18:00
By Lauren DerrickMarilyn Hansen shuffled down the crowded aisle of the airplane, her little pug tucked under one arm with her purse, while her other arm awkwardly wheeled a small carry… Read More
2022-05-18 18:00
By Elizabeth SmithThis girl with flaxen hairand spiders ink-etched in her shouldersays she ranouttagas,has to be in Phoenixreal bad.She cradles cardboard—The same scratched-up, disquie… Read More
2022-05-12 21:35
By: Lauren Derrick Editor's note: This is the fourth in a series. The previous episode was published on February 9, 2022Marilyn looked burned out from the inside when she and Finley pul… Read More
2022-05-11 18:00
By Elias OrregoI climb with great speed,I reach hand-over-hand,stepping foot-over-foot,grass below becomes smaller, and smaller.I fly through the branches.Swift and dreamy as the daysand the… Read More
2022-05-04 18:00
By Melissa SmithAs the sun climbed over the horizon, I turned on my blinker and took the exit, heading for my favorite trails. It was time for a break. For weeks I’d been pouring over… Read More
2022-04-27 15:00
By: A.A. MilneEditor's Note: This essay, in the public domain, was written in 1920 by A.A. Milne, the author of the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh books. He was a prolific writer of man… Read More
2022-04-13 14:00
By: Kelly McDonaldI’m standing on the edge of a precipice, looking into its darkness. I can’t clearly see the other side, but I know I must soon begin my expedition through… Read More
2022-04-06 15:00
By: Chanel EarlShe knew, she just knew there had to be a word for what she was seeing. A debacle?She had worked at the pet shop for two years, and in that time, she had changed ev… Read More
2022-03-23 18:00
By Elizabeth SmithOn this dewy morningthe apple blossoms' chastebursts of white promisefruit I will never taste Read More
2022-03-16 19:53
By Robert FrostNature's first green is gold,Her hardest hue to hold.Her early leaf's a flower;But only so an hour.Then leaf subsides to leaf.So Eden sank to grief,So dawn goes down to… Read More
2022-03-09 21:38
By Greg KirtonChildren are a wonderful gift,Their innocence makes heavy hearts lift.Imagination fills their souls,Creating wonder in all they behold.A simple courtyard becomes a palace,Color… Read More
2022-03-02 15:00
By: Eliza Howard “Tu toca.” She said. Your turn. Wait, MY turn?! I’m sure I looked like she had just told me we were having pig’s… Read More
2022-02-23 16:00
By: Elias OrregoThe child slid his hand gently along the surface of the porous red rocks, letting his palm get a scratch and a tickle. He picked up a couple and tapped them toget… Read More
2022-02-16 15:00
By: Kelly McDonaldI once journeyed afar.From Hawaii to Israel in just one day,east and west coast cities, regular destinations.But the evening-news, nowcasts shadows. In my once shrinking wo… Read More
2022-02-09 21:08
By: Lauren Derrick Editor's Note: Today's posting is the third episode of a multi-part story. If you haven't read the earlier episodes 1 and 2, they can be found as postings on Se… Read More
2022-02-02 16:00
By: Kath Richards photo attributed to: Conner CushmanA metronome outside his skin, like… Read More
2022-01-26 19:00
By Elizabeth Smith The woman entered the bakery and shook as much water from her hair as possible before adding her raincoat to the two already hanging on the rack. Checking her reflection i… Read More
2022-01-19 19:00
By Melanie Gagon I’ve luckily had the opportunity to travel all over Utah, which has left me with experiences that forever changed me. From deep in the heart of the Uinta Mountains, wh… Read More
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