Kevin Sampsell

Kevin Sampsell lives in Portland, Oregon, where he works at a bookstore and runs the long-running micro press, Future Tense Books. His writing has appeared recently in Wigleaf, The Elephants, Kolaj Magazine, Interrupture, and apt. His most recent book is This Is Between Us (Tin House Books). See more of his work at kevinsampsell.com and kevinsampsellcollages.tumblr.com

THE RAZOR by Kevin Sampsell

This is the black shirt my ex-wife gave me before the divorce. The one her father used to wear. I have another one just like it, but it has long sleeves. These short sleeves fit me better. I imagine her dad wearing it. Standing outside, on the roof of his house, a cool breeze blowing through the looseness of the cloth, against his sloping shoulders. His arms, freckled and tired at the end. Patches of gray hair, waving. I wonder if he died in this shirt. Probably not. You don’t pick a black shirt to die in. I look in…

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