When Crickets Cry

by Charles Martin

In track and field, sprinters and hurdlers look like locomotives at full speed—their arms and legs pounding the track and air like rods and pistons.

soccer is an anthill of players caught between a ballet and a bullfight.

you never know when something that’s been hidden is going to rise up and bite you, or glow with a golden hue.

anything in this universe reflects the fingerprint of God, it is the human heart.

“Lord, You’re the only one here who knows what You’re doing, so we ask that You come hang out with us a bit. Be the guest of honor at this table. Fill our conversations, our time, and our hearts. For”—Charlie pointed his voice in my direction—“they are the wellspring of life.”

A bear can be either a teddy or a grizzly, depending on the need.

Life is where the blood flows.

Life on the water, there’s never any past. And up front, the view is all future.

I stood looking out over the lake, not wanting to say good-bye.