Sonnenfreunde Magazine 2021 May 2026

For an hour, the man didn’t move. He just stared at the lake, then down at his own hands. Uwe knew that look. It wasn’t shame. It was the weight of a lifetime of “shoulds.” Should cover up. Should be ashamed. Should hide the soft belly, the scar, the ordinary humanity.

When Lukas emerged, he didn’t reach for his towel. He lay down on the grass, stretched out, and closed his eyes. The sun painted his scars gold. Sonnenfreunde Magazine 2021

A crunch of dry leaves, a pause, then another crunch. Uwe opened one eye. For an hour, the man didn’t move

The man scanned the meadow. Two elderly women were playing Schafkopf under a beech tree. A family with teenagers was splashing at the water’s edge. Everyone was at ease. Everyone except him. It wasn’t shame

A short story for Sonnenfreunde (Issue 2021 – Theme: "Encounter")