"When Are You Coming Home?" by Bryn Chancellor

This sad story, about a man coping in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, made me think about symbolism and whose job it is. Chancellor has a knack for doling out story, pacing, and she builds suspense, and characters and scene, beautifully, but I felt the ending a bit forced. Like she was inserting symbolism into a story that had managed all on its own to be fantastic--although stories are written by authors, the best of them read as if they happened easily and on  their own, don't they?

Anyway, I've always thought symbolism is best left in the hands of the reader. What do you think?

"When Are You Coming Home?" by Bryn Chancellor, published in Blackbird.

Bryn Chancellor