athesaurus.com

…breathe deeply and often…

  • Someplace Warm

    “I’ve packed all the snacks,” said Celia. “I forgot the wine,” said Doug, “Can we stop at Kroger?”  “Is it even open yet? It’s 6:30 in the morning.” Janet was aggravated. “I knew somebody would forget something. I got  really great charcuterie boards to go with the wine for tonight and tomorrow to go with Read more

  • Escape

    “Get out,” her brain screamed inside her head and  her arms tingled, and her knees wobbled. She looked for the exit. The clock ticked. There were twenty five people between her and the door. Forty-five minutes between her and the end of the session. The room was silent save for the shuffle of the occasional Read more

  • When the Ship Lifts

    Artwork by Charles Jupiter Hamilton It took a long time to get here, to this place of the ordinary. What had to be figured out was what was commonplace. What could be tolerated, what she wanted to confront. She learned to pick the battles. Some fell away, some had to be fought. Some she lost, Read more

  • Birds and Boxcutters

    “I have no idea what you want me to do with all this stuff,” said Lisa. Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked around the four walls. She was knee deep in equipment, boxes, ragged furniture. Where should she begin? Her head itched and it felt like a thousand birds flew out of her Read more

  • When Life Gets Weird

    All women in their time play all the parts. When time’s struggle hacks away at the core of motherhood,  she blooms Slices of her incognito souls fall around her. She’s protected her child with her promises  Surefooted he stands on her love and covers his head,  With the hat of awareness. The recognition that Her Read more

  • Mona

    Like most things, Mona ignored the timer, and kept reading her book. She was approaching the climax of a scene, she needed to see the outcome of the turning point, wanted to watch the table turn, she couldn’t put the pages down just yet. Nothing was on fire. She read on. Of course the protagonist Read more


  • Portsmouth

    I need to go back to Portsmouth, UK to where my boys were born. I’d like to visit my neighbors, and hang with them a day or two. We’re good friends and good company. You don’t find that often enough these days.  I’d like to take the boys with me too. We could walk along…

  • But I don’t want to

    “Are you still working? Why don’t you retire?” Everybody wanted  to know because of the silver hair and wrinkles.  Fred asked at the wrong time. Janice was tired and not in the mood. He thought women were silly. He retired early five years ago.  “Why? Do you need someone to take care of you?” Janice…

  • Learning

    I’m too tired to argue and fuss about mess today.

  • Elvis and the Baltic Sea

    Drat, dammit, and O hell, my plans to go to the Baltic Sea for vacation had fallen through. I was at the pinnacle of despair, flustered to the very bone. It was the coffee klatches fault.  Susan’s husband had put his foot down, he said flat out “No.” He wasn’t about to let her go.…

  • Test Day

    It’s the little things that make mountains. Kaiden didn’t want to wear his headphones even though they were a requirement for the test. “I know how to read, why do I have to do this?” He was in the sixth grade, and his third grade reading scores indicated that headphones would be more helpful than…