athesaurus.com

…breathe deeply and often…

  • Welcome Back

    No. I’d been gone four days, strangers had been in to feed him, and he needed cream now. 

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  • Skipping Stones

    Bart Goins, ten-year-old, Davis Lake Rock skipping champion has been suspected of cheating.

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  • Reflection

    Susan would have been hot anywhere, anytime, wearing anything, with or without the fan.

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  • Bring it

    Is it terrible that I look for her obituary on a regular basis?

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  • Will stole their words and actions for his newest play. Bad juju. Bad, bad juju for Will. 

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  • Writing Space

    The sun doesn’t shine a lot back here, so it’s always cooler, much cooler, back here in the woods where the flowers grow. 

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  • DP Benches

    To see the edges of the art deco bank covered in blue and green sparkles was something out of a snowglobe.

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  • Palms

    I was developing a terrible dislike for dragons. 

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  • Wishes

    “Well, why don’t you just tell me what’s on your mind so I can deal with it,” said Betty.

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  • My Origin Story

    We’ve seen you coming for a long time now. We cast the calling spell. We been waiting for you.” said Florie.

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  • The Appointment

    ***Warning! Trigger warnings. Contains thoughts of suicide and mental illness. Possible School Shootings. “Do suicide hotlines keep a record of who calls when and why?” Bob talked suicide over with the shrink at his last appointment.  “Probably,” she was taking fast notes on the computer as well as on the notepad beside her. Her soda Read more

  • Remembering Elouise on Her Birthday

    Elouise, tall and elegant, shrank to five foot nothing by the time she died at seventy-seven. Her youngest daughter, Dagmar, stayed all night with her the day before she died and dreamed of Grandma, Elouise’s mom, that night. She called me that morning to tell me all about it.  “I dreamed about Grandma last night,” Read more

  • Fin

    The sequel to Norris Tales is written, twenty-five thousand, one hundred nine words. Norris Lives. It’s a book of short stories and vignettes about Norris, the seventeen year old cat that I’ve fought and lived with for a long time. Hey, this is a big deal.  I have two more big deals to go, formatting Read more

  • Some thump

    “What the fuck? It’s three a.m. and my kitchen is as nasty now as it was when I fried chicken at noon today,” thought Tess. Something had woken her up out of a sound sleep. Some thump. “What the fuck?” She found the fuck passed out on the couch in the living room. How dare Read more

  • Meteor Shower

    The house went dead quiet and the den lights went out. The whirr of the refrigerator stopped. Norris knew something was wrong, same as I did. He asked for cream before the fridge got warm, he understood. I gave him treats instead. Usually these things flickered and came back on within seconds, then everything blinked, Read more

  • Tune up

    “One of the best parts of the concert is when the orchestra tunes up their instruments,” said Silas. “It hides the frenzy backstage, but hints at it when the squawks and squeaks get flung from the pit to the back of the house.”  “The more frenetic the tune up, the bigger the tribute the director,” Read more

  • Welcome Back

    No. I’d been gone four days, strangers had been in to feed him, and he needed cream now. 

    Read more

  • Skipping Stones

    Bart Goins, ten-year-old, Davis Lake Rock skipping champion has been suspected of cheating.

    Read more

  • Reflection

    Susan would have been hot anywhere, anytime, wearing anything, with or without the fan.

    Read more

  • Bring it

    Is it terrible that I look for her obituary on a regular basis?

    Read more

  • Will stole their words and actions for his newest play. Bad juju. Bad, bad juju for Will. 

    Read more

  • Writing Space

    The sun doesn’t shine a lot back here, so it’s always cooler, much cooler, back here in the woods where the flowers grow. 

    Read more

  • DP Benches

    To see the edges of the art deco bank covered in blue and green sparkles was something out of a snowglobe.

    Read more

  • Palms

    I was developing a terrible dislike for dragons. 

    Read more

  • Wishes

    “Well, why don’t you just tell me what’s on your mind so I can deal with it,” said Betty.

    Read more

  • My Origin Story

    We’ve seen you coming for a long time now. We cast the calling spell. We been waiting for you.” said Florie.

    Read more


  • Hall Pass

    The state took over our school and taught me how to teach the way they wanted me to. They didn’t demand I command a hundred seat auditorium, they were more concerned that I orchestrate three classes in one classroom. They noticed I had leadership skills. They didn’t say        whether they were good…

  • Fashion Emergency

    I had on boots, leggings, a sweater dress, and vintage jewelry. The brooch was a stone blue, grey, and weird white that went perfectly with the black of the dress. It had matching clip earrings that were so perfectly cut they glistened in the dark. They were even comfortable to wear. I had lost twenty…

  • Parable of the Long Spoons

    Parable of the long spoons Hell is where the spoons are so long you can’t feed yourself the luscious food on the table. Heaven is where the spoons are the same size as the ones in Hell, but everyone is willing to feed you. I hope there’s a special place in Heaven for those who…

  • A Prayer for School

    Dear Lord, Take the thunderstorm out of my brain when my lightning temper flares. Let my past stop ruling my head and teach me silent grace. Teach me to accept my students as humans with quirks, and humor,  not the hateful banshees I see them as. Lead me to peace and joy with them rather…

  • Patience of the trees

    I grew up on a dirt road with quiet skies and darkened rooms where there was one light in the center of the room and two table lamps, a luxury beside a rocking chair and one end of the couch for reading. The kitchens had a dim bulb in the middle as did the bedrooms.…