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…breathe deeply and often…

  • The Dunce Cap

    “What do you mean you don’t know? I just told you. Just now,” he said. Mr. Ross was ever so cross. He looked as if he were going to implode. Jim Bob didn’t care if Mr. Ross was cross. He didn’t care what he had said. All he wanted were the answers questions so he…

    Read more

  • The Expedition

    The expedition would have led us straight to Piccadilly Circus in London, had it not been cancelled due to the protests surrounding the tube and other forms of public transport. It was nigh on impossible to participate in the frivolity Jeanie had planned for today. Her scheduled massage with Nigel was out of the question.…

    Read more

  • Whisper

    Eyes slashed around the dim room.candles flickered,curtains breathed in and out,long drawn out breaths, space, the air between words when the words are locked in boxes.And the keys are around the dragon’s neck. Impossible, improbable, unlikely to get a straight story Not easy, not willing-Probably under duressWill the real tale ever come out?let loose a…

    Read more

  • The Open Book

    “Don’t open that,” but the words came too late. Glass fell to the floor and shattered when he lifted the glass of the barrister bookcase. “I told you not to do that, didn’t I?” Sophie was already bending over, picking shards up from the floor. “Help me with this mess, will you?” Now that the…

    Read more

  • 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

  • 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…

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  • Luxuries of Life

    Time, health, a calm mind, slow mornings, the ability to travel, a home I love, and close relationships, is there more to life that I could need?  How much time is granted to me? How much time do I need? Is it enough? I think so. I believe it will be enough to show the…

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  • Predictable Rant

    It’s time to get more aggressive about the life that I want. I’ve already decided what life I don’t want. I decided years ago that I wanted out of teaching. Retirement is within my reach. I called the retirement board and found that I was eligible for retirement six years ago, but it was financially… Read more

  • The dusty journals

    Image generated with AI. Junebug looked at the stack of dusty handwritten journals in the corner. Like hell she wanted them. That’s all she needed, a stack of hundred year old books piled up beside the toolbox in the laundry room. Maybe they’d be better next to the washer, between the shelf where the charger… Read more

  • Flutter

    Above the trees wings spreadBlack and cawingOn the breeze What’s left of theLeavesAs they race to flyHigherIn swirls and in whirlsBend to the groundAnd I dipThen upBefore I touch and soarAnd dive down againAlmost to the groundFallingWings spreadBlack and cawingOn the breezeBefore fall Becomes Winter again. Read more

  • Listen 

    I want to hear sweet nothings,  Things that are easy on my ears, not harsh reality laden syllables words and songs that are sweet and soothe my selfish ego.  I don’t want my eyes to twitch with bad news of wars and rumors of wars.  “Do you hear what I hear?” The words to an… Read more

  • Today’s Expectations

    Today is a day that I have lots of unexpected things on my mind. I’m not feeling particularly creative as much as documentative about it. There’s flour all over the kitchen because there’s no point in cleaning it up yet. I’ve yet to make the pastry for the pasties. I expected to have that done… Read more

  • Unexpected Thanksgiving Visitor

    “Room for one more?” Shelly said with that sideways grin of hers and Wisconsin accent. The daughter of my mom’s estranged sister was at my door. I’d recognize her anywhere. She had the same stringy hair and bangs she did when she was nine, and her mom left her with my parents for the summer,… Read more

  • The Dunce Cap

    “What do you mean you don’t know? I just told you. Just now,” he said. Mr. Ross was ever so cross. He looked as if he were going to implode. Jim Bob didn’t care if Mr. Ross was cross. He didn’t care what he had said. All he wanted were the answers questions so he…

    Read more

  • The Expedition

    The expedition would have led us straight to Piccadilly Circus in London, had it not been cancelled due to the protests surrounding the tube and other forms of public transport. It was nigh on impossible to participate in the frivolity Jeanie had planned for today. Her scheduled massage with Nigel was out of the question.…

    Read more

  • Whisper

    Eyes slashed around the dim room.candles flickered,curtains breathed in and out,long drawn out breaths, space, the air between words when the words are locked in boxes.And the keys are around the dragon’s neck. Impossible, improbable, unlikely to get a straight story Not easy, not willing-Probably under duressWill the real tale ever come out?let loose a…

    Read more

  • The Open Book

    “Don’t open that,” but the words came too late. Glass fell to the floor and shattered when he lifted the glass of the barrister bookcase. “I told you not to do that, didn’t I?” Sophie was already bending over, picking shards up from the floor. “Help me with this mess, will you?” Now that the…

    Read more

  • 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

  • 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

  • Luxuries of Life

    Time, health, a calm mind, slow mornings, the ability to travel, a home I love, and close relationships, is there more to life that I could need?  How much time is granted to me? How much time do I need? Is it enough? I think so. I believe it will be enough to show the…

    Read more


  • The Dunce Cap

    “What do you mean you don’t know? I just told you. Just now,” he said. Mr. Ross was ever so cross. He looked as if he were going to implode. Jim Bob didn’t care if Mr. Ross was cross. He didn’t care what he had said. All he wanted were the answers questions so he…

  • The Expedition

    The expedition would have led us straight to Piccadilly Circus in London, had it not been cancelled due to the protests surrounding the tube and other forms of public transport. It was nigh on impossible to participate in the frivolity Jeanie had planned for today. Her scheduled massage with Nigel was out of the question.…

  • Whisper

    Eyes slashed around the dim room.candles flickered,curtains breathed in and out,long drawn out breaths, space, the air between words when the words are locked in boxes.And the keys are around the dragon’s neck. Impossible, improbable, unlikely to get a straight story Not easy, not willing-Probably under duressWill the real tale ever come out?let loose a…

  • The Open Book

    “Don’t open that,” but the words came too late. Glass fell to the floor and shattered when he lifted the glass of the barrister bookcase. “I told you not to do that, didn’t I?” Sophie was already bending over, picking shards up from the floor. “Help me with this mess, will you?” Now that the…

  • 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…