Monthly Archives: October 2020

First thing in the morning, I turned on my computer with baited anticipation. Yesterday, I interviewed with my company’s HR department for a promotion I really want. I think I have a good chance. I been at the company for … Continue reading →

The plane turned toward the terminal … as I terminate the journey The steps are extended … as I extend my hands The uniforms are everywhere … everywhere they ask What brings you here today … what is your task … Continue reading →

Since my child hood I have really been interested in “review” exactly; judicial review. At the young age of 12 I became curious about laws. What were they, who said so, and the plaintive drag on every mother; “why?” My … Continue reading →

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it’s don’t believe anything people tell you when it comes to the afterlife because it just isn’t true. Example #1:             People who have experienced a near-death episode describe being drawn … Continue reading →

THE MASK     Morning dawned bleak and overcast with a cold seemingly incessant drizzle. Randolph (his friends called him Rand) rose when his alarm clock rang at exactly 6:30 AM, just as it did every day except Sunday, for the past … Continue reading →

The Cartoon Channel provided a much-needed mental health service on election day and night. They ran a 24-hour Rocky and Bullwinkle Show marathon starting at 6 AM election day. Overnight ratings indicated that the majority of Americans wisely chose to … Continue reading →

Life was pretty normal, structured. I like predictable, no surprises. As an accountant for 30 years, I guess it’s an occupational hazard. I think that’s why I like numbers – you can count on them. They’re ever steady, reliable. I … Continue reading →

“Well, lookie here!” Olivia squealed when she discovered the holiday boxes tucked into Helen’s guestroom closet. On a fog-drenched October day, we were cleaning out my younger sister’s townhouse after her sudden death. Into three piles we had been divvying … Continue reading →

Have you ever talked to an elderly person who’s lived in one palace their entire life and asked them what the area, or city, or town was like when they were young? Their response usually begins with, “I’ve seen a … Continue reading →

Look, I know you hate to be told what to do, especially by some anonymous person who sits somewhere behind your dashboard or hovers over you, behind the overhead car light. Be honest, you probably have challenged Google and followed … Continue reading →

There is one major issue that goes unspoken in most public conversation. It is so divisive and sensitive that politicians stay away from this “third rail”. It appears that nearly everyone has a clear position on the matter and they … Continue reading →

My husband and I bought the Main Plantation outside Charleston on a lark. We retired five years ago and after thousands of games of golf and a closet full of paint by numbers canvasses, we needed a second career. So … Continue reading →

I hear the scatter of wayward feet …. The anger brought into my den As they look and see a voice toward me Wonder why and what has been Can’t explain the shape I’ve made …. Can’t explain the change … Continue reading →

ROOM     Need to give myself     Room     In the quiet of my     Bedroom     Life filled with     Gloom     Feelings of      Doom     Sweep it out with a     Broom     Hawaiian habit of     Choom     Shut my door      Cloom     Virus affords no     Headroom     Disaster starts to … Continue reading →

I travel a lot for work and usually stay at one of the major hotel chains. Their rooms are normally clean, beds comfortable, and the interior walls soundproof enough that if the person next door sneezes, I don’t feel compelled … Continue reading →

If I keep my distance, don’t take offense; For social distancing is our best defense If I don’t socialize, please don’t feel disrespected; For sacrifices are necessary to keep us all protected If I wear a mask, don’t belittle my … Continue reading →

As I headed for my usual coffee at Midtown Café before starting work, I glanced upward. Two skulls in the window of the third-floor apartment were peering down towards the sidewalk.  The skulls appeared to be Halloween decorations. My favorite … Continue reading →

“That’s it, Mr. and Mrs. Brakes, you are free to go now,” the lawyer said. “That’s it?” Karen said. “Yep, that’s it,” Mark said. Karen slowly grabbed her purse and walked to the door in a trance.  After twenty years … Continue reading →

“Where are you going on your vacation, Gayle?” Clark asked. “We’re going on a 7-day trip around the world,” Gayle answered. “We can’t wait.” “A 7-day trip around the world? You can’t do that?” Clark laughed.   “Sure you can. … Continue reading →

She didn’t know where he would take her She didn’t know if she should go She didn’t know if he would break her There’s only one thing she could know   She didn’t think of stormy oceans She didn’t see … Continue reading →

There’s a point when courage ends And stupid takes his turn Battles on with windmill songs Nothing left to learn   There’s a point when bravery turns As foolish takes its place Control the course with empty voice A grimace … Continue reading →

Sitting in a pub, San Francisco bay just to pass the evening hours I fell in love with a barroom queen Did not have the words to light the fire   She gave me a smile with her painted up … Continue reading →

Pausing to study herself in the mirror, Paula smoothed the black T-shirt dress that hugged her middle-aged breasts and skimmed her slender hips. She knew dammed well that Alan was dead and cringed at having to endure a memorial on … Continue reading →

After checking in we spotted the notice on the end table. “Welcome to paradise. Please join us for a bonfire on the beach at 9 PM”. We looked at each other and smiled. What a perfect start to a romantic … Continue reading →

There have been many memorable debates since the beginning of mankind: Brutus v. Marc Antony, Lincoln v. Douglas, and Kennedy v. Nixon have all earned their place in history. None has been more contentious than the battle between Grandma Parker’s … Continue reading →

BIRD CULT     Warren “The Eye” Peepers engaged every weekend in his favorite hobby, bird-watching. He could not wait to finish his job at a major New York Hotel. He was the supervisor of the cleaning staff at the Hilton Eagle. … Continue reading →

BIRD CULT     Warren “The Eye” Peepers engaged every weekend in his favorite hobby, bird-watching. He could not wait to finish his job at a major New York Hotel. He was the supervisor of the cleaning staff at the Hilton Eagle. … Continue reading →