Monthly Archives: January 2021

Note: Our prompt was to pick a book at random and go to a specific page and specific sentence to make the first sentence of your story. Mine was Home by Julie Andrews, which is a memoir. This did not … Continue reading →

Prompted by Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, p. 22, sentence 13:  “All this may happen to him yet.” “All this may happen to him—yet,” the priestess whispered, her voice as thick as the patchouli-infused room in which I … Continue reading →

(Prompt from “Earthfall” by Orson Scott Card, page 22 – 13th sentence. “Or should his despair go ever further?”) Mika’s logical mind was trapped inside the citadel walls of despair. His situation was dire, while his inability to quickly find … Continue reading →

They were going to torture him, a fate worse than death, depending on the techniques*. I suppose you could say the torture had already begun. The waiting and wondering what lies ahead is a terrible ordeal in itself. My mind … Continue reading →

The opening here is from ‘The Tumult and the Shouting, My Life in Sport’, by Grantland Rice, 1954, p 22, sentence 13. “Hello, Ty,” Jackson said. The youngster from South Carolina was awestruck at coming face to face with his … Continue reading →

What is it that dogs dream? Angus seemed to be suspended in a silver net slung between silent moon shadows and daring exploits. Tired but sleepless, I knew what would I dream. When Momma died, Dad said she had gone … Continue reading →

The Joy of Flight I was airborne soaring about in the warm sunshine. I feel sorry for those who have never experienced the thrill of flight. There’s a whole different world up here. I am focused on the clouds in … Continue reading →

Early evening, Max’s favorite time of day, the 15-year-old stood at the edge of a forested piece of land adjacent to his family’s farm and watched as the moon crested the horizon. The orb was a source of wonder to … Continue reading →

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET       Talk about New York in the 1960s. It was the height of enjoyment. There was the Palisades Amusement Park, Coney Island, Jones Beach, Rockaway and Manhattan; just to name a few fun places. So much … Continue reading →

“Work, you damn computer!” Katherine pounded on the keys of her laptop in frustration.  It was a year Katherine thought she would never see.  In one year the pyramid of her life tumbled one block at a time.  A twenty-year … Continue reading →

The animal flies the Florida sky, taking shape slowly, standing tall, silhouetted against the immense blue vault overhead.  He remains almost motionless while the wind plays over his majestic head and along his silvery-white sides. He appears to examine the … Continue reading →

As the airplane was touching down in Columbus, Ohio, the “what will she look like, what will I say” monomaniacal thoughts coursed through my head. My anxiety grew exponentially. I hadn’t seen Karen since I left for Vietnam twelve months … Continue reading →

It’s no wonder I’ve always had at least one friend sharing my name—Patricia was the third most popular female name the year I was born. It means noble, as does Pat, Patty, Patti, Patsy, Tricia, and Trish. It became necessary … Continue reading →

It started with a simple little grey frog about the size of a dime. They seem to be common in Florida. They also seem to want to cohabitate with humans. They find their way regularly into our hallways and living … Continue reading →

Writing about something fun, especially when the ideas are scarce and the words won’t flow, is always a blast. One of my go-to strategies when that happens is to write about people I know—usually disguised, so as not to give … Continue reading →

From photographs and slides to digital, preservation efforts often past memories to be technologically updated, providing opportunities for different views. Although I’ve flipped through photos in scrapbooks and albums numerous times before, but television viewing afforded the possibly for a … Continue reading →

ECHOING ECHOES Echo the mountain nymph Pined away for the love Of Narcissus Until nothing was left of her But her voice      So, it was with Edwina Desjardins, who was deeply in love with Massimo Wallenstein. Alas, it was a … Continue reading →

The phalanx has taken its position on the wasteland The body of troops in position on the hill Cloward and Piven issued the call Overload the system and storm the Bastille   GAME ON!!!

I took protective measures. OK, I didn’t start spraying Deep Woods Off all over my body until after the initial attack. But the enemy is small and comes out as the daylight fades. There must be some rule against this- … Continue reading →

PANDEMIC LONELINESS       According to a thorough analysis of one’s ability to form meaningful human connections, a report, from a federal committee, chaired by Senator Homer Simpson of Idaho, released just this past Friday, found that if you were lonely before … Continue reading →

Peter was born in the mountains of rural Virginia where he spent his childhood days exploring the tree-covered hills and grassy valleys surrounding his home. As he reached his pre-teen years, he became fascinated with the multitude of caves tucked … Continue reading →

Greetings from Pinecliffe, where every day is a good hair day, or at least a good hair-raising day. I dally on the deck, ozone high, as I have countless times overlooking the quiet dell that separates me from the fir-infested … Continue reading →

I hear my own voice, urgent, loud, beseeching.  And I hear its forlorn echo, as if mocking me. “Help!  Help me!” …help me! “I am over here!  I am hurt bad!” …hurt bad! “Please!  Help me!  Somebody!  Anybody!” …anybody! All … Continue reading →

Twas a cool breeze out that night on the streets of Manhattan, but for me, it was as frigid as the snow queen herself.  I felt the icy stare of me mistress, my friend, see straight through me as if … Continue reading →