Monthly Archives: October 2021

Near the end of the first semester of my second year in grade eleven, during which time I was seventeen, discouraged, and not faring particularly well, my parents came home from an interview with my history teacher, in just his … Continue reading →

I arrived at the apartment complex on a warm June afternoon. I was there to consider moving in with a buddy to share the costs of housing in the suburb of Detroit. His former roommate was transferred out and I … Continue reading →

Everyone in the neighborhood agrees. Squirrels are pests that are increasing in numbers and destroying the neighborhood. That’s why we meet monthly to eliminate the threat. Louis has been the long term leader of the Woodlands Protective Society, WPS. Louis … Continue reading →

(I submitted this to The Florida Weekly for the Writing Challenge Round 3. The prompt was an empty jewelry box.) They would leave together—as soon as Stannum could secure the jewels. That had been their plan. That had been his … Continue reading →

A teenager, wearing his father’s oversized coat to shield him from the chilly night wind, strode purposefully toward the market. Many of the neighborhood bodegas had closed because of the pandemic, but this one survived. He had limited funds to … Continue reading →

Way, way back, at the earliest, foggy frontiers of my memories, I was given a storybook from my spinster aunt.  Entitled Winnie-the-Pooh, it was my introduction to literature, and to the wonderful world of reading. I couldn’t read the stories … Continue reading →

I’m getting you a GPS for your birthday. Why? I asked. So that you don’t get lost! But I never get lost. Of course, you do. Don’t you remember on that trip that it took 10 hours to go 20 … Continue reading →

A short, three-word haiku of a critical nature— unabashedly, unalleviatedly disinformative © J. Bradley Burt 2021

Blame it on dense foliage, marijuana, or Hobomok’s reputation. But what began as a short afternoon hike in October 1982 at Sleeping Giant State Park deteriorated into a stumbling surrender between the giant’s knees. Hobomok is what the Quinnipiak people … Continue reading →

I thought the purpose of sleep was to rest and recuperate from the stressful day. Why is it then, that dreams are almost always interfering with that recovery process? In my dreams it seems I can never find anything or … Continue reading →

Pete had trouble sleeping. He had planned for this day most of his life, and tomorrow was the beginning of a ninety-day cross-country trip. The car was already packed, and his route meticulously plugged into his GPS. He intended to … Continue reading →

I saw some stately old trees being cut down recently to make room for yet another house-building project in our already overly-dense community.  Their uprooting seemed such a shame, and it took me back to a much happier time. My … Continue reading →

A TREASURED CHEST She spotted it at an estate sale buried among the detritus of a life well lived. Sitting there open and empty it seemed a bit sad. Was it a metaphor for the woman who had owned it? … Continue reading →

Charade and hide your power Cloak what you have that may present Certainty forlorn, it’s what your enemies think you have in the tower Laws are the yoke to make the enemy live up to its rules Legislators change the … Continue reading →

The heartbreaking task of emptying our parents’ house lay before us. The family had lived in it for over 50 years, and it still echoed with 3 generations of children running up and down the hallways, making the noise that … Continue reading →

I reacted to my friend’s news that the destructive forces of Hurricane Ida had claimed his camp on the Tangipahoa River with a silent gasp, a jolt in the gut, and stinging behind my eyes. George called the camp Riverun, … Continue reading →

(I’m traveling again this week so I only had time to work on one story. Here is my Florida Weekly entry .) A man and a woman occupy two seats in an Amtrak station. Their belongings resting on two more. … Continue reading →

Whatever problems you may face in life, you will be urged to make a list. Lists are the life preserver of our existence, say most folks. If you have scores of pressing things to do, if you are drowning in … Continue reading →

[The following scene takes place in a frontier courtroom  in 1899 in the Klondike, a grizzled, half-sober judge presiding. A rough-and-ready prospector is on the stand.] Attorney: I have a list of questions for you about your unwarranted claim to … Continue reading →

In the year 2200, women are now the dominating force in the world. After the nuclear WWIII, women around the globe banded together in an unprecedented solidarity of different races, creeds, nationalities, religions and ideologies to create a new order. … Continue reading →

A vending machine Can not replace the mother who made your breakfast

The machine was really big. It stood over eight feet tall. The couple dozen snacks were brought to life under internal lights that showcased each treat beautifully. They were all lined up perfectly like the Rockettes. I scanned each one … Continue reading →

“Do you go to church?” Nina asked. My friend was looking for someone to accompany her to a Sunday service.  “No,” I replied. “But I do go to churches.” There’s a difference, you know. I love everything about houses of … Continue reading →

Marty made his daily pilgrimage to the mailbox. As usual, it’s crammed with one or two bills that needed paying and a plethora of junk mail. By far, the biggest offender of landfill stuffing is the funeral industry. He always … Continue reading →

I was a freshman in college at the University of Kansas. I had ten days for Spring Break in the middle of March and I determined to make the best of it. I decided to go visit my best friend … Continue reading →

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face… I hear the mighty pipe organ, that King of instruments, pealing the melody I know so well—my favourite hymn, its words engraved on my heart—rolling majestically through … Continue reading →