I stood in the center of the room smoking my cigarette and preparing for his arrival, stiffening my posture each time a car drove by. Fifteen minutes past noon. He was toying with me, making me wait and exercising his dominating hand. He was letting me know my place. Surrounded by the colorful remains of … Continue reading Mask-Maker
The Furnace
The world is waiting to die. Cold air seeps through spaces, the furnace unable to penetrate, silenced voices scream through speakers, seeping into my senses. Rising heat settles, the cold subsides, warming my intention. Discarded trends, discounted bins, a world undecided, persuasive, unstable, echoing voices mimic each other, radio waves conform, a standard chorus, the cooling … Continue reading The Furnace
Jellyfish Killers
The beach houses have looked better. Christmas trees line the shore and gray skies seem to stick around like an unwanted memory. Boarded up and abandoned, un-sturdy and off balance, these dwellings are in no shape to face another hurricane season on the Gulf Coast. It’s been a couple of years since I last graced … Continue reading Jellyfish Killers
Untitled
I have my excuses like we all do, but the storm took me by surprise and the flood was unexpected – as unexpected as my failed spirit. Trees are still stripped of their bark and I still can’t fathom how they survived at all. A surprisingly strong root system must have stepped in the way, … Continue reading Untitled
The Grim Reaper
I grabbed the gun just in case but felt ridiculous for doing so. All this talk about occultism and satanic baby killers had made me crazy. Michael made me crazy. I believed him. I didn’t believe him. I know what I saw. I didn’t know. Stuffing the gun into the waistband of my pants, I … Continue reading The Grim Reaper
I’m a Huge Fan
Unhooking the latch and lifting up the lid, Paige reached in and pulled out a faded American flag wrapped around a leather-bound Bible. Blue jeans, tee shirts, hats, books and a stuffed toy frog made up the rest of the trunk’s contents, but underneath the toy frog rested a green spiral notebook. Opening the worn-out … Continue reading I’m a Huge Fan
Ashley’s Dream
“Just call me Regan,” the woman said. “I hate Ms. Doucet, it makes me sound so,” she stopped and sized up Paige for a spell, “so old,” she finished. Regan possessed an exotic beauty, stunning with her long thick curls and dazzling green eyes, she moved and breathed confidence. Abbey fell silent, his eyes studying … Continue reading Ashley’s Dream
The Green Regime (Tree-Huggers Unite)
I used to be an environmentalist. Back in those days, the decade that was the ‘90s, we concerned ourselves with deforestation, polluting the oceans and recycling our trash. We warned against poisonous chemicals in our food and water. We detested the oil companies and global warming was still refuted by most scientists. In my college … Continue reading The Green Regime (Tree-Huggers Unite)
Back from Vacation
We take pictures to capture the moment, to immortalize the fleeting seconds of our lives, to lock-in our most precious memories. We derive pleasure in sharing those memories and look upon them with nostalgia, but something is always lacking. Through the eyes of the camera, layers are flattened out and stripped away. Mountains are downsized … Continue reading Back from Vacation
Go Like Yourself
Sometimes I think I’m doing this for all the wrong reasons. I can’t honestly say that I love to write, in fact, sometimes I hate it. Finding the right word, the right sentence structure, does this need a comma or a semi-colon, will people understand what I’m trying to say, and who are these people? … Continue reading Go Like Yourself
The Apple and the birdcage 