At dusk, when the day turns orange, then pink, then purple, spanning the color spectrum in the time it takes to walk home from the park, the ghosts come out. You may see them for only ten or fifteen minutes, in that bright, liminal space before the night turns black and stars wink on like … Continue reading They are Coming
I was a little reluctant to share this one because I like to think of myself as a pacifist. Please know that I wrote this in the spirit of--oh, what the heck--I wrote it just for fun! Enjoy! Written with my Thursday Night Group with the prompts: three drops of blood, a cozy place, bad … Continue reading The PTA Meeting
Recently I was doing a yoga DVD and I got my first taste of vertigo. I think it happened when I was doing one of those poses where you’re bent over, your head near your shins, and you lift one arm straight up, then you twist your neck to look at the ceiling. That seems … Continue reading Vertigo
Written with my Thursday group with the prompts: diner waitress, burning, haphazard groups, in David’s mind We live in a land where the autumn is brown and orange. The leaves don’t fall from the trees anymore. They hang on, wilting, defying wind and season and temperament of the sun. The children never learn the color blue. Everything … Continue reading Something Burning
In September, when summer lingers in the valley, the sky hovers low and dusky over the city. Few brave the hot pavement. Children hide in curtained bedrooms gazing at flickering screens, grown-ups sequester themselves in air-conditioned boxes apartments, offices, sedans. No one sees Saint Francis arising from concrete statuary, the Virgin of Guadalupe stepping out … Continue reading When Summer Lingers
Written with my Tuesday writing group with the prompt: the body loves slowness. A bit of a farewell to summer! Sound is fast. Light is faster. The pungent scent of sour milk hits our nostrils fast and hard and bring instant tears to our eyes. But the body loves slowness. The body is heavy, whether … Continue reading The Body Loves Slowness
I started writing this with my Tuesday group and finished writing it with my Thursday group. Prompts included: tsunami, threat, taking your time, if you ignore it might go away. Lionel stood on Margarite’s front porch in front of the dining room window. He just stood there, doing his best to look nonthreatening. Margarite saw him of … Continue reading The Return
As many of you know, I have two feline companions, Suzanna (aka Zuzu) and Valentine. They were born in a feral cat colony, littermates and sisters, and now they are happy to be indoor cats. Obviously, indoor cats need indoor facilities. Used to be I had two criteria for cat litter: it had to be unscented … Continue reading A Tale of Two Kitties
Written with my Thursday group with prompts: Mr. I Can’t, Oh shit, Rufus said, hallways, chocolate yes indeed Matilda called Rufus Mr. I Can’t, Mr. Rain On My Parade, and Doctor No. Not because he was a doctor, not because he was a Bond villain, but because he was Mr. Negativity himself, Mr. Dark Clouds … Continue reading The Breath of the Universe
Written with my Thursday night group with a list of prompts that sounded like a grocery list! Janet perused the grocery list her father had handed her as she headed out the door. Her father was not as organized as her mother and he never would be. Janet simply needed to accept that. I mean, … Continue reading The Grocery List
