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82 Poems on a Single Theme
Ezra Azra
©
Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra
|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
My
Granny, Jane Goldstone (1878-1974) was a Grade School teacher, as
well a Sunday School teacher. All her adult life she was in a
quandary that her God, Jehovah/Yahweh, committed so many evil deeds
willingly, as recorded in the Bible. She collected 39 of these
accounts in the Bible and re-formed the Bible's words into flawless
iambic verse. . . .
Knowing Up From Down
Kip Rosser
©
Copyright 2022 by Kip Rosser

|

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo at Unsplash. |
There’s
a word that troubles me. I think a lot about this word. I’ll
tell you what it is in a minute. But first, there’s a different
word you need to know. The word is contronym.
A contronym is a word that, strange as it seems, is actually its own
opposite.
Take
the word “off,”
for example. It can mean to shut down or deactivate, as in the
sentence, “I
shut the light off.” But it can also mean the opposite -- to
turn on or activate -- as in “my
alarm clock just went off.” How bizarre is that?! . . .
Surviving Adolescence
Lisa Rivers
©
Copyright 2022 by Lisa Rivers

|

Photo courtesy of Flikr. |
"Awe
honey I'm not Laughing at you, I’m laughing with you. And
after time passes you will be laughing." She said. " I
promise".
"Really
Mom”, I screamed in horror, “Do you see me laughing? How
could I be so lame? I mean really. What kind of mother sends a child
out like that. I can never show my face again, never!” . . .
Moving Neighborhoods
Zary Fekete
©
Copyright 2022 by Zary Fekete

|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
I
was carrying one of the last boxes out to our car when our neighbor
called to me. She was the first person my wife and I met when we
moved to Budapest’s 11th district three years
ago. We were in our mid 20s; our neighbor was 76. . . .
Each Minute Counts
Lori Stryker
©
Copyright 2022 by Stryker

|
 Photo by Stas Knop at Pexels. |
When
you’re a high school teacher, you are governed by the clock.
Each minute counts. These minutes are units of time to visit the
bathroom or grab those final photocopies before scurrying to your
assigned classroom. One of the things I savored most when I retired
was that I didn’t need to wake up to an annoying alarm, or have
my day ruled by the watch perennially on my left wrist. I still wear
that watch, but only because it’s my habit after so many years.
I never use my alarm. . . .
White Gloves
Cindy Marcus
©
Copyright 2022 by Cindy Marcus

|
 |
Temple
Beth David was always one step away from collapse. A converted house
in Van Nuys, the blacktop was more gray than black, the walls, though
loved, were chipped from wear, and the roof leaked every Winter.
Still,
my working class family attended Friday night services every week. In
the small congregants’
room, boys
got Bat Mitvah’d, Shofars got blown, and every child received a
birthday blessing. . . .
The Bravest Man on the Pier
Joseph O'Brien
©
Copyright 2022 by Joseph O'Brien

|
 Photo by Wendy Wei at Pexels. |
In
the summer of 1961 the weather was beautiful in Seaside Heights, New
Jersey and I landed a job running the Ferris wheel on the pier. At
night you could see the bridge from the land to the island where
Seaside was located. My boss used to come up to the wheel and look at
the line of headlights coming across the bridge and say, “That's
fresh money.”. . .
Unusual Visitors
Robyn Michaels
©
Copyright 2022 by Robyn Michaels

|

Photo courtesy of Global Giving. |
The
first time I ever encountered someone in America who had never met a
Jew was when I had just turned 15. This was in 1968. I was living in
the north suburbs of Chicago, where at least a third of the community
was Jewish. I went to visit an acquaintance who lived in Pana, a
small town in central Illinois: corn country. We went to her mother’s
for Christmas. She had cooked a ham. . . .
Taking on Big Terry
Catherine Grow
©
Copyright 2022 by Catherine Grow

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Times
growing up I would have sold my soul for an older brother—someone
to look up to who, with his worldly wisdom, would illuminate a sure
and steady path for me as I muddled through my mid-1950’s
childhood.
What
I got was J. J.: two years younger than I and, until his teens,
shorter and scrawnier. For most of our childhood, I could win
arguments by wrestling him to the ground and sitting on him. The
balance of power was clearly in my favor. . . .
More...
How Snake and Cat Were Rescued From Each Other, and We From Both
Ezra Azra
©
Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
This
is an account of an animal rescue as it happened on our farm in
Africa.
Animal
rescues on our farm were not memorable, generally, because they
happened with boring regularity.
This
one was unusual because while our cat and the snake were gearing up
to fight to the death, we were trying to rescue both of them from
each other, and ourselves from both of them. On our farm, the first
tenet of our animal rescue ethics was to never let a fight happen
between animals. . . .
Thirty-Three Animal Stories for Children
IN
MEMORIAM: RAINDROPS, 1980-1997, our family
Cat.
All
author's proceeds donated to Windsor and Essex County Humane Society.
Ezra Azra
©
Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra
|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
1)
The pandemic; its good side.
2)
The kid’s a genius.
3)
Meat the king. etc........
My Inspiration In Life
Ojo Victoria Ilemobayo
©
Copyright 2022 by Ojo Victoria Ilemobayo

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Nine
weeks old, mama
spewed honey honeycomb and milk to me. Daily she watered me like a
plant in a nursery. Mama oiled my hair with supplication,yes she
&
papa dined words with the Great Old at Dusk. . . .
With Every Breath
Joanne E. Galliher
©
Copyright 2022 by Joanne E. Galliher

|

Photo of the author. |
My Frisky Trifecta
is living half-glass full. Bold, not blasé. Curious, not
complacent. That saved my life and makes me 70 going on 30.
At 62, an
unidentifiable virus devoured 75% of my lungs in six hours. It was
like an unconscionable piranha. Leaving me to struggle and
miraculously survive a non-negotiable prognosis. “There’s
only a 20% chance you’ll be alive in a year.” I hung in
1,187 days. . . .
More...
Breakfast
at Tiffany's Re-Visited
Carl
Winderl
©
Copyright 2022 by Carl Winderl

|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay |
I
couldn’t remember, -- no, I can’t remember when
was the last time I’d read Truman Capote’s Breakfast
at Tiffany’s
I
do know it’s since I saw the film version with Audrey Hepburn
in her most unforgettable and legendary star-turn as Holly Golightly,
along with George Peppard, in a sort of ‘thinly’
disguised role as her most suitable innamorato out
of
her innumerable wannabe suitors. Not to mention Capote’s
attempt at reincarnating his writerly self in the alter ego
of
Peppard’s firmer flesh. . . .
One Double Biography from the Heart
(For my Mum and Dad)
Branka Vulic
©
Copyright 2022 by Branka Vulic

|
 Mum and Dad on 50th anniversary. Photo from the author |
Biographical
non-fiction … a title usually not related to warmth but if I
try hard, I can make it warm. I always thought my parents´ lives
deserve to be remembered. Not so much in form of a dry, boring
biography but in the shape that mirrors them as wonderful human
beings. They deserve a biography composed of fine, humorous, sad, and
witty sketches from their life. Such scenes reveal their spirit and
personality. . . .
Grga
Sandra Ljubljanovic
©
Copyright 2022 by Sandra Ljubljanovic

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Some
people leave a lasting impression
even
though they barely touched our lives.
Grga
was my car mechanic. It was not his real name, nor was he really a
car mechanic. He was a retired soldier, an engineer by profession,
but repairing vehicles and vessels was something he truly enjoyed. He
told me his name and surname when we met, and again after a few years
while he was checking the brakes of my car on a lonely gravel road by
the river, but I forgot it in a matter of minutes. Everybody
simply called him Grga. . . .
More...
Strangers
J. S. Kierland
©
Copyright 2022 by J. S. Kierland

|
 Photo by Lisa courtesy of Pexels. |
Memory
and time run
together when you get older and a smile from a stranger can tumble
you back through decades of cigarette smoke and desires you’d
forgotten long ago. It was one of those uncertain smiles that dropped
me back into a time when I was taking post grad courses in the city
that never sleeps. . . .
The Leap
Ekaterina Golovina
©
Copyright 2022 by Ekaterina Golovina

|
 Photo by Martin Wyall on Unsplash |
There’re
eight of us left. Someone would say we’re stuck Up here. That’s
not right. We have it chosen this way.
We
live in a community called El Salto. Its name may be translated as
“waterfall”, referring to a cascade in the gorge that has
been dry for years. Our village is surrounded by mountains and woods.
The only paved road runs across it. No one has
even been bothered to give the
route a name. Maps refer to it simply as “The direction to the
lagoon.”. . .
Home Away From Home
Michael Eaton
©
Copyright 2022 by Eaton

|
 |
The
summer of 1959 after my junior year I took a job that required me to
move into a funeral home and help with various tasks around the home.
My dad explained that he had the same job when he was younger, and in
speaking to the owner, discovered they were looking for someone for
the summer, and asked if I wanted to take the job. Always eager for
new adventures I said “Yes.”. . .
Perseverance Pays A Great Deal
Nonhlanhla Annah Thusi
©
Copyright 2022 by Nonhlanhla Annah Thusi

|
 The author's two self published books. |
Life
is the survival of the fittest, you’ve got to learn to give a
fist and take one, to fall and stand up while keeping hope. I am
Annah Thusi, based in South Africa, from a small township called
Refengkgotso at Deneysville city. From birth the dice of life didn’t
roll in my favour, I felt the harsh treatment of life yet didn’t
give up. . . .
I Am An Aquarian Deal With It
Love Hurts But We Keep On Tryinng
Tatenda Alex Chirambira
©
Copyright 2022 by Tatebda Alex Chirambira

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
. . . .In
my entire life I have never been more eager to end a conversation
with anyone but at that certain point I felt that the 8 second mark
on my screen signified that maybe I had made a wrong judgment
call. . . .
All Cried Out
Uzoamaka Onwubiko
©
Copyright 2022 by Usoamaka Onwubiko

|

Photo
by-Juan-Pablo-Serrano-Arenas-courtesy of Pexels. |
I
grew up in a family of 4. 3 girls and a boy I was the third child. My
mom was an amazing woman who in spite of my father's negligence to
the family didn't stop to give love to us. My father was never there
never cared about our well being my mother in her little power tried
to see we were attended to. . . .
Iona
Susan Salot Gaumer
©
Copyright 2022 by Susan Salot Gaumer

|
 Photo of Columba's bay courtesy of Pixabay. |
In 1984 my husband and I
spent time in Scotland where he presented a scientific paper at a
meeting in Glasgow. Expecting a tired industrial city, by surprise we
discovered Glasgow to be lively and delightful. The Lord Mayor,
hoping to attract more such events, hosted a grand dinner for the
gathered scientists in their splendid art gallery. While Dick was in
meetings I explored lovely gardens, Whistler’s childhood home,
and meandered into several churches. Long interested in Celtic
spirituality and the life of St. Columba, I had been hoping we could
visit the island of Iona. . . .
Sue's Writing Desk
A Tale for Memorial Day
William
Wayne Weems
©
2022
by
William Wayne Weems
|

Photo of the Fred Cooper family. |
Nearly
two weeks ago my Spouse Annie Sue and I soberly viewed an isolated
metal outbuilding which is set outside the high fence surrounding the
rear of her West Tennessee family farmhouse. The sliding doors had
been wrenched off. . . .
Adaptability,
Growth, Flexibility: Yoga and Indian
Cultural
Identity
Diya Kothari
©
Copyright 2022 by Diya Kothari
|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Yoga
is a philosophy of life that is entrenched within the culture of
India. Originating in India about 5000 years
ago, Yoga is a tranquilizing
practice of establishing harmony and
balance between the mind, body, and
soul to achieve inner peace, health, and well-being. . . .
More...Started
out fine, like those song lyrics…
Could
have been the whiskey, might have been the gin.
Could have been
three or four six-packs…
We
all know how such indulgence ends. . . .
More...
I Double Dog Dare You
James L. Cowles
©
Copyright 2022 by James L. Cowles
|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
|
"What's
wrong with my shirt, dummy?"
"Just
look at you, man. Let's get some other opinions. Hey guys, look at
him, will ya? His mommy pegged his shirt for him, and Jimmy's trying
to show off his muscles. I betcha you don't even weigh seventy-five
pounds; where is your muscle, anyway, Jimmy, you runt? Go on, flex it
for us, tough guy. Come on, let's see it!" . . .
The Stone Blanket
Nimisha Kantharia
©
Copyright 2022 by Nimisha Kantharia
|
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
When
I was a child, I felt as though I had access to an
inexplicable, exclusive sense of my father. I still have some part of
that child in me, even as an adult daughter whose relationship to her
father is fraught. I have wanted to write about this since long. . . .
The Prayer Shawl
Nancy
McAtavey
©
Copyright 2022 by Nancy McAtavey
|  Photo courtesy of Todd McAtavey. |
. . . .My
neighbor made my prayer shawl. It was dark blue with specks of white
running through the yarn. The random pieces of fringe were threaded
with silver beads and hearts that read “love” and “peace”
and “hope." When I asked her for the inspiration for the
shawl, she told me to Google it. . . .
More...
Tarred
P. S. Gifford
© Copyright 2022 by P. S.
Gifford
|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay.. |
My
son turns twenty-one in March, and since my separation from his mom I
have hardly spent any time of him. I am not his biological father-
but I raised him from 18 months to 16 years- and legally adopted him.
I have dozens above dozens of little anecdotes about him…Like
the following. . . .
Self-Preservation
Noel Moitra
©
Copyright 2022 by Noel Moitra
|
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
Early
one afternoon in 1987, while at Fergusson College, Pune, India, I
noticed a close friend and classmate, Sarah, in tears. She had put on
a brave face, but I could tell something was wrong from her body
language. . . .
Anecdotal Memories
Daniel Fuller
©
Copyright 2022 by Daniel Fuller
|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
“Oh
my God! I can see your skull!” my dad yelled, barely audible
through my screams and cries as he exchanged a blood-soaked towel for
a fresh one while my mom ran around collecting everything we needed
for the hospital. . . .
Nobody
Told Me
Desiree
Kendrick
©
Copyright 2021 by Desiree Kendrick
|

Photo courtesy of the author.
|
Motherhood, is
without doubt, the best gift I’ve ever received. A first
pregnancy comes with a variety of nuances. It’s a time of
wonder. As I reflect on my adventure, I realize there are numerous
discoveries that ‘nobody told me.’ Read along and laugh
with me. . . .
Two Days in
Trinco
Caroline Fynn
©
Copyright 2022 by Caroline Fynn

|

Photo by the author. |
Shortly
after I returned to my home country, life seemed to be over-regulated
and dull. Following some years of living and working in South Asia,
it was difficult to adapt to British life. I gave it my best shot but
six months along the line I still missed the jewel of a country that
is Sri Lanka and revisited for a vacation. . . .
A Change of Heart
Stephanie Levy
©
Copyright 2022 by Stephanie Levy

|
 Photo by freestocks on Unsplash |
This
story
is from a yet unpublished memoir, Tucked In and Tuckered Out -
Memoir of an Innkeeper with Reservations about the years my
husband James and I ran a bed and breakfast. Our son Sam put The
Federal House Bed and Breakfast on his Christmas wish list when he
was 13, right above X-Box and a kitten. . . .
China Club 1992
D. Greene
©
Copyright 2022 by D. Greene
|
 Photo by Michael Discenza at Unsplash. |
Sitting in
the China Club. New York City. I came here with Sarah, my roommate
and theater school classmate. The place is packed when we get there. I
always feel uncomfortable the first couple of minutes we’re
there – I think everyone is looking at me like I don’t
belong. I want them to think I’m “someone”, but I
always feel like I’m an imposter. . . .
“What
doesn’t kill you will haunt you.” - Gordon
King. Fire boss: Loop Fire.
There
is a numbness that occurs from decades of tension. Like a tightly
wound spring, the body is compressed when hardened and will
eventually push back to its original form when released. But if held
down or heated too long and loses elasticity, it will never return to
its relaxed state. . . .
A Moral Dilemma
Margaret Darby
©
Copyright 2022 by Margaret Darby
|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Receiving
a diagnosis of stage III cancer may not sound like an event worth
celebrating, but coming to grips with my own mortality has made my
life one hundred per cent more fulfilling. Nevertheless,
the road to treatment was fraught with little traps and tricks that
led me to make some really foolish decisions because the swirling
emotions after a dire prognosis can make a patient quite
foolhardy. That is what led me to make a terrible choice. . . .
How I Cope
Yessenia Gutierrez
©
Copyright 2022 by Yessenia Gutierrez

|
 Photo by Jim Forest at Flickr. |
I was born with polycystic kidney disease. I had
kidney failure when I was nine years old and that's when I wrote my
first poem. I have had two failed kidney transplants and one
successful liver transplant. I have been on dialysis for thirteen
years and today I am on the waiting list for another kidney. If
having kidney disease and being on dialysis has taught me anything,
it's patience. One must have patience in order to survive through
this journey. . . .
Wearing The Quartered Cap
Alan Grant
©
Copyright 2022 by Alan Grant

|
 Photo by Element5 Digital at Pexels. |
‘Let’s
have a look at you,’ said his Mother, brushing her fingers
through his dark brown hair.
‘Are
your shoes clean?’
‘Yes
Mum, done them. They're ready, everything’s fine.’
Whilst
Ian enjoyed being touched, the current close attention embarrassed
him. . . .
More...
Transplanted
Cyndie Zikmund
©
Copyright 2022 by Cyndie Zikmund

|
 Photo by Edoardo Fezet at Unsplash. |
Tsugio Ikeda, my uncle,
and his family were
part of the 120,000 Japanese Americans held prisoner in concentration
camps during WWII. His story is unique in that he later served in the
US Army and after that, he became an educator and the first
Asian-American to be elected as County Superintendent of Schools in
Montana. . . .
The Final Miracle
How Death Was Cheated In Paradise
Henry Lancing Woodward
©
Copyright 2022 by Henry Lancing Woodward
|

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives courtesy of Pexels.
|
I
believe it is impossible to adequately describe or explain what it is
like to be a Paramedic. It is something one must live in the moment. In
a true emergency, every one of those moments is a lifetime,
especially for the patient. As a Paramedic, either for one moment or
years of moments, one becomes altered to the very core. . . .
An After School Hanging
Henry Lancing Woodward
©
Copyright 2022 by Henry Lancing Woodward
|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
|
When
I was
discharged from the US Navy, I decided to remain in Hawaii rather
than return to my hometown on the mainland. After becoming an EMT, I
was accepted into the ten-month Hawaii State Paramedic Program. . . .
The Game of Fate
Mahi M. Al-Khatib
©
Copyright 2022 by Mahi M. Al-Khatib
|
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
Here
I am writing to you a story that expresses a part of what I am
experiencing and facing in my life in the hope that I will return to
this, the course of my life has changed, and I read it with
happiness, proud of myself for my patience and willpower, which we
must have to live every day with gratitude and calm ourself. . . .
June to June
Roger Barbee
©
Copyright 2022 by Roger Barbee
|

Photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash
|
In early November of 2019, my
oldest child told me he
had found out in a Google search that his biological mother had died
in 2015. An adopted son, he had met his biological mother when he was
eighteen—they sat in her car during her lunch hour. . . .
Six Months as a Paramedic
A Story about Death and an Epiphany
Henry Lancing Woodward
©
Copyright 2022 by Henry Lancing Woodward

|
 Part of the author's diary about the case. |
I
had been in Hawaii
for about one-and-a-half years, and I was six months into my new life
as a Paramedic and could do no wrong. After graduating fifth out of
a class of twelve, I was ready, if not eager, to save lives. The
program consisted of three months in the classroom and a six-month
internship during which we rode along with fully certified
paramedics. This experience introduced us to the unbelievable
emergencies that occur on any given day. . . .
Steven C. Levi
©
Copyright 2022 by Steven C. Levi
|
 Photo courtesy of Pexels.
|
My
wife, who works
for the Presentence Unit, was in the Courthouse one afternoon when
she was approached by a well-known local defense attorney. He said
that she would be considering the case of one of his clients and he
wanted to explain something before she got the paperwork. . . .
Lessons from a Shoeshine Boy
Teal M. Gaylord
©
Copyright 2022 by Teal M. Gaylord

|
 Fred Gaylords shoeshine box. Photo courtesy of the author. |
. . . .In
the spring and summer of 1944 World War II had engulfed the world in
some of the most intense fighting of the war; including the Normandy
invasion and the Battle of The Bulge where over 19,000 young
Americans would lose their lives. At the same time on the streets of
Binghamton, New York in war-time 1944, a young boy of 6 was working
his day job as a shoeshine boy. His earnings were probably less than
a $1 a day. However, it was often enough for him to run home and take
his three-year-old brother to the local diner for coffee which
probably cost the two young brothers a dime. . . .
More...
A Soul Wrapped in Cardboard
Annelise Wallie
©
Copyright 2022 by Annelise Wallie

|
 Photograph of Boquete, Panama by the author. |
I never actually saw
the object I will describe.
But that doesn’t
mean I won’t do a good job. I have a solid idea of what it
looks like, though I’ll never see it in person.
And it definitely
won’t see me - it’s blind. . . .
Violence
Extract from his book, My Wasted Life
Alex Frew
©
Copyright 2022 by Alex Frew

|
 |
When I first started work as a vanboy in
the 70’s,
delivering lemonade, I had a driver called Jimmy. Jimmy belonged to a
school that thought violence was acceptable in the working
environment. So he hit me all the time. . . .
Our Paper Cabin
Freda Wooten
©
Copyright 2022 by Freda Wooten
|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Most
people don’t think about the things collected inside their
home. But Tom and I are deep sentimental creatures. I can testify;
the old house we live in has more to say than the people I met
recently. More to show than the pompous neighbors who seem to stay
entertained by estranged rumors, local gossip and eerie
superstitions. . . .
Green Ginger
Christin Kaiser
©
Copyright 2020 by Christin Kaiser
|

Photo by cottonbro courtesy of Pixabay.
|
Spring
has finally arrived here in the Lakes area of New Hampshire.
It
was a long time coming, and it did the now normal routine of throwing
in a short heat wave a few weeks after the last snow drift under the
evergreens melted. . . .
Shades of Darkness
Abtihal K. A. Saed
©
Copyright 2022 by Abtihal K. A. Saed

|

Photo property of the author (in pink). |
...“Now
I’m 10-years old kid, I’ll never be afraid of darkness
again!” this is a promise which I gave to mama one day so that
she could sleep on peace of mind without me leaking under her arms
whenever I see darkness. . . .
The Bite Path
Margie Marek
©
Copyright 2022 by Margie Marek
|
 Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez at Pexels. |
It
all happened so fast. I’ll never for certain whether the bark
and the lunge was the reason or the result of my snatching Hiro back.
“NO!
Gunner,
sit.” she orders. The German Shepherd instantly obeys.
Tightening her grip on the choked leash, she meets my horrified eyes,
placating “I’m soooooo
sorry,”. . .
Montgomery Memories
James Lamont
©
Copyright 2022 by James Lamont

|
 Photo courtesy of CORE. |
Yogi
Berra said it best: “It’s deja vu all over again!”
Such was my reaction when I began comparing the southern United
States I knew as a young reporter for a news wire service sixty years
ago, and that same region today. Or perhaps more eloquently (if less
amusingly): the more things change, the more they remain the same. . . .
At the Polish/Ukrainian Border
A Lyrical Prose Poem
Carl
Winderl
©
Copyright 2022 by Carl Winderl

|

Przemysl Train Station. Photo courtesy of the author. |
.
. . where there are No 2 Days Alike.
That’s
what I’m thinking about having silk-screened onto a bunch of
t-shirts: ‘No 2 Days Alike.’
They’d
be for our group of volunteers here at the Przemysl Train Station
where we’re aiding Ukrainian refugees & evacuees –
fleeing the ongoing mindless madness of the Russian Military
“invasion.” . . .
Two Short Stories
Alaa Othman
©
Copyright 2022 by Alaa Othman
|
 |
Writing
is not something I tend to do every day. I mean, I wish but I don’t.
Although I have written “writing a crime fiction novel”
on my bucket list a long time ago and I’m pretty sure I will
write it one day. Now I believe writing has many more shapes than
writing an academic essay. Having a diary is some sort of writing.
Having one or two best friends that I can text and open to them is
also a style of writing. . . .
The Truthful Choice
Amy L. Haba
©
Copyright 2022 by Amy L Haba
|
 Photo courtesy Duané Viljoen at Pexels. |
When
I was pregnant with our twin boys I never once thought about ending
my pregnancy. I was just a few months shy of twenty-one years old.
Rick, my boyfriend, and I weren't married but we were in love. . . .
In Bed With The Jungle Queen
Lesley Mukwacha
©
Copyright 2022 by Lesley Mukwacha
|

Photo courtesy of Leif
Blessing on Pixabay. |
When
I woke up to prepare coffee, tea, and biscuits that cold morning in
one of the wildest bush camps in Masai Mara National Park in Kenya, I
wasn't aware that I was about to witness a miracle no living human
being I knew had ever witnessed. The camp was full. I could count
five overland trucks and several 4x4 land cruisers. It was still
about forty-five minutes before sunrise and only cooks were up and
already busy with breakfast preparations. . . .
Where The Maned Brothers Rest
Lesley Mukwacha
©
Copyright 2022 by Lesley Mukwacha
|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Having
driven just over a thousand kilometers through one of Africa's mighty
deserts, the Kalahari desert, alone, without resting, my body was
almost giving up, my eyes felt heavy, my arms stiff, and my neck a
bit sore. The memories of my just ended twenty-day tour of Namibia
had kept me going despite the tiredness; the coast, the national
heritage sights, and the cultural visits had been more than amazing,
they had been exceptional, and looking out either side of the highway
now, seeing nothing but the open plains, stretching well into the
horizon, everything changed. . . .
Me Against The Lions
Lesley Mukwacha
©
Copyright 2022 by Lesley Mukwacha

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Zimbabwe's
Hwange
national park is one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in Africa. It
is home to the big 5 and getting a job as a guide in one of the best
lodges there was a dream come true for me. The three months I had
worked there had been nothing but exciting as I also had the chance
to work with some of the best guides in the field. . . .
More...
Perceptions Unfortunately Matter
Alicia J. M.
Colson
©
Copyright 2022 by Alicia J. M. Colson
|

Photo courtesy of Pexels. |
Perception
matters especially when you’re not familiar with the region
that you’re visiting. Everyone reads landscapes and everyone
tells stories. Such stories vary from those snapped on Instagram, on
newswires, in family photos to those told hugging a cup of coffee or
tea, or around campfires. . . .
The Morning Is
Mine
Reflections
on a particularly fine pre Winter Solstice Day
Christin Kaiser
©
Copyright 2020 by Christin Kaiser
|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
|
People
have used avian avatars to describe their personalities for decades.
I
am a Lark, not a Night-owl. It might be amusing to look back at how I
managed to evolve when so many near and dear to me in my formative
years were ‘up till all hours’. . . .
My Terrifying Encounter with a Mamba
Snake and Some Herds of Cattle
Ikyereve Denen
©
Copyright 2022 by Ikyegeve Denen

|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
On
that faithful day in the wee hours of the morning, I received a call
from my good friend Goodluck Jonathan, Jonathan was a friend I met at
a church program during my mandatory one year youth service to my
father land, we served at different place of primary assignment
while I served at the ministry of animal health and fisheries, he on
the other hand served at the Nigerian army farms. . . .
Alice and the Tea Party
Elliot Wilner
©
Copyright 2022 by Elliot Wilner
|
 Photo courtesy of Ebay. |
It
was a few minutes after seven o’clock when Simon drove up the
driveway of the Bethesda Country Club, heading toward the clubhouse
where the Woodrow Wilson High School reunion was already underway.
The parking lot closest to the clubhouse was by now nearly full, and
it pleased Simon to see that the parked cars were mostly mid-size
SUVs, or aging Volvos like his, unpretentious cars, utilitarian
cars, none of them gas-guzzlers. . . .
In
Like A Lion...Out Like Two Lions
Karen
Radford Treanor
©
Copyright
2022 by Karen Radford Treanor

|

The java-cloth curtains before the storm. Photos by the author.
|
“Give
me a home among the gum trees” said the theme song of a
now-defunct gardening show. Gum trees—genus eucalyptus—come
in many varieties, and quite a few of the larger ones marched along
the fence line of our home in the hills above Perth, Western
Australia. Eucalyptus tend to drop their branches suddenly,
especially if stressed or ill, with only a loud cra-a-a-ck! to warn
those beneath. . . .
I Don't Know How She Does It
Marcia McGreevy Lewis
 |
 Photo courtesy of Connie Niva. |
Connie
Niva returned to graduate school at mid-life for a Master of Public
Policy. Why this consummate professional pursued a different
direction in life says everything about her inquisitive mind. In her
early years, she had lectured in microbiology to medical students and
then taught Palestinian nurses in East Jerusalem for two years. She
embraced the opportunity to live in a variety of countries and was
also raising four children while globetrotting. . . .
Endangered Folks, Chimps, and Funa on the Brinks
Ikyereve Denen
©
Copyright 2022 by Ikyegeve Denen
|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
More
than a decade ago, fate took Haruna Bawa to his lifelong ambition.
The 56 year old longed for a more serene life that offered hope for
survival away from the fake fancies of Abuja, Nigeria the capital
city and centre of beureacracy. . . .
If That's How Winning Feels, I'd Rather Lose
Israa Abdelfatah
©
Copyright 2022 by
Israa Abdelfatah
|
 Photo by Iva Rajović on Unsplash |
He
was so lonely.
That was what the pig always thought of and how he always felt. Utter
loneliness and unavoidable solitude. It was not his fault though, he
thought to himself. It was not anybody’s fault. It was what it
was. He was born as ugly as a sin; his face was deformed, and his
hair was all dishevelled. . . .
The Foxes with Doggy-ears
Meenakshi Bhatt
©
Copyright 2022 by Meenakshi Bhatt
|
 Photo courtesy of Pexels. |
In
1959, in the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia,
the Russian geneticist Dmitri Belyaev started an experiment to
observe domestication in animals. Belyaev had worked with domestic
animals for many years and was interested in the process by which
wild animals could be tamed. . . .
Wawa's Divine Sign
Alexi Dinerstein
©
Copyright 2022 by Alexi Dinerstein

|

Photo
by Artturi
Jalli on Unsplash |
September 17th,
2018: my first day teaching at a Catholic High School. While for some
this occasion may have been a rudimentary occupational exercise, I
found myself in the midst of yet another professional predicament. . . .
The Friendly Neighborhood Doctor
Habib Zreik
©
Copyright 2022 by Habib Zreik

|
 Photo courtesy of Pexels. |
When
I think of our late neighbor Dr. Loshkajian, or Dr. Arteen as
we
knew him, the first image that comes to my mind is of him in a white
cotton loose undershirt, which manages to stretch even wider
than his round belly. . . .
Ha
Fredrick Hudgin
©
Copyright 2022 by Fredrick Hudgin

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
This
was a tough one to write. When I came home from Vietnam, I put all
the unhappy memories in a box at the back of my mind and sealed it
with mental tape, never to be opened again. But this story has
escaped many times. I still see Ha being driven away in that jeep.
. . .
More...
Dirt Roads and Calloused Hands
Robert Flournoy
©
Copyright
2022 by Robert Flournoy

|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
|
When
I was young, dirt roads were a silent witness to my life, their dusty
presence taken for granted, as were crawdads, mules, may pops, BB
guns and the whistle of a Bob White Quail. Where I came from
there were also gators, cotton mouths, bull frogs and dragon flies as
wide as a farmer's hand. . . .
I
find it awkward when someone says "thank you for your
service".
I usually mumble some thanks back, and with averted eyes, move
on.
These words almost always come from people who did not serve, and
while respectfully rendered, they make me squirm a little bit. I do
not know why. . . .
A Tragedy and a Blessing
Ohanya K'Otengo
©
Copyright 2022 by Ohaya K'Otengo

|
 Photo by David Clode on Unsplash |
I
was dead. That is the best way to describe the experience or
non-experience, now that I am writing after death or better, when
back to life.
When
I came to, and that's for lack of a better word, the best I could
remember was that I went somewhere but not on earth. I am sure that
for quite some time I was not around. Certainly not here. . . .
Gringos Estupidos
Edward Bogdan
©
Copyright 2022 by Edward Bogdan

|
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
Thirty,
single, and unhappy in San Francisco’s hippy society of the
‘70s, I set my sights on Latin America. My search for life’s
meaning led me to problems with La Policia south of the border. As a
‘gringo’ (derogatory Latino term for North Americans), I
was among those labeled both as ‘estupido’ (stupid), and
as easy marijuana-carrying targets. . . .
Moving Day
Darien Greene
©
Copyright 2022 by Darien Greene
|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
Shackled
and chained to another human being, inside a prisoner transport bus,
I can’t help but to notice the hushed talking of other
prisoners. Remembering the loud voices and tones of bravado about
finally leaving jail to go to prison, the night before. The night
before: is when the jail’s correctional officers let you know
that you’re being moved to state prison to commence your
sentence, so you have to pack up. . . .
How I learned the joys, wonder and misadventures of traveling from my parents
Leslee W. Kahler
©
Copyright 2022 by Leslee W. Kahler

|
 Leslee's backyard in Norway. Photo by the author. |
When
I was a little my father, who was an engineer took a job in Mobile,
Alabama building oil rigs a few months before hurricane Camille hit
on August 17, 1969. My parents decided to listen to the weather man
about the severity of the storm and to evacuate inland. We packed up
both family cars with our pets, clothes, photo albums, bedding and a
few select toys for my brother and I and we headed inland at a crawl.
By the time we had packed up and hit the road it was dark and it was
pouring rain as the first bands of rain hit the Gulf Coast. . . .
Get Your Comeuppance Here
Katharine Valentino
©
Copyright 2022 by Katharine Valentino

|
 Photo courtesy of Pexels. |
In
first grade, I read the entire first
chapter of Fun with Dick and Jane during the first reading session on
the first day. Within a week, I was up to "'See the big horses,'
said Jane" on page 50. Meanwhile, the other kids were stumbling
through “See it go up” on page 6. By the time they got to
“This is not fun” on page 9 the following week, I had
decided that what was not fun was reading in school. Reading in
school was boring. I had already learned to read by being read to
every night before being tucked into bed. . . .
An
Ode to Przemsyl
A Lyrical Prose Poem
Carl
Winderl
©
Copyright 2022 by Carl Winderl

|

Photo courtesy of the author. |
When
Humanity’s at Its Worst . . . . . . what evil can entail.
So,
I’m standing just outside the train station in the little town
of Przemsyl, Poland. ( pronounced: shemma-shuh )
Today. March 25th,
2022. One month and one day since Russia invaded Ukraine, while
atrocious and horrifying unimaginable acts of the invaders continue
to be too too fresh in the hearts and minds and on the retinas of
people all around the world. . . .
Getting to Know the Canon
Pamella Laird
©
Copyright 2022 by Pamella Laird
 |

|
Way
back in the Fifties, it was commonplace to hitchhike when on a
working holiday. In our case, my nurse friend Zala and I were in
England for more than two years, far from our native New Zealand. . . .
Scary Tale of a Lone Black Kid
Paul Onuh
©
Copyright 20221 by Paul Onuh

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
While
I walked down the sandy road from elementary school, all alone like a
stone cold loner at age seven. I looked straight in front of me,
dressed in a checkered brown and white shirt, pink short and white
socks. Still I could recall my brown rubber sandals and colorful bag,
right then. . . .
They Were Never Mine
Subhiksha Parthiban
©
Copyright 2022 by Subhiksha Parthiban

|
 Photo by Akram Huseyn on Unsplash |
I
feed them daily, they are there for my arrival. No such bond exists
between me and any human soul including my family. I am worried if
they are not there. Scared when they don’t be there for me. . . .
Devils of Speechless Creatures
Muthulakshmi
Muthukrishnan
©
Copyright 2022 by Muthulakshmi
Muthukrishnan

|
 Photo by Roger-Johansen on Pexels. |
Could
anyone of you give a think about nights without
sleep for
several years of your life, always put under the grip of a damaged
kidney(kidneys?) due to improper schedule of sleep? Yes,I have been
experiencing this phobia for the past ten years, fearing to meet the
dawn past five hours! . . .
Encounters of the Wild Kind
Eleanor Dorst
©
Copyright 2020 by Eleanor Dorst

|
 Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash |
This
happened some time ago when technology was not at its peak and social
media had yet to be invented.
As
the saying goes, ‘ I wish I had a camera to capture this
moment.’ This little tale goes out to you. . . .
Surrounded by Swirling Swallows:
The Animal Encounter of a Lifetime
Gavin Greenfield
©
Copyright 2022 by Gavin Greenfield

|
 Photo by Julian on Unsplash |
The era of discovery is
mostly over in the field of zoology. Long gone are the days when
intrepid adventurers could
discover
large and colorful animals every day simply by walking through
distant and remote lands previously unexplored by Western scientists. . . .
My Terrifying Encounter With a Black Cat at Night
Ikyereve Denen
©
Copyright 2022 by Ikyegeve Denen

|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
On
the first day of January every year was my birthday and I had a
yearly ritual of celebrating this day at my village which was 400
kilometers from the city center were I was working at, but
unfortunately I forgot about this ritual for the 2021 due majorly to
the fact that I had a visitor who was my childhood friend who was
based in the united states of America but had to come briefly for his
mothers funeral. . . .
"Fairy" Beetles
Janice Rider
©
Copyright 2022 by Janice Rider

|

Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
My
background is in zoology, conservation, and education. As a result, I
have spent a lot of time working with and being with animals. I have
worked at veterinary clinics and at the Calgary Zoo during spring and
summer breaks while attending university. . . .
Fierce Love
Lauren Stoker
©
Copyright 2022 byLauren StokerE

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
The last of the summer is ebbing, but it’s
still
warm, moist and green. A new storm is coming, they say. Sunshine
passes in and out of clouds, now illuminating, now veiling in shadow.
The contrasts are glorious.
And here I sit at my desk, looking
out instead of being
there. . . .
More...“Why
are you sat there crying again?” my
parents would turn to me and ask. It was the eighties and I was four
or five, sat watching the dreaded programmes involving
animals. Lassie, Littlest Hobo, Benji, etc, or even my Dad's
avid watching of animal documentaries, would just set me off into
floods of tears – even though nothing terrible had happened to
the animals!...
We
were paralleling history, slicing through placid ebony waters under a
moonless sky at seven knots just off the coast of Santa Barbara
County. But, not near the City of Santa Barbara, or its pier, or the
gaudy tee shirt tourist traps or bars, nor the University or the
offshore scourge, the brightly lit oil platforms, but miles away in
pitch darkness. We are on the very western edge of the county. It is
so remote here there are no inhabitants and no lights, albeit a
rotating beam every 30 seconds of Point Conception Light. . . .
Animal Control Took Care Of It
Barry Purcell
©
Copyright 2022 by Barry Purcell

|

Photo by Wilson Chen on Unsplash |
In
2007, I moved from Ireland to California in an attempt to save a
marriage. I suddenly found myself transplanted from a land of
permanent dampness and rolling green hills to a land of constantly
blaring sunshine, capricious earthquakes and dusty rocks as far as
the eye can see in every direction. . . .
Our Hideaway
Wanda Nelson
©
Copyright 2022 by Wanda Nelson

|
 Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash |
I
discovered him gnawing on a bright green blade of grass underneath
Mama’s white rose bush. Mama’s rose bush was my very own
special retreat from the scorching sun of sizzling summer days and
the place I carried my library books selected from the Bookmobile.
Sometimes I carried the paper dolls Mama cut from the grocery paper
sacks or I wore the nurses cap she made for me out of leftover school
notebook paper. Whether I became a princess from one of my library
books or pretended to be a nurse to my paper dolls given names and
colored hurriedly with broken crayons; this place was my domain.
I
was lying flat on my stomach as my blonde hair cascaded across my
freckled cheeks. Immediately, I became quite still as I had never
been this close to a grasshopper. . . .
The
OnÇa
Penelope Maclachlan
©
Copyright 2022 by Penelope Maclachlan

|
 |
Rosa’s
eyes blazed. Somebody probably warned me against putting my hand
between the bars of her cage. She was the first onça
I ever saw during my childhood in Brazil. She was nothing like our
cat at home, as she was twenty times bigger with huge jaws and feet. . . .
It
was a beautiful late spring evening, the fresh air freely entering
the living room window, while my
husband Simon
and I
were
getting ready for bed. I had just closed my book and was about to get
up from the sofa, stretching and yawning, when I saw the dog
immobilizing, his ears straight and his eyes attentive. . . .
In Kite Nation
Caroline Fynn
©
Copyright 2022 by Caroline Fynn

|
 Photo of Yogi. |
I
watched part of a documentary on reincarnation while sitting in a
waiting room in Colombo, Sri Lanka. I followed the English subtitles
and noticed how the subject was not presented as a possibility, but
as a given, portrayed as fact. Until the year 2016, I had lived for
three years in the south of the teardrop island. In this land, devotees to Buddhism hold an unshakeable faith in
reincarnation. I loved these people and respected their beliefs and
culture. Nevertheless, I thought the notion of rebirth to be
unrealistic. I paid no attention. Much the same as I would ignore
moon worship or an argument in favor of
a flat Earth. . . .
Just a Sip
Sara Todd-Stone
©
Copyright 2022 by Sara Todd-Stone

|
 Photo by the author. |
My
husband and I left it all. We had successful careers, lived in a
historic apartment downtown in a bustling city, walked to the local
co-op for our groceries. We were up and coming … yuppies. After a visit
to the mountains in North Carolina, we decided to take
the road less traveled; literally. We moved across the country to a
little old farmhouse at the end of a dirt road that backed up to 100
acres of old growth forest. We knew there would be work involved -
lots of it. But our naivety slapped us in the face when we got
there. . . .
More...
10
Critical Pieces Of Advice For All Our Future Sons And Daughters
Abdallahi Hamby
©
Copyright 2022 by Abdallahi Hamby
|
 Photo courtesy of Laura Garcia at Pexels. |
This
letter is for not only my future son(s) and
daughter(s) but for all of our future sons and daughters. For in
fact, the next generation is all of our responsibility and they will
be the ones to hold all of us in their hands. Your son might be my
daughter’s future husband or vice versa. Your daughter’s
decisions might be the ones to drastically influence my son. The
possibilities are endless and so are the ripples. . . .
My Real-Life
Story
Jeanne Marie Donnelly
©
Copyright 2022 by Jeanne Marie Donnally

|
 Photo (c) 2010 by Richard Loller |
The
two dates that changed my life were October 28th 2012 and December
8th, 2014.
This
story is about how these two dates intertwine. October 28th
2014 is the day hurricane Sandy hit New York. Prior to this, I never
thought much about natural disasters or their life-altering impact.
Life was great as the weather until that evening. . . .
More...
Robert Louis Stevenson and the Pearl Harbor That Didn't Happen
Gene J. Parola
©
Copyright 2022 by Gene J. Parola
|
 Photo courtesy of Ebay. |
The
photo is grainy, as most Honolulu newspaper photos were in 1941.
However, there is no mistaking the man and woman who stand in regal
finery, hands raised in the half wave that royalty seems to favor.
The
caption barks its message in capital letters: THE CROWN PRINCE AND
PRINCESS
KAIULANI GREET PILOTS
RECENTLY RETURNED FROM JAPAN’S SUCCESSFUL DECEMBER 7 AIR
ATTACK ON SAN DIEGO.
Unbelievable?
Of course. It never happened. . . .
The Olive Oil Thief
Salam Syagha
©
Copyright 2022 by Salam Syagha

|

Photo by ulleo courtesy of Pixabay. |
This
true story will definately lead us to think twice before we decide on our expectations. I hope you
enjoy it. . . .
More...
Charlie's Good Year
Valerie
Forde-Galvin
©
Copyright 2022 by Valerie Forde-Galvin

|

Drawing of Charlie by Valerie. |
They
say that relationships hold up the mirror and teach you something
about yourself. Well, Charlie did this and more. Charlie possessed
courage, style, and joie de vivre. Sufficient unto himself, Charlie
had chutzpah. And Charlie passed it on. Yes, Charlie came into my
life to remind me of who I am and who I could become.
. . .
Snowy
Amritha Sobrun-Maharaj
©
Copyright 2022 by Amritha Sobrun-Maharaj

|
 Photo by Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA at Pexels. |
I was a little girl,
in the 1950s, around five or six years of age I think, when I had my
first encounter with a snake. It changed my life forever. . . .
Swimming With The
World’s Biggest Sharks Before They Become Extinct
Jennie
Mae Ong
©
Copyright 2022 by Jennie Mae Ong

|
 Photo by Adiprayogo Liemena on Pexels. |
“Jump,
get in
the water” The spotter suddenly shouted. His excited voice
drove us all into a frenzy and we started jumping off the boat. Water
splashed everywhere as our dark heads bobbed in the water. Not
everyone can swim, but our life jackets were keeping us afloat. We
all bobbed around waiting excitedly for instructions, anticipation
filled the air. . . .
We
walk daily—Lily, Mandela, and me. When it was just Lily with
me, we would walk around the lake or take one of the paths that led
farther into the hills surrounding the lake. But Mandela is a small
dog, so when he’s with us, we walk through Jeanne’s
valley. . . .
The Black Sheep of the Family Walks Away
Kelly Maida
©
Copyright 2022 by Kelly Maida

|
 Photo of the author. |
HI,
it’s just me.
The
black sheep of the family! I’m back and I have something to
say. . . .
The Deer Survived
Lew Goddard
Edited by Anne Goddard
©
Copyright 2022 by Lew Goddard

|
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
|
The
old green John Deere D tractor was under my control in a field
belonging to my-brother-in-law who had married one of my sisters. I
was fifteen. Summer fallowing was a common practice wherein no crop
is grown and plant life is controlled by cultivation or chemicals
during a season when a crop might normally be grown. . . .
Where Does The Hare Go
Ellie S. Thomas
©
Copyright
2022 by Ellie S. Thomas

|

Photo courtesy of
Pixabay. |
There
were three small rabbits living next door and we wanted to see them.
No one knew how they got there or where the mother was but these
little fellows were making it all on their own. . . .
More...
I Was Here
Roger Barbee
©
Copyright 2022 by Roger Barbee

|

Photo courtesy of Pexels. |
Uncle
Foy was the youngest of the five children in my father's family. My
memories of him, his wife Mildred, and their two young daughters are
good ones even though events happened as they did. He was the uncle
who had a friend make my brother and me a small wire rack to use over
the campfires we built in our backyard. . . .
Where The Wild Things Are In Alaska
Valerie Winans
©
Copyright 2022 by Valerie Winans

|
 Photo property of the author. |
My
husband and I worked two seasons as campground hosts in Denali
National Park and Preserve in Alaska. It was like working in a zoo
where all the animals roamed free. Our first encounter was on our
very first day at Savage Campground. As campground hosts, we needed
to know what the area was all about before we could be much help to
visitors. . . .
Who Ruffled the Emu?
Desiree
Kendrick
©
Copyright 2021 by Desiree Kendrick

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
|
A
child’s memory is a precious thing. Even selective. It’s
innocent at times and devious when the situation calls for survival
of the fittest. We were a playmate trio, my younger siblings and I.
However, if you ask us to retell a story you may easily get three
different versions. I leave it to you to decide whose version is the
closest to the truth. . . .
When Giving Kindness Pays You Back
Kathryn Payne-Olson
©
Copyright 2022 by Kathryn Payne-Olson

|
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay. |
My
adorable little cavachon is the best judge of character. We live in a
huge community of 1,800 homes with walking trails, dog parks, gazebos
and baseball fields. He growls at grumpy people and wags his tail at
people who exude good energy. It’s true. . . .
I Walked with the Wind
Lew Goddard
©
Copyright 2021 by Lew Goddard

|
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
|
. . . .Many years
ago past midnight after a hot day in the western foot hills of the
Kettle River mountain range in northern Washington State it was
awesomely quiet. In fact the quiet was deafening in relation to the
place where my home is located. The moon was so bright that one could
have read a book with its light. Elevation was estimated three
thousand to four thousand feet above sea level according to the map. . . .
A Sleepover with Friends
Deon Matzen
©
Copyright 2021 by Deon Matzen

|

Photo
courtesy of Pixabay..
|
For
most of my life I have liked sleeping outdoors. I did it as a child
and still do it as an adult. My longest season of sleeping out came
when I lived on a farm in Redmond, Washington. Having just gotten a
new canvas wall tent in the ‘50s my sis and I managed to spend
almost five months continuous sleeping outdoors. Sleeping in a tent
is not my favorite as I like to wake and watch the stars, but it
allowed for us to sleep out even through misty rains that are common
to our area. . . .
And The Lions Laze
Anna G. Joujan
© Copyright 2022 by Anna G.
Joujan
|

Photo (c) 2001 by Richard Loller |
It is a sound unlike
any I have ever heard before, and a sound impossible to describe with
the written word. But once you have heard it, you can never forget
it. So my sleep has been sweet, lulled into slumber each night to the
soft and steady hum of the lions. . . .
The Pot of Gold
Pamella Laird
©
Copyright 2022 by Pamella Laird
 |

Photo courtesy of Pexels.
|
Myths
and legends about rainbows promise strange things. It matters not,
where in the world we are, we gaze in wonder at the colours arcing
between earth and sky. What do they mean, what causes this
magnificent spectacle? Is it really a sign from God that never again
will the world be flooded? . . .
********************************