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1960






   
Ezra Azra






 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Ezra Azra

Photo by Djembayz courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Djembayz courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

In 1960, the White Afrikaner undemocratic racist Nationalist Government of South Africa was at its cruelest against all non-White South Africans. That Government took over from the racist White British Empire authorities in 1948. . . .

Finding Redfish Lake





Jac Roberson

 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Jac Roberson


Photo of Redfish Lake Lodge courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo of Redfish Lake Lodge courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Traveling the vast western states has always been desirable and enjoyable for my family.  Just driving from one beautiful location to another makes any trip worthwhile. We were always on the lookout for the next trip's destination. Our family first visited Redfish Lake several years ago with our children while taking an extensive vacation from Austin, Texas. We always took summer trips to the mountains and the West to escape the heat and humidity. . . .

More...





A Leather Coat and a Shotgun





Roger Pagel

 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Roger Pagel



Photo by Anna Evans on Unsplash
Photo by Anna Evans on Unsplash
Image by Emilian Robert Vicol from Pixabay
Image by Emilian Robert Vicol from Pixabay

A child of a military man, I suppose so--that's me. We moved, 

like every three years--during my formative years,

whatever that is supposed to mean.

The Chaotic Mix of Love and Princesses





Subha Safayet Shizda

 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Subha Safayet Shizda



Photo courtesy of Ebay.
Photo courtesy of Ebay.

Growing up, I was always surrounded with dolls, toys, books, clothes, candy. I always had whatever I wanted right at my fingertips. I just had to say the word, and there it was. Anything and everything a child's heart could wish for. I was my parents' only child, and they wanted to give me the world, so walking into the house was like the entrance to a toy shop--huge, colorful, and filled to the brim with cars, Legos, plushies, dolls, kitchens, dollhouses, coloring books and whatnot. It was anything and everything a child could wish for.
Treasure in the Attic







Vivienne Holtzhausen



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Vivienne Holtzhausen
 

Photo by Karin Chantanaprayura: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-taking-a-bath-of-pet-cat-7224656/
Photo by Karin Chantanaprayura at Pexels.

We bought the farm when Andre retired. Our lifelong dream - a house in the countryside, mountain views, space for livestock and to grow our own fruit and vegetables. A bonus was that there was a large two bedroom cottage on the property which we could convert into a guest house to generate a small income.

The cottage was a bungalow with a low, pitched roof.  At the back of the building there was a door into the attic, about twelve feet above ground level. We tried every key we were given but none would open the door. . . .

More...





Conscripted

Ain't Having No More Fun




Jac Roberson

 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Jac Roberson


Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Everyone’s life is different. My life is one of those. I've had many great times in my life, primarily meeting and marrying my wife. We were married for almost 54 years when she died of heart failure. We adopted two children who gave us the greatest of pleasures. Three grandchildren added to those pleasures. Of course, many other things and people have added to the better times of my life.

Now, I want to disclose the worst time of my life, to let you know the many miseries it caused.  I was conscripted, more commonly called drafted, by the U.S. Army when I was twenty years old.

Nothing To Fear




Pamella Laird



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Pamella Laird

Image by Michael De Groot from Pixabay
Image by Michael De Groot from Pixabay

. . . . I was spread-eagled, face down on the dining room floor--but why? I looked at my watch, 2.14 am. It was dark and I was frozen. The last I recall was going through to the study to sit at my computer and finish a story that seemed anxious to be told. But that had been around 8 o'clock the previous evening, when even though it was getting late, I'd felt so well and full of energy. . . .

Travels With My Friend



Barbara Wood

 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Barbara Wood





Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo of Chris fooling around courtesy of the author.

My husband died, but dwelling on that is still painful. I was lucky to meet Chris, who is my travelling companion and he makes me laugh. He is a little eccentric. I think he was born in the wrong era as he likes everything that's old: old films, old books, old furniture, old hotels. I like old, characterful hotels too, but I always have to check the star rating before he books as the days when I didn't mind 'roughing it' are long gone. . . .

Spot The Gorilla






   
Ezra Azra






 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Ezra Azra

Photo by Charles J. Sharp at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Charles J. Sharp at Wikimedia Commons.

In 2023 a travelling Circus Company resurrected itself after an absence of six years.

During those dormant years the Company had been reconstituted into being the world's largest Circus free of animal acts. It was,,
 probably, also the world's first commercial Circus ever to be free of animal acts. . . .

The Breadwinner



Barbara Wood

 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Barbara Wood

Image by Waseem Ali from Pixabay
Image by Waseem Ali from Pixabay

The Breadwinner was my father who died in 1988. A few of the anecdotes from his early life were told to me by Dad himself, but most came from my aunties who all loved him very much. They told me 'Fred was special', but I already knew that. . . .

A Journey Of Hope And Gratitude



Swabrah Nabuuma

 
© Copyright 2025 by Swabrah Nabuuma



Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich at Pexels.
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich at Pexels.

Swabie is an accomplished graphic designer and a journalist based in Kampala City in Uganda. Born and raised in the vibrant city of Kyazanga Lwengo, Swabie developed an early passion for creativity. She attended the university of Islamic university in Uganda where I purchased a degree in mass communication. Specializing in graphic designing and anchoring, where she honed her skills in both traditional and digital forms. . . .

The Visitors



Frank Wiener


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Frank Wiener




Photo by James St. John at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by James St. John at Wikimedia Commons.

The deer who visit me never announce their arrival in advance. Approaching silently in an otherwise noisy, invasive, and discordant world, they seem to arrive out of the clear blue, acting as if our bird feeder serves as their personal drive-up, fast-food window. From where do they come? What dangerous and deadly roads have they crossed to reach my backyard? . . .

Triskaidekaphobia






   
Ezra Azra






 
(C) Copyright 2025 by Ezra Azra

Photo by aleksandar-cvetanovic at Pexels -605352-1425099
Photo by aleksandar-cvetanovic at Pexels 

Triskaidekaphobia is the name of the traditional fear of the number thirteen.

This is a fear that is found in persons world wide, from pre-Christian times to the present. In these times of advanced rational Science in high civilizations, it is still easy to find modern buildings that skip the number thirteen in the numbering of rooms, and entire floors of rooms. . . .

What Is Buried Beneath The Scattered Remains






Kelly Maida



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Kelly Maida

Photo by patrick-nizan-115343504-29518294 at Pexels.
Photo by patrick-nizan at Pexels

I was 17 years old. Filled with life. I loved to dance. In fact I used to take dance lessons as a child. I would constantly turn on the music and dance and swirl around . I felt my life was full of possibilities. I have always had a vivid imagination. I used to be a very trusting person.  Our whole world can change in the blink of an eye. . . .

Call Me By My Name



Oluwaferanmi Fadayomi





 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Oluwaferanmi Fadayomi




Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@markuswinkler?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Markus Winkler</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-scrabble-type-block-spelling-the-word-pedunym-1j08B8VVx6g?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

"O-lu. . .O-loo. . .Oluwaf. . .The teacher's voice echoed hesitantly in the classroom. My heart pounded and my hands shook. I raised my hand before they could finish, before my name became unrecognizable. "It's Farrah" I muttered, trying to keep my voice stable, sealing away the name my mother gave me. . . .

Together We Can



Manisha Sharma


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Manisha Sharma




Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

The morning air carried a cool promise of spring as I joined a group of volunteers at the Meadoway for an Earth Day cleanup event organized by the TRCA (Toronto and Region Conservation Authority).  Meadoway is Toronto's ambitious urban green corridor, a beautiful stretch of green space in the city where wildflowers grow, bees buzz, and you can hear birds sing instead of traffic.  . . .

Faithfulness



Alicia Ransom


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Alicia Ransom



Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/schwoaze-4023294/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3318040">Sabine</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3318040">Pixabay</a>
Image by Sabine from Pixabay

It was a soft Alabama Spring, when the air and sunlight feel like the lightest cotton fluttering across your skin. My friends took me to their barn to make our plans to see the nesting Swans. We hid in the hayloft from Bill, the Swans' appointed guardian. . . .

The Frank Stockton Dilemma:  The Lady or The Tiger






Teddy Toofi Biney



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Teddy Yoofi Biney

 
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Short stories are not just supposed to be brief. They need to have intriguing titles, an excellent hook, and teach a moral or two--hough this isn't always necessary. Titles like "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings," "Hills Like White Elephants," "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," and "Twenty-six Men and a Girl" are excellent examples of memorable ones that stand out. . . .


Toxic Positivity in an Age of Positive Thinking and False Happiness






Teddy Toofi Biney



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Teddy Yoofi Biney

 
Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@vashchoi?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Vash Choi</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-close-up-of-a-statue-of-a-man-with-a-moustache-2QT9aOorQAQ?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>
Photo by Vash Choi on Unsplash

. . . .If you've watched the 2015 American animated movie Inside Out, you'll notice that it subtly addresses themes that are closely related to false or fake happiness and suppressed emotions. The protagonist, Riley Anderson, becomes emotionally mature only when she embraces the full range of her emotions or personalities--Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. . . .

Angels In Bloom






Kelly Maida



 
© Copyright 2025 by Kelly Maida


Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@javardh?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Javardh</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/shallow-focus-photography-of-white-feather-dropping-in-persons-hand-FL6rma2jePU?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>
 Photo by Javardh on Unsplash

There once was a beautiful home that looked like a witch's cottage. I almost missed out on this home . You see I was looking in a particular area. But sometimes in life fate steps in and lends us a hand. One day after looking at homes, my realtor showed me a home that just appeared on the market. I took one look at it and I knew right away I was interested. The events that happened next were extraordinary and forever life changing. . . .

What Goes Around Comes Around







Bheka Pierce

 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Bheka Pierce

 

Photo (c) 2025 by the author.
Photo (c) 2025 by the author.

In southern Africa, serving in the Peace Corps in Swaziland in the early 1970s, I found the love of my life, a Danish lass, whose outer and inner beauty were joined into one. We married, taught together in a bush school built by her father, took a walking tour up Africa, made it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, and eventually settled in Denmark, where we raised two children, and worked together at the Copenhagen International School for twenty years before ALS took her from us. . . .

More...






Four Animal Stories



Ishani Ganguly


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Ishani Ganguly




Photo courtesy of Bethany McCarter at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of Bethany McCarter at Wikimedia Commons.

When people speak of wild encounters, they often imagine roaring beasts, jungle trails, or eye-to-eye moments with danger. But some encounters are quieter. They pass like shadows across water, and yet they remain--deeply, permanently. I didn't go looking for dolphins that morning. I was simply present--and perhaps, that made all the difference. . . .

Memory - The Light Of Other Days
 


Eva Bell    


(c) Copyright 2025 by Eva Bell 

 

Photo by Charnette Howard on Unsplash
 Photo by Charnette Howard on Unsplash                       

In Charlotte Bronte's words "A memory without blot or contamination must be an exquisite treasure."

Most people treasure memories of happy events - marriages, birthdays, days of love and laughter, conjuring up emotions of events gone by. Many prefer to forget memories that are sad and bring tears to one's eyes. But sometimes we never realize the value of incidents until they become a memory. . . .

Monkey Business



Nimisha Ajaikumar


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Nimisha Ajaikumar



Photo by Tobias on Unsplash
Photo by Tobias on Unsplash

During the summer vacation of 2015, I temporarily left my Dubai school behind and returned home to Kochi, hoping to escape the scorching desert heat. My dad, always up for an adventure, decided we should take a family road trip to Thekkady, a forested town in Kerala's Idukki district. . . .


When Nature Attacks




George R. Frost


 


(c) Copyright 2025 by George R. Frost


Photo by Stefanos Nt on Unsplash.
Photo by Stefanos Nt on Unsplash.

When Nature attacks, we are usually the losers especially when we are facing a massive ferocious creature, but in my encounter, the creature was far from massive or all that ferocious, but it turned out make quiet an impression, nonetheless.

Spending my time, residing and wandering the redwood forests around the Russian River, my encounter with a truly wild animal occurred in the middle of Santa Rosa, California. . . .

Bitten



Sarah Hinson


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Sarah Hinson



Photo by Andreas Staver at Pexels.
Photo by Andreas Staver at Pexels.

. . . Sarah and her friends often went camping on the weekends.  They were young, recently graduated from high school, and the town they lived in provided little to do for people who were not yet of drinking age.  However, the high desert hills of Arizona provided a myriad of ways to get away and get lost.  There were back roads that would take you to other small mountain mining towns hundreds of miles away.  Sarah and her friends loved this one particular camping spot by a creek with a fire pit in the center of pine trees, that seemed to form a circle. . . .

Don't Sell The Ring Just Yet



Albert W. Caron, Jr.



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Albert W. Caron, Jr.



Photo by 21849078 on Pixabay.
Photo by 21849078 on Pixabay.

A simple gold band.  Given with unconditional love on our wedding day.  With a promise to care for one another in sickness and in health.  Until death do us part. Little did we know then, that our vows spoken years ago, would be taken literally years later. . . .

My Wife Says That I Am The Master Of The First Impression




Morf Morford
 



(c) Copyright 2025 by Morf Morford




Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

It is not a compliment.

One of the dimensions of marriage few of us consider is how much your partner reflects on one's identity, character and values.

My identity and character, apparently, at those memorable and irreplaceable "first" meetings, might be a little "too memorable". . . .

Elsie and Edith
Mother and Daughter Kangaroos


Deidre Williams


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Deidre Williams



Watercolor (c) 2025 by Deidre Williams.
Watercolor
(c) 2025 by Deidre Williams.

"You've got to be kidding me," I told myself, looking out through the screen door. Two furry shapes tottered in the morning sunlight. "Kangaroos? Here?"

I took a step onto the wood porch, dew cold seeping through my naked toes. "Hello there," I said softly, my own voice shaking with thrill. The larger one, dark brown back, white stomach, lifted her head and opened sleepy eyes to gaze at me. Her companion, a less rich grey, glanced around behind her leg. . . .

My Encounter With A Red Fox





Plamen Vasilev


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Plamen Vasilev



Photo by Mashin Rostislav at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Mashin Rostislav at Wikimedia Commons.


The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the dense underbrush of the forest near my home.

It was early autumn, a time when the leaves turned from vibrant green to a patchwork of fiery reds and oranges, carpeting the ground in a soft, crunchy layer. I often found solace in these woods, a refuge where I could escape the chaos of daily life and immerse myself in nature's beauty.

On that particular evening, however, I was about to have an encounter that would stay etched in my memory for years to come. . . .

More...






Raccoon Baby



Erika MacNeil


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Erika MacNeil



Photo by Chief Trent at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Chief Trent at Wikimedia Commons.

"Mom! The car door is open! They're inside! Quick!"

I blunder through layers of groggy sleep and manage to fumble open the tent zipper. Clawing my way out into the inky darkness lit only by a half moon, I stumble off the tarp, slick with pre-dawn dew.

I can hear them foraging through the contents of my car, and my stomach lurches as I picture the inevitable scene I'm about to enter, the lingering stench of rotting food and animal scat emanating from the driver's side of my ravaged SUV. . . .

Hwange



Roger Funston



 
(c) Copyright 2024 by Roger Funston



Photo by Per Arne Slotte at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Per Arne Slotte at Wikimedia Commons..

The radio crackles in a Zimbabwe language (Shona). Our driver and guide, Mayeso says, "A cheetah had been spotted by another guide. It's a ways from here. We'll have to drive quickly. Do you want to go?" Hell yes. So we race through the Hwange Forest Reserve on narrow dirt roads. . . .

More...




Obedience Training





Marcia Chang Vogl



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Marcia Chang Vogl



Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@olgaandreyanova?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Olga Andreyanova</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/golden-retriever-puppy-on-white-floor-XeOO8ir_YHs?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>
Photo by Olga Andreyanova at Unsplash.

I was the proud owner of a golden retriever named Goldie.  He came to us as a five-month-old puppy.  As he grew into an adult dog, taking him for walks was a challenge.  An eighty-five-pound woman is no match for an eighty-five-pound golden retriever who decides he wants to take her for a walk.  It does not matter which end of the leash you are on. . . .

What Is It With Squirrels?




Deon Matzen


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Deon Matzen
 

Photo by Christine Matthews at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Christine Matthews at Wikimedia Commons. 
Yes, what is with them? This type of event happens almost daily around the island where I live. I know that it isn’t limited to this area because I have seen it elsewhere as well.

Why do squirrels and chipmunks decide to cross the street just when I am driving by? Why do they turn around and try to go back instead of just crossing? Why do they turn around several times before I almost run over them? I am always afraid to look in the rear view mirror for fear it is now lying broken, or worse yet, thrashing wounded in the street.

Are they like dogs that chase cars and bite at the tires? Are they trying to bite my car tires?

Excerpt
From the Novel Wyatt Walcott © 2024 by Hal Howland


Hal Howland

 
(c) Copyright 2024 by Hal Howland




               Photo courtesy of Stockcake.
                                            Photo courtesy of Stockcake.

Great Falls, Virginia, 1951-2000

Eleanor Walcott reacted with predictable discomfort to any attempt to bring nature into the house. Indoor plants were rare, though Eleanor tried and failed many times to raise anemic little avocado trees on windowsills and in tabletop pots.

It figured, therefore, that in Wyatt Walcott's lifetime the family owned few pets. Typically, Eleanor and her daughter preferred cats and would nuzzle and eventually lament a succession of them, one or two at a time. The guys naturally leaned toward dogs (Wyatt's paternal grandfather had raised purebred Scottish terriers), but the women gently vetoed any suggestion to own one until 1962--by then Charlotte had moved out and married--when a family friend's gorgeous tan whippet bore a prizeworthy litter. . . .

To The Stranger At The Grocery Checkout Counter Who Showed Me Who I Am





Morf Morford

 



(c) Copyright 2025 by Morf Morford




Photo courtesy of Stockcake.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.

At 72, I have met a lot of strangers--some friendly, some menacing, and one or two that never emerged from sleep or maybe a coma--but they were my travel, or everyday life companions for a glistening moment or two. . . .

Among the Deer: Life in Canada



Lexi Simpson

Photos (c) 2025 by the author.
 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Lexi Simpson


Photo (c) 2025 by the author.Photo (c) 2025 by the author.

When I was seven years old my family made the move to a smaller, more rural town in western Canada.

Our house was settled right in front of a forest where people would frequently go walking or hiking, and the trails led deep into the woods and up to lookouts and other interesting areas.

Growing up here I've had quite a few encounters with wild animals. . . .

No Bad Days





Morf Morford

 



(c) Copyright 2025 by Morf Morford




Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.

A friend of mine had an adult daughter, about 25, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

And that, after her diagnosis, was her life philosophy - "No Bad Days".

I'm not the type to make proclamations or announcements like that.

But I would probably be a better person if I did. . . .

The Bear At Dusk

A True Wilderness Encounter In New Brunswick



Karen Pojasek


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Karen Pojasek



Photo by Mike Bender/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Mike Bender/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
at Wikimedia Commons.

The forest held its breath as we moved through the golden light of late afternoon, our boots whispering against the carpet of fallen leaves. I was seventeen that autumn, still new to the vast wilderness of New Brunswick, and every excursion with Michial, my host father, felt like stepping into another world. . . .

A Race Against Extinction



Rachel Ann Crafton


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Rachel Ann Crafton



Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/nickyduplessis28-13309835/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4405001">nickyduplessis28</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4405001">Pixabay</a>
Image by nickyduplessis28 from Pixabay

Rainforests stretched for miles. There were no deserts, there was only land covered in masses of greenery, in thick fields of vegetation. Then the cooling and drying came, vast tracts of lush life shrinking and shrinking. On these plains, long-legged, speedy predators stalk their prey. They race, a blur of gold and black, they jump with muscles coiled, and they tear with claws outstretched. Survival has won for them, and lost for their prey. . . .

Best In The World



Devin Meireles




(c) Copyright 2024 by Devin Meireles



Photo by Student News Agency at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Student News Agency at Wikimedia Commons.

. . .An extended family member begins the story. They tell a lot of stories, such is an islander trait, but this one stands out from the others. I listened closely as they told me about a time when the island was inconspicuous. A little wonderland that was discreet for so long. Distant from its mainland counterpart, and the rest of the world, it was compelled to make its own way. That’s the island way. . . .

Mouse Overboard



Marsha Porter


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Marsha Porter



Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/ralphs_fotos-1767157/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5090096">Ralph</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5090096">Pixabay</a>
Photo by Ralph at Pixabay.

It was a sunny summer morning with a gentle breeze to postpone our usual 100 degree heat. The beauty of my sparkling turquoise pool water vied with that of the cloudless blue sky above. As I went about my weekly pool shock treatment ritual, I was temporarily distracted by the gentle hum of a large dragonfly zooming over my pool. . . .

An Act Of Kindness


Dale Fehringer

(c) Copyright 2025 by Dale Fehringer

  

Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.


This is a story about baseball and about Willie Mays, one of baseball's greatest center fielders. It's also about kindness and faith in your fellow humans. It's going to take a little while to get to that second part, so I ask for your patience. I'll get there. . . .

Aftermath Dreams

October 1, 1985

    

Sarah Byron     


(c) Copyright 2025 byValerie Byron    


Photo of a Sarah.

Photo of Sarah courtesy of Valerie Byron..

Why do I allow myself to relive those times? The World War II years from 1939 to 1945 pale and are of no consequence compared to the shattering of my illusions, the ruin of trust, the loss of the man I idealized, his rejection, my despair. . . .

In The Mouse's House



Eudell Watts


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Eudell Watts



Photo by Steve at Unsplash.

I was blessed to spend the first twenty years and more working alongside and with my father. He was a commercial waste hauler. He taught me how to work. He taught me how to treat other people. He taught me honesty. Most importantly he was one thing a lot of my friends growing up did not have. He was there for me. . . .

The Day A Sea Snake Spared Me



Caroline Muiruri


 
(c) Copyright 2024 by Caroline Muiruri



Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

I enjoyed living in the Gazi Bay town, at the South Coast of Mombasa. The Swahili dishes, rich culture and proximity to the sea filled me with joy each day. While staying there, I decided to make a habit of taking a stroll each evening, right at sunset. The air in that coastal village always carried the scent of salt and mangroves. I used to stroll through a familiar route that cut across some green labyrinth of white mangrove.

One particular afternoon, I decided to take a different path. . . .


More...





Breaking Shards



Sandra Uche
Delumozie



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by 
Sandra Uche Delumozie



Photo by Michael Gill at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Michael Gill at Wikimedia Commons.

Ahmed's parting shot came soft-sounding, yet loud and raucous. "How can you break what is already broken?"--an adieu I held close to my heart. It niggled at my mind in a way that had me in my feelings, like the song Stranger by Simi, which I always played on repeat. As days crept into weeks, this adieu revealed itself to be the acme of memory. The last bastion of our star-crossed love. . . .

The Squirrel That Stole My Lunch



Subham Rai


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Subham Rai



Photo by Charles James Sharp at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Charles James Sharp at Wikimedia Commons.

October 2024 had me battered, a husk clawing for air after a grueling year. Work was a merciless churn--emails piling up like unpaid bills, a boss who'd shred my reports for sport, and an emotional drift that left me unmoored, staring at walls when the laptop finally dimmed.

I was drowning, but I'd always been too stubborn to sink completely. Emily, my sister, knew it. . . .

The Future Is Predictable





   
Ezra Azra






 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Ezra Azra


Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

. . . .I have never had a cat as a pet. For the first twenty-nine years of my life I had never seen a domestic cat. And so when I was six years old a peripatetic part-time fortune-teller predicted that sometime in my future a cat would save my life, all my family members at that table having a tea-break were skeptically and dismissively amused. . . .

An Observation On Baby Rabbits 
Leaving The Nest



Kelly Wionzek


 
(c) Copyright 2024 by Kelly Wionzek

Photo of baby cottontail courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo of baby cottontail courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Several days ago I had the privilege of stumbling upon a nest of baby cottontails. Although having fur, the ears were short and they were blind.

Leaving them be, only checking their progress occasionally, we verified that the mother was feeding them during the night by leaving twig patterns on the nest. Over the days, she seemed to leave the yard later and later in the morning until one day she did not leave at all. . . .

Letter To Vanessa

     

Sarah Byron 
   

(c) Copyright 2025 byValerie Byron    



Photo of a Sarah

Photo of Sarah 

 My late mother, Sarah Byron, was born in the East End of London in 1911.  Her stories and memoirs are colorful and richly embroidered with detail that I find amazing that she recalled so late in life.  Below is a "letter" - but more of a memoir - that she sent to my 13 year old daughter, Vanessa, in 1985. . . .

When The Gods Are Paying Attention







Bheka Pierce



 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Bheka Pierce
 

Image by beauty_of_nature from Pixabay
Image by beauty_of_nature from Pixabay

Did the driver of the oncoming SUV, an elderly man whose forehead barely cleared the steering wheel, see the little girl in her yellow dress and matching hair ribbons? He was coming at speed, perhaps hoping to beat the light a block beyond.

It was only by chance that I was here on the sidewalk in Copenhagen. Hard rain during the night had drowned my plan to mow the backyard. Instead, I cycled to the bank to get a hundred-dollar bill for each of my kids back in America. I'd tell them--as always--not to spend it all in one place. . . .

The Black Dress



Loukia Janavaras


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Loukia Janavaras


 
Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.
One of my favorite photos from childhood is of my mom and me in Corinth, Greece in the summer of 1971, the summer I turned two. She went back to Ancient Corinth, her hometown to see her dying mother my yiaya (grandma) Vasiliki who was in her late 70s and took me along so I could meet her for the first and last time. All the years I had seen this square photo with its crisp white border tightly sealed inside an acrylic photo cube, I never knew the secret it held. . . .

Guides In Gardens



Loukia Janavaras


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Loukia Janavaras


 
Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

After dropping off my husband Andrew at his work headquarters, I decided to drive the rental car to Central Park and check out the Japanese Garden. This was our first trip to San Mateo, California so I wanted to explore and had the luxury to do so on my husband's work trip. I felt grateful for such an experience. . . .


Winter Days Of Old

James L. Cowles

(c) Copyright 2025 by James L. Cowles

 

Photo by Josseph Downs on Unsplash
Photo by Josseph Downs on Unsplash


A special time, one of a kind, a long, long time ago
A real tree, lights, tinsel bright, outside, the fluffy snow
Days of youth, the truest truth, with the world aglow
Most of all, there was snow; beautiful, gorgeous snow. . . .




Dear Mr. Blu



Loukia Janavaras


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Loukia Janavaras


 
Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

How is it possible that you've been gone seven months? Seven months today, in fact. And every month on the anniversary I tell myself I am going to write you a letter. But the muse has not been with me of late. Well, that plus the little voice of reason in my head that says, you aren't really going to write a letter to him, are you? Come on, really?. . .

What's Happening?



Bonnie Crandall


 
(c) Copyright 2025 by Bonnie Crandall




Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/ronymichaud-647623/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=578897">rony michaud</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=578897">Pixabay</a>
Image by rony michaud from Pixabay
                         

What's happening? . . . Something weird. But what? . . . What do I do? . . . WHAT IS HAPPENING!

I had just returned home from leading a workshop and my PowerPoint overload was giving me a serious headache. So, I grabbed a bottle of over-the-counter pain meds and popped two into my mouth. A few minutes passed and I could feel the medication taking hold. But it wasn't what I expected! My eyes felt as like they were trying to push out of my head. My tongue was suddenly too big for my mouth. My throat was swelling, and breathing was becoming very stressful. I knew I was in trouble, but couldn't understand why! . . .

We Are Family




Karen Radford Treanor 

 

(c) Copyright 2025  by Karen Radford Treanor



Photo of the house on Elm Street courtesy of the author.
Photo of the house on Elm Street courtesy of the author.

"Family" is a fluid concept these days. Perhaps it always was, outside the confines of the conservative media.

An acquaintance recently became the father of an adorable and much-wanted baby girl. The event should be an occasion of congratulations and best wishes, and so it is, except for a sizeable majority who don't think he deserved the chance to be a parent, due to what they term his 'lifestyle' and 'ungodly behaviour'. . . .


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