MY FAVORITE QUOTES
My Current WoW
My Granpa’s Dilemma
The night sky over Clell, Virginia, hung low with stars…
The Silence of Loneliness
Hank sat on the bank’s edge, fishing pole in one hand, a thick cigar in the other…
Betty’s Gift of Berries
By the time anyone heard Tom coming, it was already too late…
My Life in Ten Sentences
As my eighty-fifth birthday approaches..
Kindness and Determination
As the years accumulate, so do the values that steer a life…
Three Missing Teeth
The old man stared at the tools hanging on the rough-planked wall…
Popeye Is Dying
All four of my grandparents wrapped me in love as I grew into a young man…
Last Breath
In 2014, my wife and I boarded a plane and flew to London, England…
My Favorite Word
Did you know the average English-speaking adult wields a vocabulary of…
Loss and Consequences
Throughout our lives, each of us encounters loss…
Guest Missives
Just Get In The Car And Drive… by JoAnn
Murder Wholesale… by Frank Shortt
What’s Wrong With This Picture?… by Reese
Fudge, Fudge, Fudge!… by Cindy
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AS MY WORLD TURNS
CATS
Peace
I think a kitten’s sleep
is a form of prayer,
the soft pink nose
and pads of her feet,
the chin turned up to
reveal her white throat
the long tail wrapped
around her silver-gray body.
“Sleeping for storm,”
I’ve heard it called.
Outside may be war and famine
and unspeakable cruelties
But here and now
in this little body
is peace.
Foof, the Covid Kitten
I know he’s just
a fluff of dust in this vast universe,
but to me he’s so much more.
He came into my life
on a cold, dark day
when I was hollowed out by sorrow,
weary of the sad little rituals of my days,
sickened by the thought
of the thousands dying
for want of a little care.
My life was a dry, brittle shell
until my little cat leapt in
as if into a flowery meadow.
I love his velvety ears,
his amber eyes alight
with curiosity and mischief,
his black fur sleek as sealskin,
his prim white paws
that sneaked into my heart
until it was full to overflowing.
He can make a game of anything—
a random piece of ribbon,
an elusive dust bunny.
And oh his prodigious leaps
as he turns a half somersault in the air
in pursuit of his favorite toy!
And so he makes me laugh
in peals of sunlight.
Thus it is that joy can blossom
in the driest desert,
even the one in my heart.
Notes to Self
Please note:
This is your cat.
He’s lying on the white blanket
at the foot of your bed,
the morning sunlight shining
through his translucent ears
and glancing off the silver streak
on his side
in a way it never has before
and never will again.
Please note:
This is his pose.
His front paws are crossed,
left on top,
and his long tail curls slightly
around his back legs
in a way it never has before
and never will again.
Please note:
This is your life—
not tomorrow afternoon,
not even ten minutes ago:
NOW.
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