Another day, the red sun risescrimson beams cut through the gloom, it’s hard to breath whendust blows in my eyes, lost particlesbut to sweeten the morningI escape to the old worldlong gone, somewhere out of reach. I claw back to the aroma of cinnamon buns—warm and stickytoilet paper, the garden in bloom, birdsong.Hoofing it across […]
The final bell rings, a signal another day of learning is over. I skip along the cobblestones passing old stone buildings, without a care in the word. At the end of road rests my house, where I open the front door. Darkness engulfs me as I weave through belted black pants, skirts and bulky purses, […]
Mist hovers above the surface of the waterlight creeping from the east, a golden pinky glowI cut the blade throughthe silence,a heightened awarenessof my insignificancedawn silhouetting the pines, the land around untouched. Time stands still, swallowing me wholemorning brightens dull untila breeze, hot and welcome carriesthe unmistakable scent of rain,while I paddle back across the […]
Most days I wake up early to watch my husband sleep. The morning sun filtering through the bedroom blinds highlights auburn streaks in his thinning brown hair. Although I want to run my fingertips through the ends, I don’t touch it. He’s calm. Peaceful. Content. His chest rises and falls. I allow my eyes to […]
It’s a dream come true to be on Dru Ann Love’s blog to celebrate Judy Penz Sheluk’s Larceny and Last Chances anthology. My short story, A Promise Kept, is included. Happy to introduce the characters, Jane and Ruby Footsteps pad along the hallway and into my bedroom. I try not to laugh, knowing what’s coming […]
In the stillness of the bathroom, my pulse pounds in my ears.I hold my breath to focus yetmy hands are sweaty,making it hard to take care of business. Afterward, I double check the lock on the door.Soft snores float along the hallway frombedrooms on the other side.Sweet dreams for my family, blissfully unaware,the next 180 […]
The moonlight casts the basement in an eerie glow. Back to the wall, I squat on the cement. The floorboards creak above, slow footsteps. A toilet flushes. I unbutton my jacket, flip my hair over my shoulders. Nothing to do but wait, wait, wait. Silence will come—it always does. I know these moments before a job well done. B & E, robbing the corner store, stealing cars in the rich side of town. Check, check, check. The clock strikes […]
She sits on top of a mountain, crossesher legs andbounces a free foot in the air, fields are barren in the valleybelow, skin cracked and brokenpot-bellied kids wail, a ferociousnessnot even a mother can stem. She blows hot air to the heavens,tossing the cloudsdrags painted fingernails across thescorched earth, gauging it like acheckerboard. Fat drops […]
It’s Friday night, late I boot up a DVD, so last centurythe screen flickers, a flash, memories caught in timeme, draped in white silk, toes squished into Jimmy Cho’s. you, that smile, a penguin, hands reaching out to mine.To love and cherish forever.When did the trouble begin? Not during takeoff, the airport, a honeymoon of […]
Writing mysteries and thrillers is a blast, yet there are times I love to play with words and ideas in different forms. This usually happens when facing plot holes that require rethinking or when a scene or a chapter is so tense that I need to step outside to take a breather. Welcome to a […]