The Christmas Party

December 13, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

“Who would dress like that?!” Brad immediately regretted the outburst, but having just stepped into the warmth and wiping the wintry slush from his eyes, he was taken off guard. Loretta Vox stood, back to the doorway, a looming presence in black, save for the glitter of a tiara in her upswept hair and a […]

Hey Red!

December 11, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Bird Weekly challenge, sponsored by Our Eyes Open

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #124: embarrassing moments

December 7, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Assigned to teach Civics, a dry subject in itself, I looked for ways to keep the class engaged. One day we were examining the language of some bill or another (can’t remember which) and in order to break the painful disinterest, I decided to read it out loud in my best imitation of the Queen […]

Warrior Child

December 6, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

“I am Bwana! Wild woman of the Amazon!” This the declaration of my 5-year-old self, who left to her own devices, would wander the nearby woods for hours each day, living like a feral child. No idea where the “bwana” came from, and pretty sure I did not know what the Amazon was, but such […]

Too Close?

December 3, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge: closeup or macro.

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #123: warrior

November 30, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

That’s my warrior self. (Well, one of them.). Now tell me about yours. Looking forward to these responses. To participate, create a post and leave a link, or comment below. All welcome.

The Call That Never Happened

November 29, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

I called you.That one time.Poured my heart out…such despair. I called you.You weren’t there.Left a message –garbled wordsrushed to beatinevitable beep. Regret immediatethen panicineradicable the outpouring of a lonely heartfantasizing. I called you.You didn’t answer.You never called back. Thank you for that. *** This week, I challenged us to think about phone calls that changed […]

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #122: the phone call

November 23, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

“Do you have time to talk?” Sweet of her to ask, my 93-year-old mother. Of course I have time.“What’s up Mom?”“I’ve been thinking that before I die, I should call Karen. What do you think?” I draw a blank. “Who is Karen?”“Reg’s other daughter – she doesn’t know he was her Dad, and well, since […]

Intimacy without Boundaries

November 22, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

The thing about my mother and I is that the intimacy has not always been healthy. The roles have mostly been reversed from the first meltdown that I witnessed at age five to the second when I was just twelve and then again when I was fifteen. I don’t know where Mom went in those […]

Mourning Skies?

November 21, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Hammad Rais’ Weekend Sky.

Dear Child

I know a little girl,whose hair in ringletsfalls, unkempt from lackof brushing; who standswhen she should be sitting;who laughs with defiance whenchallenged, her dark eyes gleamingwith mischief; who holds her chin uphigh and stamps her feet, arms foldedin protest when she does not get her way. I see that little girl,have watched her play,with a […]

Re-de-fine-d

Ask me how I’m doingand I’ll say “fine”, notbecause I’m actually fine,but because “fine” is the onlysocially acceptable response. If I said that I have been lyinghere, for three hours now,willing my body to move,that would elicit unsolicitedadvice and tarnish my “fine”. I’d berate myself for breakingmy promise not to moan,knowing that complainingprovokes a compulsive […]