Insignificance Late in life I struggle against my insignificance When I should enjoy the freedom from performance before an audience. Applause is happiness but if they withhold applause, embarrassment. When Da Liu put me to work crunching hexagrams and spreadsheet numerology Instead of ghost writing his books about T’ai Chi for longevity I was humiliated but freed. No need to […]
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Cremation I’ve always believed in cremation; Flames bleach the world, unclutter living things. Let scum survivors, grasshoppers Leave cemeteries a mess Of living impulses dismembered. Not knowing fire’s totality But sickly honouring it stunting In tortured carbon stench. I’ve always believed in cremation Ever since I read of great skull mountains; Those potash handfuls are so clean […]
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AT A DISTANCE Gently rolling, runneled hills, Colored like a daffodil. Rivulets to ocean spill Under cloudy skies. Atmosphere of shrouding haze Rising from the surface waves, Where beneath lie ancient caves Never brought to light. Yet this sky’s a different hue From what we’re accustomed to B Yellow, not a trace of blue, Dares to […]
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Prophylactic Measures Like any doctor versed in patient care, the campus carry, gun rights advocate had listened to the PhD’s despair. For students now bear guns, while poised to get an education in philosophy. She heard with empathy the gal’s concern that arguing could spell catastrophe, should prickly issues make the passions churn in those who have another point of […]
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Rhoda, I can’t say why Amanda was picked and not Tiffany for anchor of our Nightly News. I interviewed both because Mr. Smith wanted a woman’s opinion. I honestly don’t know. I made a recommendation and sent it to Mr. Jones who sent it to Mr. Smith who made the final decision. I found little difference between the two. A day […]
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Stone Slate – By Melissa R. Mendelson They tell me that I am alive. If that were so, shouldn’t I breathe? Listen to your heart, and I’m stupid for listening once more. I don’t hear anything. Check your pulse. “I am checking,” I scream. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. How could they tell me what they tell me, and how could I […]
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FRANKFURT PIG (By Joseph Cavera) There once was a pig from Frankfurt, Who found he had grime on his shirt, He believed neither eye As he sullied a silk tie After spending a day, or two, in the dirt Now our dear friend had a quandry “How could such pure muck come upon me?” I can’t go wrong […]
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MY WORDS – By Elaine Nadal Inadequate fragments embedded with Ay, No puede ser, Sí se puede, Pura vida lacking punctuation misunderstood tirelessly running on and on syncopating along the way Lo tengo to’ pensao Pues a veces sometimes spontaneous problem-solving compassionate “Bendito, don’t you worry cariño.” creative making my own spice an unconventional lexicon embedded with made-up words feel […]
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Scorpion I touched a scorpion; it struck. It was my fault; I had been warned – But for one split second Its beauty-fascination wrenched me From reason’s ice. I don’t think anyone could find a scorpion ugly, They shine too. Writhing and smarting from the sting I lashed out, struck on something soft I could not see. […]
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THE LINT LIMERICK (By Joseph Cavera) There once was a swordsman named Link Who wore everything from light blue to pink He unsheathed his sword As he confronted a demon horde Who beat him with clubs in a wink Ganondorf was a man of Hyrule, Who one day, challenged link to a duel To the warriors surprise He […]
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