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In Patagonia, we’d talked with Weasel and David about how to manage his return home. Weasel and Andy said that on return they were usually very tired. David said he sends the kids to the grandparents for a week to allow Weasel to reset. For the first two days, they would be alone, but he was on her clock. The next two, he went to the grandparents' and left her alone, so she had time to think and unwind. Then, she rejoined...

A black cat lay on the porch of 13 Bigelow Street. She yawned and stretched, then looked at the men milling about in the street. Some were armed with bats, chains, and tire irons. All were clearly spoiling for a fight. After another yawn, the cat got up and wandered into the house. She found Grace Bigelow in her sewing room and mewed at her. “Trouble brewing, eh,” Grace said, smiling at the cat, “Guess I should have a loo...

Love: According to literature, there are seven types of love. Love shared is not love divided. It is love multiplied. It was shortly after starting at Rocket Factory, that Sam and James had taken me [Kate] to The Dog [5k run] as it was nicknamed. They were intermittent attendees due to her study and work. During the pre-prizegiving drinks, Sam and James introduced me to the crowd, including Tom whom they casually knew. He...

I hope God isn't jealous. I look for you in everything I do. I see you in sunsets, Birds flying, Ducks, Arcade games, Tired faces. I hear you. In Eminem songs, In every middle finger, In Victoria's Secret, In Yankee Doodle parodies. Your laugh is a constant echo. I hope God isn't jealous. I talk to you more than I talk to Him. And when I do talk to Him It's either a spewing ball of rage, Cursing and blaming Your Name. Or...

Tomorrow is the day I see you. 370 days since the last time I saw your smile, Heard your laugh, Looked into your blue eyes. Only tomorrow will be so very different. Your eyes will be closed. A smile will no longer fall on your face. And your laugh Along with you, Will be gone. The shell of your body is what I get to say goodbye to. How do I face you? How do I look at a body that is so very clearly the one of my brother An...

After the CRJ landed in Santiago, I bid farewell to others including David and especially Terri who had decided that I was her little sister! But we knew that in a few weeks, we’d reconnect in Whistler and I quickly connected to my A350 for the long flight home. Andy had given me a spare Surface and I now had a Rapid Response logon. There were several emails I needed to answer so they could complete my onboarding. Once I...

Was it paranoia? Perhaps it was, as the train pulled away from the station which was a three-minute walk from Frazier Street maternity hospital, with the little bundle of joy she cradled, sat looking out of the window. Was she being observed? Somebody had been following her she was sure. A man who looked like he slept on the streets. A scruffy individual of no fixed abode. She didn’t like to stare straight at him. In fact...

Late at night When the world goes still And the darkness of the night Dares to creep into my soul I think of you -- Of all the words we said And all the laughs we shared Your sweet, imperfect heart Beats a rhythm only I can hear Guiding me to you Like a lost child in need of love. You wanted me to reach inside my screen And pull you into my arms But all I felt is the hard smoothness of glass And an aching deep inside that...

Earth slowly rouses from darkness to light; The first rays of dawn reach the horizon as Gathering clouds mask the sky; Low clouds form a gossamer cloak, Enshrouding a rainforest, dulling its vibrancy. Raindrops fall from clouds above, Showering tropical trees, flowers, and creatures of the earth, Gently bathing all that breathes below; The Autumnal shower nourishes this peaceful sanctuary. After some time the rain ceased,...

Liverpool Lime Street train station, nestled in the heart of the city, pulsed with an undercurrent that was felt rather than seen. A grandiose edifice of Victorian ambition, its arched roof and labyrinthine platforms masked an eldritch resonance that only the sensitive could perceive. By daylight, it was a bustling hub of transit, but as dusk descended, the station’s true nature unfurled in subtle, sinister whispers. Magg...

I know a quiet girl so shy, Head down, she rarely speaks. She fears the world around her— Anxiety's technique. ♡♡♡ Her salty tears shroud bright blue eyes, But no one sees her cry. The corner is her friend for now; She prays pain says, “Goodbye.” ♡♡♡ No hope in sight, her eyes snap shut; She dreams a little dream. Creating worlds where she'll belong— A rainbow-colored scheme. ♡♡♡ She'll dance on clouds and find her voice;...

The rickety old porch swing creaks under my weight as I rock myself gently to and fro. The sound comforts me as it rips harshly into the painful silence of the night. A nerve-numbing tingle spreading through me from the hard wooden slats reminds me of just how long the drive up here was. I shift uneasily, my hand wrapped protectively around the brass key that will unlock the door to a place that used to feel like home. I...

Victor's first act of survival was completed out of sight of his forever family. It must have happened sometime during the year or so he had been alive. But that history was lost in the mists of time. Puppy time is mistier than people's time. In any case, he was a stray. And he had been sent to the shelter to wonder what the whole thing was about. It was in the colorful days of October when he got lucky. His Boss-to-be ha...

She did this every year, so the call came as no surprise. In fact, I had been expecting it for the last few days. The only surprise was that it took so long. I was sitting with my wife having our coffee after dinner when the phone rang. As I got up to answer, my wife gave me a knowing glance but did not say a word. It was as if we both knew instinctively. “Hello.” I started into the phone, “Oh, hi Mom. Yeah, I’d been expe...

THE FOURTH OF JULY Did they know when they signed their names, declaring freedom from tyranny and the right to pursue happiness, that the women in their lives, the Africans who plowed their fields, the Natives whose land they occupied were listening and breathing the same air that summer day? Did they realize their ignorance when they rang the bell of liberty and heard the cannon roar in celebration that they were creatin...

How to make a cup of teaThere are two possible methods for doing this: first there is the kettle and tea bag method - my preferred method because I’m lazy, or the teapot and tea leaves method - I tend to only do this if I’ve got company or I just feel like loose leaf tea. The steps are quite similar though, so here we go. Ah, but I forgot to say: take your time, tea should never be rushed, it’s a labour of love. Here we g...

“David, is that you? Are you back?” she asked. There was no answer. It was a Red-tailed Hawk that had landed on a branch above. She had heard his wings flutter. She stared up now as she raised her arm, opened her palm, managed a smile and waved. A small celebration of being alive. “Are you after the berries on those brambles, Mr. Hawk?” she asked. Then she said “No, probably not. You’re a meat eater. Sorry if I insulted y...

She had the most beautiful profile, almost like a deer sniffing the wind, picking up the scent of gunpowder and tobacco and wondering from what direction the bullet might come. In the beginning he likened it to a natural instinct in him that made him want to chase her, and with the option of flight or fight, she almost always chose to run. He enjoyed the inventive games she seemed to play, making him work harder to track...