A shiver crept up my spine as we walked into the haunted graveyard. Although it was broad daylight, there was something existentially eerie about walking amongst the dead remains in concrete tombs. We had come to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but after enjoying the festive Krewe of Zulu parade earlier that morning, I’d gotten sucked into the tour after visiting Voodoo Authentica on Dumaine Street. “Come on,” my friend, Dian...

Relegated to passenger status as my love prefers to take the wheel, I peer out my window and gaze upon the clouds. They always have some fascinating story to tell. Some days I see bunnies and bears frolicking about in the sky. But sometimes, the clouds tell a more ominous tale as my imagination takes over. The Dragon’s Tail is an ongoing narrative that began years ago when I was a little girl, lying on the front lawn on a...

Walking along an abandoned beach I feel the cool grains of white sand, They seem to melt beneath my feet. I watch the ice-cold, rippling water Slowly wash away the shore. Bits of shells roll back and forth As the tide rushes in and out again. From time to time, the seagulls cry out, As if to say, “This is our home!” The sun shines yellow with a touch of red, But still is not yet overhead. The birds make faint shadows on t...

The orange-red horizon gains a purple hue As the sun is swallowed by the sea of deep blue The waves roll so gently they nearly look still As a gull overhead sounds a loud, mournful trill My soul feels empty, and my heart squeezes tight As the quiet afternoon transitions to night I sit and watch as the sky’s canvas fades As the terns and the sandpipers march their parades The chilly night air brings a dampness along As my...

After days of fog and overcast skies, the sun shines brightly today. The still-chilly air doesn’t bother the tourists, but I’m content to view the beach from my window. The water, so rough and wavy yesterday, is calm and serene to gaze at today. Occasionally a boat will pass by, adding little ripples to water that is otherwise as still as a lake. A little red-haired girl plays on the shore, searching for shells. As I watc...

“Have you chosen yet?” Warrick asked, curious as to his brother’s decision. “I have, yes,” answered Zarrack. “Yes, brother, but have you chosen wisely?” “That depends on your definition of wise, I suppose.” Zarrack paced pensively. He knew that his decision would not be a popular one, but he cared not what others thought. As the eldest, it was his choice to make, and if the other gods disagreed, well then, fuck them! On t...

Wisps of fog sweep over and ‘round The bridge that leads to Heaven So, stay the course and falter not, And keep your footing sturdy It’s not the stairway advertised In popular songs of old No climbing is involved, my friend You merely follow the path The mist will guide you through the day While stars light up the night No formal training is entailed No fight to earn admission Procedures required by mankind Are not the hi...

The pendulum swings back and forth as time ticks away. Every fifteen minutes its Westminster quarter chimes remind me that sleep is eluding me. Anxiety plagues me while I wait for a chime of a different sort, the first few whistling bars of Kesha’s “Crazy Kids,” which will put my heart at ease. When the phone finally sounds, it startles me. But I can finally breathe easy when I read the words, “Made it home safely. Love y...

Nails on a chalkboard The sound of his voice The extra day’s visit When given no choice The fog-laden air And lack of sunshine The cool winter breeze Causing my sister’s whine The quickly raised voices Insisting they’re right The misinformation That causes a fight The great indecision Which channel to choose? The card game we’re playing That I’ll likely lose It’s time to embrace While the clock chimes sound And say, “Happ...

Focus on the beauty, the geometrical phenomenon of frozen water in spectacular crystallized form. Each one appears different from the next and captivating to behold. And while these minuscule bits of ice appear white due to the diffuse reflection of the whole spectrum of light through each tiny facet, they are actually quite clear. As she sat staring out the window into the great expanse of snow, she allowed herself to dr...

Cotton candy clouds Above a sea of blue umbrellas Ripples dance across the water Specks of sand shine in the sun Fish fall prey to loons and gulls But outsmart the fishing rods Couples walk, and children play While music fills the humid air Afternoon breezes ease the heat As palm trees wave their fringe Chameleons scatter; crows caw Shadows grow long on the ground A look, a sigh, a smile A silly knowing glance This yard o...

The sand squishes between my toes as I descend into the warm gulf water. The cloudless sky and little fish swirling make me smile. I continue until I cannot touch the bottom and swim the rest of the way to the sand bar. Turning back to look at my home, I am grateful. I could have lost everything, but here she stands, undamaged by the vicious storm. I feel guilty as well—so many lost, so much destruction. But I remind myse...

Waking from my slumber, my eyes open Grateful darkness isn’t yet complete Staring out the window as despair creeps in While my vision skews the lights from the street. There was a time when things were much clearer A happier existence ere lights blurred A calmer, simpler time, and oh so sweet That stage of life before the dark occurred. Once all the sights before my eyes of blue Were awe-inspiring, lofty, and sublime But...

Lily Burke walked the beach every morning as long as it wasn’t raining cats and dogs. On the weekdays, she walked briskly to keep in shape. But on the weekends, she allowed herself to meander along the shoreline, looking for shells to add to her already overflowing collection. Sometimes she would find little treasures like a button or a hair clip. But on this particularly sunny morning, Lily spotted something that gleamed...

The impact was sudden and fierce. But the fear didn’t set in until I saw the vehicle that rear-ended me rolling toward me. “I’m not ready to die,” I prayed out loud. Then I closed my eyes and let faith wash over me. When I opened my eyes again, the silver SUV was inches from my door. Miraculously, it was standing on its side instead of on top of me. I released the breath I didn’t know I was holding and let fat tears roll...