They buried him on a day that dared to be beautiful. The sky was a tender blue. The sun showed up without apology, casting its light over everything like a blessing no one asked for. Birds sang. Somewhere, a child laughed. None of it touched her. She stood there, hands clenched around wilted stems, watching the earth open its mouth to take him. No breeze blew. No shadow shifted across her path. And yet she shivered. Becau...

The mule stood still in the morning hush, its ears twitching at the wind that moved in dry currents through the mesquite and creosote. There was a silence about the land that did not welcome voices, nor did it yield to memory without cost. The man moved slowly through it, burdened not just by age but by the weight of something far heavier than years. A weight shaped like absence. In the lean shade of the adobe wall, he cr...

I wish I could call heaven; Pick up the phone and hear your voice. Just to tell you all the things I keep hidden within my soul. I cannot be without you Nor can I live like this What do I have to do For you to take me in your arms And guide me away from here Into another time or another universe A sanctuary for us two. The world went to hell and back On the day you left the world. Though I have not known you long My heart...

Smooth jazz played low from the vintage jukebox in her office. She was typing up the last of her report from her last case when she heard the bell on the door chime. Blair Kierkessen looked up and saw with her so brown they were black eyes, a woman in a blue evening gown and white fur stole. Her brow furrowing her perfect line-less face. “Detective Kierkessen?” “That’s correct, how can I help you?” “My name is Zelda Chamb...

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...

Compassion, to him, came naturally He would consistently find empathy and humanity When circumstances were dire, he understood the gravity Rain, snow, or shine, he was there for his family Classic rock, motorcycles and adventures Sunday dinners, Christmas lights and scriptures Hockey, renovations and lectures He carries on in our hearts and pictures In times of strife, he constantly adapted Despite adversity, he never sta...

How can I say goodbye? How can I let you go? You have brought me comfort When I needed it most. Though I can never thank you Your legacy will live on Though you have gone away. I cannot help missing you I cannot stop the pain I feel Your voice still calls to me Each time I see your face. Fly high, my savior, Save the skies from woe While I await our reunion Whenever that may be.

I walk alone by crystal stream, Beneath a canopy of green, In hopes that I can find a place, To gaze up at the sky and dream. Can my heart find solace there Within the realm of Nature fair, Where Peace is found in such sweet space, So far from any human care. For in my heart a shadow lies, And in my soul, my true self cries. For without Love, all hope is lost, And our sad soul within us dies. Can even Nature bring back Li...

The Princess’ Grief Princess Artanna of Tan Kolar watched her mother sink to the ground and lie still. Litanus, the acolyte of her father who had done the deed, released the garotte from around the woman’s neck. He knelt and confirmed that she was dead. The Night Lord, Artanna’s father, began the rites to ensnare her mother’s spirit to empower his new pact. Realizing that the lich who held her was gone and the mental haze...

His simple question rocked her; hurt bubbling to the surface and etching itself on her face. Paul was alarmed he had spoilt their growing rapport. “I’m sorry, Sara. I didn’t mean to pry. Let’s talk about something else.” “No. It’s not your fault,” Sara replied, her smile watery, “It’s been a few months since my break-up, but I guess I am still a bit raw.” “I know what you mean by rawness. I’ve been separated longer, but s...

  Shock rushes through your very bones  To rise and fall like waves of a restless sea  Plunging your heart deep into the cavity of an abyss  Where all those go – that are amiss   You succumb to feeling numb  The present now out of place  No trace  No hint  Not a single glint  From what once felt so real   A tangible being  To touch  To smell  To hear  … Now you feel   As they persist to exist in your mind  You accept in v...

The Miami sun is a friend of mine. Dappling off the pool's surface in the early morning, the sun creates playful, refracted, writhing patterns on the surface. The rippling patterns shifting in size and shape bring me a little joy. I wait quietly, knowingly, for sunscreen-covered, bikini-clad teenage girls to fill the pool area with boys, giggles, and estrogen. Eventually, their parents will arrive with the day's heat. The...

“Letters”   I wrote you a love letter.But it burned before you could read it.There, in the warmth of the sunThat was in your eyesWhen you told me you loved me. I wrote you a love letter.But pieces were stolen in the windWhich kicked up to blow downThe bridge of words we triedTo use to reach each other. I wrote you a love letter.But it froze and wouldn’t thaw.It grew icicles as your shoulders – broad and strongRefused to t...

It was a slow melancholy song in Harry Turner’s head. Uncle Joe was dying. A sad refrain that reminded Harry of the man he knew. He was a man full of good humour, activity, kindness and love for his family. Now he was dying. The dirge plagued Harry’s mind. He had arrived home from university that morning to find his father in a less than happy frame of mind. “Your Uncle Joe’s unlikely to get better. Your mother has stayed...

In any relationship with another Should we seek to know the unvarnished truth; And if we did what would be the effect, On our feelings, even for a brother? Would the surface of our lives still be smooth Or would the disclosure of each defect In their character be so harrowing To create a rift beyond repairing? Wiser perhaps to gratefully accept That ignorance may be the better way, And some things should remain hidden fro...