Ezine Archive

By the third step out the front door a growing bead of sweat gathered just above his eye.
It began its lazy journey downward, around the eyebrow, through the valleys of the cat’s claw and onto the soft skin of the cheek above the beard line.  By that time, other traveling beads joined it, a [...]

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He dragged his left foot behind him as if weighted down by an iron shoe.  The old man shuffled down the aisle.
In his arms, he carried a clipboard full of papers.  He approached the podium, set down his materials, paused, reached inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out [...]

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I turned into my parents’ driveway in Maryland and parked the car.  Before I could even step out and close the door, Mom flew out of the backyard, gesturing frantically.
“Your father had a breakdown,” she blurted. “Your brother took him to the hospital.  He’s on the sixth floor.  Go.  Go. You need to go [...]

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“Not my fault,” she said.      “Not my wood,” he answered.
“Joe didn’t do his part,” she added.
“Neither did Pat,” he tacked on.
What’s wrong with this picture
Finger-pointing has evolved from isolated instances to standard fare.
We have grown mentally fat.
I’m sick of it.
I doubt we would ever hear George Washington, Thomas Jefferson or Abe dishing out blame like [...]

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The boy’s eyes follow me around the room.
His thinly painted lips purse nary a hint of a smile, only a telling, a knowing far beyond his tender years—or maybe he does know, maybe he knows everything, staring out from the portrait with generations of patterns and sufferings pouring through him.

The mother next to him [...]

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“You cannot capture happiness no matter how hard you may chase after it.  Happiness is something that follows you.”The words of the old sage echoed in the young man’s heart, sounding a constant beat like the song that plays over and over without reprieve.
“What does that mean?” he asked himself. “Time to walk,” he continued, [...]

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I greeted her in the hallway with a gentle squeeze, that kind of hi-I’m-happy-to-see-you-and-have-no-idea-what-to-say embrace, as if words mattered anyway.
“You know?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “I’ve been praying for you everyday.”
She forced a smile and nodded before she turned into the salon.
When I made the appointment, they asked me at the front desk if I [...]

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“The last year of hard work has finally paid off,” he said. “Your delivery, presence, modulation—all of it work.  I’m proud of you.”
I beamed.
 
“Of course,” he continued. ”This is only regional theatre and there’s nothing wrong with that.  Many speakers make excellent money doing regional theatre.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, sensing a set up.
“Well, [...]

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The girl spun on her toe for the last time, stopped, flexed and took a bow
as the audience burst into applause.
She smiled, curtsied and ran offstage into the waiting arms of her
classmates.
“That was sooo fun.” they cooed and squealed.
Outside, a bevy of family and friends showered her with kisses and
congratulations.
“A perfect performance,” her mother praised. [...]

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The boy pushed his way through the brambles and scrambled up the embankment
that led to a bed of rocks.
Into the distance, as far as the eye could see, stretched two rails on top
of treated wood beams.
His favorite place, a place to dream, a place to explore and discover.
He knelt down and placed his ear on [...]

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