Blank pages fill me with terror.

Today I would like to talk about somethin' that none of us can escape from. It is time to address this most horrible plague that has been sent by the devil to plague us all. You all know what I am talkin' about. You see them everywhere. You see them in fast food restaurants. You run into them in stores. You hear them at school, you are beset by them at work, and you are SWAMPED by them whenevah you venture out onto the roads. Yes, you all know what I am talkin' about. Those wretched sinners o...

You called me beautiful. I said, "thank you," and chattered on like I had heard it before but inside I stopped and stared, uncomprehending. I was looking for signs of a lie or signs of a dream or waiting for you to realize you had made a mistake and take it back. But there was only you and you looked like you meant it. So I took your words and drew them to my breast like a blown glass rose cotton candy thin and cherished them as they breathed life into me. All the while chattering on as thoug...

Words dripped from your lips like honey sweet and shining glowing golden in the sun. I caught them on my tongue savoring them like ambrosia stolen from the gods while slowly my insides died and rotted away until nothing was left of me.

Over Under Loop Around and Through Wait… slow down! Which is the bunny? He goes under the shrub? I couldn’t see. What shrub? I don’t see a bunny. I don’t see a shrub. The bunny is the shrub? I don’t get it. Show me again? © EAO September 2006

_*Bordered in highway grey*_ It’s 1am. Time to go. Three girls with long hair and lots of luggage stuff the champagne jeep and pile in. Straight through Amarillo before changing drivers. We made good time. _*The color of sand and rock*_ Down to El Paso. Stop for the night and sleep in the car. It’s an oven and my hair catches in a hand-held fan. Side-trip to Juarez, the port-a-potty of the world. We get eleven catcalls an hour, strawberry ice cream, and dirty feet. _*With flashes of turquoise...

A woman sits in a circle of other women making thousands of tiny stitches with steady hands. Mint green trim on a white background surrounds flower printed octagons tipped with bright colors. Every triangle peak of every eight pointed star is secured with careful labor. The quilt serves faithfully until finally it outlasts the woman who made it because blankets don’t get cancer. They only fade as the edges grow worn. In time, when her four sons are grown, and the quilt has been stored away, h...

High round cheeks in a round face sit beneath bright pools of coffee, free of sugar and cream, that crinkle in happiness and narrow in a temper. One nose is scarred, another has a ring in it, and a third is straight and whole. An easy smile reveals mostly even teeth. The whole is crowned by dark, thick hair that turns silver with age, but doesn’t disappear. The variations are minor and the Cherokee eyes breed true. © EAO October 2006

The mistress counts lies like sheep - a masochistic cure for insomnia. Stringing them together like cheap rosary beads for twisted prayers that bring no comfort. Hail Desire, empty of reason, delusion is with me. Insidious art thou among emotions, and poison is the mesmeric fruit you offer. Tempting trap, beguiling dionaea, have mercy on me and leave me the strength to walk away. He swears he’s single. She’s his roommate. There’s no ring. Are you lying? Are you lying?Areyoulyingareyoulyingare...

Over Under Loop Around and Through Wait… slow down! Which is the bunny? Where does he go? I couldn’t see. What shrub? I don’t see a bunny. I don’t see a shrub. The bunny is the shrub? I don’t understand. Show me again? I still don’t see him. © EAO August 2006