A rat is munching away at my heart. His miniature rat teeth are reasonably sharp If he takes tiny bites I don’t feel it quite, Until all of the nerves he’s managed to bare Will finally protest, when they touch the air And feel like it’s acid, or fire or lye. What has changed for you? *Nothing. Nothing has changed. I love you today like I loved you yesterday. I cannot even imagine anything that would make me feel right about not loving you.* There is a tone in your voice that was not there las...

Light. Violet yellow light. Sound. Water tumbling over rocks, and a gentle stirring high in the trees. Smells. The musty, bright smell of fresh moss, clean compost, fir and cedar. As I open my eyes I realize that I am home. Oh not the kind of home that is full of stuff, and has couches and televisions and windows. The kind of home that feels comfortable because there is no time to rush you about. The kind of home that is not warm because of central heating, but because you have to work just ...

Who, Me? A Writer? Riiight! In the beginning, there were books. There were books of all kinds, but mostly those of the scifi/fantasy genre. These books were my friends. They kept me company and nurtured me, they helped me learn and grow. They protected me. I needed a lot of protection in the beginning; protection from mean children and the hurtful words a mother can say. Protection from my sisters, protection from myself. I was an only son, and I lived with four sisters and my mother. My fath...

The Teacher She was four feet eight inches tall, with red hair and fire in her eyes. When I first saw her I was late for my first day at a new school in a new town. I knew nobody, having moved 2000 miles about a month before. As I walked in everybody in the class turned to see who was late. This was devastating to an eighth grader who was hoping to make a good first impression. The look on Mrs. St.Claire's face would drop an elephant. She was small but she radiated power. I just knew this was...

Monkey Christmas He was 18” tall when he wasn’t wearing his combat boots, and weighed about a pound in his skivvies. He wore a white open faced motorcycle helmet or a black beret on his head. His clothes were the fatigue green of the US Air Force working uniform, with airman second class insignia on the sleeves, and his name, Oogles, on his left breast. He had never seen action and had yet to earn any medals, but he was equipped with his own .38 revolver fully loaded with ‘Super Bang” caps, a...

Moment of Clarity By John Knudsen I don’t know how I got here even though I remember everything that’s happened. I’m cowering under garbage in an alley, using a dumpster to shield me from the wind. It’s cold and rainy, and I’m trying to stay dry under a pizza box from the dumpster. There were a couple half-eaten pieces of pizza and some crusts in the box too. I was hungry for the first time in weeks, so I ate. It hurt what’s left of my teeth to chew so I didn’t eat much. I never do eat much a...

There’s the lake now, two miles long and narrow enough that my ten year old daughter can throw a silver dollar across it. It curves off to the east as you follow it north and there’s a perfectly delightful trail going all the way around it. From my house to the park, around the lake and back home again is a five mile walk. My friend is meeting me at 8:15 and we should finish up about 9:30. I look at my watch as I cross the road and then a narrow stretch of grass to the trail. 8:08. Great, I’...

As I awoke Saturday morning my plans for the day unfolded in my mind. Awesome! Today was a day I’d been waiting for! My income tax refund had just come in and I’d planned on taking my two daughters, Kaitlyn-the-Thirty-Year-Old-Thirteen–Year-Old and Hailee-the-Youngest-of–Five to a play. We were to meet a friend of mine, Julie the Magnificent, and her two daughters Amber and Stephanie at 6:30 just before the play. I go to school full-time and only work part-time, and because I don’t get any c...

One obsessive-compulsive man or woman One co-dependant woman or man Alcohol beverages (any) Drugs (illegal or not) Preferred mixers (optional) Several different homes (the more the better) Several different jobs (the more the better) Relatives (disposable) Neighbors (disposable) Friends (disposable) One or more children Infinite amount of Denial Start by mixing the man and the woman in a bed, preferably not a marriage bed. Mix often and well, but not for the right reasons. Add alcohol beverag...

There comes a time in a man’s life when he must look back over the years and take ownership for his actions. Each of us has spent some time engaged in activities that are harmful to someone, and the ability to take responsibility for these actions is one sign of maturity. A recent development in modern science, however, has allowed me to avoid this difficult and sometimes painful task. That development has its roots in genetics. As I look at my past and wish to put my actions in a better lig...