Survival of the Fittest

Black clouds gathered overhead.  Thunder rumbled.  Lightning flashed in the distance. Noah checked the shipping manifest:  Crickets, seven pairs. Check. Ants, one pair. Check. Sheep, seven pairs. Check. Tyrannosaurus, one…

Waiting for Rainbows

Noah stood at the door of the ark and checked off the final animals on his list. Grasshoppers. Check. Anteaters. Check. Zebras. Check. Koalas. Check. Unicorns?  He looked up at…

The Orange Glow

At first, it looked like dawn on the far side of the world. Another morning stirring people from their sleep, full of the laughter and promise of a new day. …

Human, in Progress

Writing rarely comes easy for me, but I like putting what matters into words, whether profound or banal. Even the banal is not always as dull as it first seems. …

Out of Reach

Her skirt sways as she walks, and my heart falls into step with hers. Her perfume intoxicates me, leaving me quivering at her feet.  I ache to hold her close,…

I Don’t Want to Go There

“Mom, did Jeffrey Dahmer become a born-again Christian before he died?” asked Jonny.  “He said he did,” his mother answered.   “So he went to heaven?”  “If he became a believer,…

The Candles

I peer through the window at the dark house across the street.  “Hey, Honey, why does Mrs. Callum light candles in her window every night?”  My wife comes to my…

The Lesson

My sixth-grade teacher, Miss Lamb, humiliated me in class, and for years, I rehearsed what I’d say if I ever saw her again. Yesterday, while visiting the nursing home, I…

Dad’s Order

As I browse the menu at the Happy China restaurant, one entrée takes me back to my early teen years. Moo Goo Gai Pan. Oh my gosh, I remember that!…