I saw her again today, shifting effortlessly across the floor. I looked at her as if I hadn’t seen her everyday for the last five years. This woman was known to many but truly understood only by me. Her strength and beauty complimented each other.
This woman was recently involved in a long relationship that ended just as quickly as it started. She was officially single but still married. The process of separation had taken place and she was adjusting. I, on the other hand, have been single for quite some time now. The chance needs to be taken…my attraction to this woman has grown stronger with each passing day. And let it be known, that this attraction of mine is not just physical, but also mental. Talking with this woman stimulates every brain cell and satisfies my thirst for a listening ear.
You could just smell summer in the air. Boy and girls released sounds of joy. The lord of lords had blessed us with a truly exquisite day. It smelled of pine with a slight hint of dogwood. Everyone there was attending the Conference Championship game for my old high school. The game was almost over and our home team, “The Raider’s,” was about to lose by a five-point margin with less than a minute left. But we had the ball and were driving down the field. The stadium was packed with die-hard football fans hoping for a great game, but I was praying for a win. I stood, looked around, and admired the entire splendor that surrounded me. The sky was layered in dark blue clouds moving to the east. While dressed in a short set with a tee shirt and sandals, I noticed the clouds moving faster and the afternoon air changing. The wind was blowing a nasty storm in from the west and it was headed this way fast. The seemingly perfect day was quickly proving to be different. Then again, all of god’s days are perfect in his perfection. The noise lowered at the stadium when everyone started to feel tiny droplets of rain. We all knew we wouldn’t make it to our cars in time, and with a potentially exciting game coming to an end we all decided to stick the last few seconds out.
The fire raged on as onlookers grieved. They were all wondering how such a tragedy could happen. The stench of charred bodies was starting to overwhelm me. A single discarded cigarette had started this fire. I stood there befuddled in front of the building and counted my blessings. I was glad to have been one of the few that escaped. I could only think of the advice that man gave me that day…
I was walking down Tenth-Avenue on a gloomy Monday morning when I spotted a man exiting his car. I noticed his lights were on and yelled out,
“Hey buddy, your lights are on!”
He turned to the Lincoln, reached in the door and turned them off. He then said,
“Hold up a minute. I just want to thank ya for ya help. I had planned on being here for a while and it would’ve made my day really nasty if my car didn’t start when I got back. So in return for ya hospitality I’m going to give you some advice.”
Another day at the office he thought as he stepped onto the subway platform. He moseyed along the walkway unaware of his surroundings. A draft caught a piece of his battered overcoat so he wrapped himself tightly with the drawstring.
“Mr. Lon!” someone yelled. “How’s the weather up there?” the voice said in a teasing manner.
Yorz A. Lon, Ph.D. turned around and there was the same man that had met him at the gate for three years now. Come to think of it Yorz still couldn’t recall his name, just that he always had something to say about his six foot seven inch frame. Yorz shrugged him off and kept on walking. He wasn’t in the mood for jokes this morning. It was Tuesday for God’s sake; nobody is in a good mood on a Tuesday. Yorz stopped at the shoeshine booth to get a touch up. There was supposed to be a very important meeting today that he wasn’t looking forward to. He took a deep breath, sat still, and let old Charlie shine his designer shoes. Old Charlie was reliable and was there every day. Sometimes Yorz would stop, sometimes he wouldn’t. Either way, that fifty year old black man would be there waiting for someone to place a foot in front him. Charlie wasn’t much for conversation, with his lisp and all those crooked teeth, but he was a cheery fellow. Charlie finished his work and it was immaculate as usual. Yorz tipped Charlie handsomely and abandoned the chair. Yorz starts to walk off and Charlie speaks to him with a serious glare in his eye, “Those shoes are clean enough to die in.”
We had reached the end of the wood line and saw an opening ahead. The cherry recruit hurried forward trying to free himself of the thick undergrowth. Everyone else knew to not be so anxious, but we were glad we didn’t have to be walking through the undergrowth too. Just as he cleared about twenty feet into the opening he disappeared. We all looked at each other, befuddled, and moved forward swiftly. Once we got to his location we found that he had fallen into a Punji trap. We looked inside the hole and saw sharpened bamboo sticking up through his mangled body. For a short moment before his death, the cherry’s hand was extended and his eyes were cold and as morbidly focused as a crow, perched over prey. I was horrified and nearly regurgitated.
Just then a thunderously quick zip went past my ear and my radio guy fell. Then another hit my demolitions guy.
It took only a moment to dodge the bloodthirsty mob that gathered in the moonlight. Some fight had broken out between two road-raged, drivers. It had violently escalated into the streets outside of a local bar. In this small town, this type of action drew a sizable downtown audience. I, on the other hand, decided to steer clear of the mayhem. I wasn’t interested in observing…besides; I couldn’t have made my way through the crowd to see anyway. I fastened the top two buttons on my favorite starter jacket to block the nippy autumn breeze. My nose was runny and my hands were already numb. My feet were aching from a grueling twelve-hour shift at the chicken farm. I had walked this less than scenic route for three years now and it is as always. Nothing ever changes around this boring town. The traditional, eighty-year old general store is still standing beside the newly renovated police station and the town clock stopped working years ago.
Let me tell you what happened to me, you’re not going to believe this. So I’m at the bar with some friends treating myself to a few drinks like I normally do to unwind after a hard days work – when suddenly, a sweet smell lifted my head from my cognac. That’s when I heard those heel taps and saw her shifting effortlessly across the floor. Her silhouette held my attention with the strength of a rock climber’s grasp. She immediately struck me with a penetration that I had not encountered before. My pulse raced and I struggled to clear my head of unclean thoughts. This poisonous spider had spun her web perfectly, and I was caught in it as her prey.
In other news, the infamous Valley Villain, well known around the town of Hodge for his abduction’s and murder’s of helpless young men and women, is scheduled to be executed Thursday, June 22 at 6:15pm by lethal injection. He was convicted over three years ago and is now nearing the end of his dreaded reign. He horrified the town of Hodge for 16 months during this saga. He would abduct unsuspecting teenagers and tie them up in the basement of his home three miles from the town meat market where he worked. He would then decapitate them, and keep their heads for trophies. The police had an easy time catching and prosecuting him because he left his victims’ heads in his basement floating in jars. Gruesome as this crime seemed, all the people who knew Victor Valaho, the town butcher of Clean Cuts, a subsidiary of Labinnac Cuts, would describe him as a friendly and polite person that kept to himself. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death. Although he was prosecuted and sentenced easily, he never revealed the whereabouts of the bodies and they were never found. This disturbed many people and led to an extended investigation that never uncovered the bodies. Some people speculated that he ate his victims. Since he was the only butcher in town there was other speculation that we all ate them.
Few read my rants anyways so whatever. Let me begin by saying I don’t know it all or have everything figured out. As all the other intuitive souls on this planet I have opinions, ideas and solutions to problems of my own.
Today I have an opinion about the true nature of the relations between men and woman and their basic roles, within my limited understanding of course.
I just realized I ain’t young anymore. I find myself an aged man. My six pack turned into a keg, my eyesight has dimmed, my body won’t respond to my demands. I find myself napping midday and not caring about outside opinions.
I try to keep up with a fast world and I can if I want, it’s just that…I don’t want. Social media is a distraction to life and a crutch to many weak egos. I get tired of seeing folk pose in pictures of their backsides.
They say it’s a global pandemic out there today and that you should be afraid. A pandemic is defined as a disease that has spread around the world. A disease is defined as a disorder of structure or function to mankind or the like; a disorder, an abnormality that alters ones being, possibly to your demise. Although a certain mortal caution is advised in such situations, uncertainly can we still live in such perilous times? In my opinion, it’s all totally based on your frame of mind. There are many ways to perish, but can you escape your life’s conclusion; can you evade your end? Why even try?
Good morning to all those that crave sustenance from social media platforms. I greet you with a Merry Christmas and a heartfelt Happy Holidays. As you sort through your holiday morning’s, well wishes; juggling all the texts and phone calls, cleaning up gift-wrappings and nurturing the delicacies still under the fire. Maybe you’ve noticed my abstinence from this digital platform, maybe you haven’t. Nevertheless, here I am, confirming my continued existence and well being.
There is a voice that only wants to speak when no one is listening – the utterance of lonely things; a manifestation of an eternal yearning to be heard. And within this deep thing, this…fierce flaming fire, is a perfection of thought and expression unknown to the vacant ear. The greatest enlightenments are whispered by those that swim in deep, reflective, thought. We all suffer this burden at times. But is it truly about being heard or more so about NOT being alone?
Writing…a craft of the restless. It’s the routine of a distinct people; a people of thought and of the many voices unheard – the voices of a dogmatic diary of creative thought and diligent investigation. A meticulous undertaking to relay fixed ideas to all those who dare to indulge in the organization of letters on a page. A lonely craft; a hermits enchantment.
What makes a hero heroic? Are his selfless acts really worthy of our praise? The hero, in my opinion, only reminds us of our most basic of instincts…selfless love. In order to be called a hero one had to act to preserve life. It was his demonstration of true selfless love that gave him your respect and honor. Hero’s ultimately demonstrate the precedence of our most primary of instincts…to love unconditionally. It is the plight of the hero to act thoughtlessly and selflessly in the face of supreme peril only to preserve the life of another – no matter the person. This is, in my opinion, the ultimate portrayal of love. To sacrifice ones own life to act in favor of another person. Sadly, it’s always the coward who lives to tell the tale of how that hero got killed.
You cant want to give up until you’ve literally been stretched past your limits. Some of my pants can attest to that revelation. I’ve been there. Stretched past my limits. Seeing no relief. Hoping the tension of it all can just cut the circulation off in my life. If I can be transparent for a minute…at one time I wanted to leave this place. I wanted to die. The deepness of being strained to a point of depression, to a point of nearly no return, is unfathomable. I thought I was strong, confident, self-assured, disciplined, educated, and knowledgeable. These things are useless when life’s’ pressure is enough to crack a pipe. I was cracked and nearly broken until I found a piece of hope.
Let me “Rock with You,” for a minute. The words that I speak are, “All for You.” Now don’t you feel, “Special.” Sometimes we say, “I’m mad but not angry,” or “I’m disappointed but not upset.” Is there a difference? There is no such thing as a certain level of offense, either you’re offended or you aren’t. There is, however, such a thing as control. You’ve heard Janet’s album, so get some “Control.” Learn to control your emotions. Do not deny how you feel; your emotions are natural and are raw truth. Become expert at identifying your emotions. Then harness how you feel and proceed to learn from it in order to grow. The epitome of this action is when you realize that all of the things you get “upset” or better put “offended” about, are all out of your control; hence no need for you to get upset anyway. It “Doesn’t Really Matter.”
I’ve often wondered what my life’s purpose was my whole life. Hell…I still wonder, not unlike so many of you. The journey to discovering ones path must begin with discovering ones self. Personal discovery is so freeing…so enlightening. It’s always amazing to find out new things about ones self. I am a bit hesitant to share a fairly new discovery that I’ve recently made about myself. New, meaning, within the last year. My recent discovery has shed such undeniably radiant light on so many things that the truth of it is hard to ignore. It has been humbling and has mapped a new course for my personal development.
Have you ever been Dis’d by a wordsmith? Well hold on, because I’m about to Dis you. What I mean is, have you ever felt Disrespected? I know you Dislike it when a friend named Disaster strikes at the most Displeasing of times. Yet Despite it all you should Dispel your Displeasure with them. Discouraging right? Personally, I get tired of people’s Dishonesty. They tend to be Disloyal – Displaying some highly Destructive Dysfunctions. They are, at times, Distant, Disengaged…Disingenuous. Dishonoring themselves with their apparent Displays of Dysfunction.
I am sorry. I must confess…this blurb is not what you were expecting. I tricked you. I played with your mind; you were hoodwinked, bamboozled, lead astray. What did you expect from a wordsmith? I took advantage of your curiosity and it was too easy. Umm huh, you were looking for scandal weren’t you? You won’t find it here. It’s a crying shame that I had to put a suggestive title like this one, just to get your attention.
I woke to the sound of the Jump-Master, “Wake up soldier we’re getting close.” It was around dusk and we were scheduled to do a jump in Sicily. It was dark as devil’s eyes in that aircraft. The only thing I saw was the tiny red light that illuminated our confined space.
I see you sitting in this place stricken with grief. I see your tears and your restrained pain. I see you. I have not passed away, I have merely moved on – on to the next chapter in my existence. Try not to feel sad for I am in Elysium. I feel no more pain, no more suffering; I worry only for you. There’s no more strife here; no more hate, no more loneliness. We are one.
I had a work order in an apartment building early one morning. I did as I normally do in these situations and take care of things outside before I come to the door. It helps things go more smoothly. So I am knocking on the door to make contact with the customer. Well a wiry looking face with glasses and a weary weave, pokes from behind the door with sleep in her eyes. The face looks at me and turns and screams the cable guy is here, then opens the door. Continue reading “An Encounter with a Dysfunctional Family.”→
I remember a job I did a while back. I was just supposed to install some internet. Well this old lady Rose in her red pajamas and her neighbor Ann were in the house when I arrived. They started drilling me with questions as soon as I crossed the threshold of the door. Continue reading “A Happy Red Rose”→
Today I had an install for a couple living inside a house separated into individual rooms-for-rent. From what I understood they had been waiting on cable for several months. That’s a long time. They already had the box, all they needed was an outlet/line ran. Continue reading “Change in a Bucket”→
So I’m there to swap a box right. Ms. 307 start going at me about how hard it is to raise 3 kids alone. How she don’t know anybody around here. I’m hip to game though. Didn’t let her get to asking me to be her friend. Hurried up and mentioned how hard it is for me to provide for my Wife and Kids. Shut her smooth down. She got real open about her life after that…but I made haste. Gotta go track down them dollars. Continue reading “307 tried to get at me!”→
SILENCE…and brace yourself. Cause what I’m about to tell you is true. I’m a Cable Guy. Yeah, the guy that gets your TV,Internet and Phone services up and running. It pays alright, but the experiences are priceless. Some of yawl can’t operate your daily functions without cable. It’s like an addiction you don’t want to shake. TV’s the worst addiction if you ask me. But hey what do I know. Continue reading “I come bearing gifts”→
Yes I’ve been gone. Disappeared from the writing world for some months now. As long as I’ve not disappeared from the living world. It’s been trying times and along with other types of suffering, my writing has suffered as well.
When I mention Hermit the Dog, of course I’m talking about me. I’ve been guilty, at times, of being quite a recluse, (and I’m not talking about a bloodsucking spider). Be it as it may, I am quite outgoing when I choose to be. I am what I loathe to reveal to you, as a highly sensitive person. Anywho…I’m out of the coffin, trying to evade the sun.
Cinique 