Poetry

The years have thickened skin
But the heart remains fragile
Encased in stone
to wall off careless inflictors
It still longs
It still yearns
It still scans the horizon

Amid relentless battering
by profiteers of misery
Amid perpetual cries of hopelessness
from those who long to impose it
Amid the heralding of desperation and fear
The threadbare heart seeks shelter
in the age-old arms of faith, of love, of quiet

Is the assault too great?
Can solace be found?
Can the heart clock spin backward to a time of anticipation? …

Fiction

Jake and I grew up in the same blue-collar neighborhood. As kids, we rode bikes together, flew paper airplanes together, went fishing together. Basically, all the stuff kids typically do.

As these things usually go, when we got older, our interests became more diverse and different. I gravitated toward music and started playing guitar. Jake got into science.

I started a band.

Jake went off to college.

The years passed, and we lost touch.

I was playing a summer festival gig in New York when I looked out into the audience, and to my surprise, I saw my old pal…

Microfiction

Every hundred generations, a child is born with extraordinary abilities. Super-heroes, if they use their powers for good. Blessing or curse, I was one of those children.

The powers are great. I have the strength of five men, can run faster than a cheetah, and best of all, I can fly. But not all physical attributes are so super.

Once, I ate a bowl of pea soup. The resulting gas was not only super-stinky but super-powerful. I launched myself into the stratosphere and set off seismographs in five states.

The government called it a seismic anomaly. Right.

Based on the…

Humor

Dear Mr. Tumblebelly

I am writing in regards to your recent letter.

I understand your concern, but it is my strongly-held belief that eating our strawberry jam could not possibly be the cause of your dog turning into a cat.

Toastcoaters Delicious Jams contain only natural ingredients. The strawberry jam in question contains only strawberries, pure cane sugar, and lemon juice. None of the three ingredients is known to turn an animal from one species into another.

In fact, I have consulted with experts from the American Museum Of Natural History in New York, and they have assured me that…

Life

Almost every day, at random times, I hear the 12-year-old girl next door practice batting. Her aluminum bat makes a distinctive “ding” sound repeatedly as she hits baseballs into a net.

I suppose some neighbors would complain about the repetitive, somewhat annoying noise. But I think back to when I was a kid, practicing guitar for hours on end. I made the same noises over and over again. My parents never once complained or told me to stop.

I am 60 now and have played guitar for almost 50 years. It has been one of the greatest sources of joy in my life.

I am thankful my parents (and neighbors — I sometimes played too loud) didn’t complain or discourage me when I was learning.

Perhaps someday, that girl next door will play professional baseball.

And I will remember those “dings.”