In the dim light at dawn, a hawk takes flight,
skimming the silken surface of a rain-soaked stream.
As the air stirs and jogs the dangling branches,
cast off leaves are launched, drifting
and gliding on a journey downstream. Continue reading “Tethered Imagination”
Month: May 2016
Once Upon a Time
“Trailer trash!” It’s what my mother used to say. People who spit on the sidewalk or threw trash out car windows were subject to such immediate judgment. So were those who neglected to say “Sir” and “Ma’am”. And those who talked loudly in the cinema. As well as those so crass as to mop up runny egg yolks with toast while eating in a public place. Continue reading “Trailer Trash”
Once there was a place where harmony reigned and everyone lived in peace. The hares were at peace with the hounds, the bears with the salmon, the egrets with the fish and so on. No one was hungry because there was no need to eat. No one fought because there was room for all to live comfortably. No one ruled because rules were unnecessary. All lived a peaceful existence without the need to know if what they felt was happiness or not. Continue reading “A Bit of Orange”
“You’re old! You’re not supposed to be old.”
The voice came from somewhere above me, its tone plaintive and confused. I was on my back in the grass. Wet grass at that, though I had no idea whether the moisture was from dew or a recent watering. In truth, I had no idea where I was. I slowly opened my eyes, brushing the dirt away from my lids as I did so. Continue reading “Revenant Town, Part 1”
“Nymph?” Mr. Jeffers leaned back in his chair and looked expectantly at me across the desk.
“What?” I asked. “Nymph what?”
“Nymph,” he said impatiently. “Do you think you’d be interested in a position as a nymph? I have a couple of listings here from The Aides of Artemis. No special qualifications required. Seems like one of them might suit your general lack of work experience.” Continue reading “Help Wanted”
Spring is the time when all the girls and boys in the squirrel community ready themselves for the chase. As the weather warms and the days become brighter, the girls get gussied up and swish those tails in invitation. The boys get revved. The pursuit is on. Continue reading “Mad Squirrel Falls for Love”
Squirrels are natural born storytellers. On nights when the moon is bright and the air is warm, the squirrels in the community will gather in the limbs of a large oak and listen to the tales of days gone by. Some nights there are stories of the Pygmy Tribe who are rumored to live in a tropical paradise where the cold of winter never intrudes. Some nights they tell of the Giant Grizzled Squirrel who is mighty enough to challenge a bear. Continue reading “Mad Squirrel Tries to Fly”
There once was a squirrel that lived in a beautiful old oak tree. Now this squirrel was a bit of a grumpy-gus who complained about everything all the time. Too many of those human creatures and their dogs walking around disturbing his peace. Too much work to run down the trunk and gather up the acorns on the ground. Those damn jays, making such a racket all the time. Continue reading “Mad Squirrel and the Red-Eyed Owl”
The man who met Manson sat down at the bar and ordered a scotch neat. He was a thin sort of man – thin build, thinning hair, thin lips. He left such an impression of thin that people would always say, “You know. That thin guy.” As if nothing else need be said. Indeed, no one had ever mentioned anything else that was memorable about him. Even his thinness faded from any given memory almost as soon as it took up residence. He was, apart from the thinness, completely nondescript. Continue reading “The Man Who Met Manson”
Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to our travel agency. How may we help you today?
Oh, I see. You’re interested in our moon tours, Lunar Odysseys as we like to call them. Here’s one of our brochures describing the current tours. As you can see, we have all sorts of themes and price ranges. How much were you planning to spend? Continue reading “Lunar Odysseys”
Karen Lee Kleis 