“Will you play catch with me?” Krista asked, standing at the door to Joey’s bedroom. She was holding a softball and the glove Dad had bought her for her sixth birthday last month. “Not right now,” ten-year-old Joey said, rolling off his bed and grabbing his mitt. “Duncan and the others are waiting for me …
Don’t touch the rabbit! Grandma saidThe rabbit with the silver headTucked in a bag, to keep him clean,But he was lonely, I could see.I reach inside, I pat his cheek,Leaving behind a muddy streakGrandma pretended not to seeShe knew that Rabbit needed me Note: For Vivian Kirkfield’s contest: https://viviankirkfield.com/wp-comments-post.php Thank you for this opportunity! …
The old writer sat up in bed, surrounded by his loved ones. They were trying not to cry, even as silent tears streamed down every cheek, but he was smiling calmly. “Don’t be sad,” he said. “I am only going where everyone is headed, sooner or later. And I have had an extra lease on …
All his life, Todd had been taught not to cry. “Be a man!” His father urged. “Real men don’t cry.” He insisted upon it when Todd’s mother died. When they lost their house to bankruptcy. When Todd’s sister ran off with a no-good lowlife who abused and used her, then left her scrambling somewhere on …
“Marianna! Come and help me deliver this casserole to Grandma Smithers,” Marianna’s mother called from downstairs. “She is still recovering from a broken hip and it’s not convenient for her to get around. I promised to send her a casserole for dinner tonight, but I have a few more chores to finish up here, and …
Jenny took a deep breath before she entered the building. It had been a rough day at work, and she almost called in sick. But she knew that the local suicide helpline had very few workers, and lives probably depended on her showing up to volunteer that afternoon. “Hey Jenny!” Carol waved as Jenny nodded …
The Bread Man walked among the animals of the forest, enjoying the fresh air and sunlight. Just then, he saw a rabbit, leaning against a tree. “What’s wrong, Rabbit?” The Bread Man asked. “I have been hunting for berries and nuts to eat, but this time of year, there aren’t enough,” Rabbit said. “And I …
Penelope was standing at the coffee bar, bored. No one was in the shop, and as she was not allowed to use her cell phone when she worked, there was nothing to entertain her. “Go clean up,” her manager, Steve, said, when he saw Penelope nodding off against the counter. Penelope dragged her feet to …
“Please Daddy! Please Daddy, may we have a kitty?” My youngest, Abigail, begged as her older sisters folded their hands and looked at me with their best puppy eyes. I had heard this plea from one of the three girls for too long and I was growing tired of it. “Look, girls,” I said. “I …
She hated. He loved. She healed.
