A.G.E's Joint

The sugar maple shrugged its shoulders against the night breeze, not caring at all. The midtown skyline splayed out behind it, projected light bouncing off the gathering clouds. Another couple sprawled on the grass, another small romance. It was like the others it had seen in the fifty years since it was planted. Couple either came together, or didn’t. To the tree life went on. Bart and Holly didn’t notice either. Their eyes locked on each other as the wooded edges of the park faded into the dimming light. As the temperature dropped, a sweater appeared out of a bag to fight the chill.   A piece of chivalry not unnoticed.   Empty Chinese food boxes piled next to her cane and across the cheap blanket kept in the trunk of the Lincoln for emergencies. An impromptu dinner on the ground qualified as a good emergency. Time paused. Nothing mattered except the moment they were in, foreign and scary to each of them in different ways.  Holly had been a preemie and...

He looks like a hero Standing behind me Crack in the mirror hides Fangs drawing innocence. A twist of fate brought him Saying he'll comfort and console In his strong arms An affair of unequals Exchanges of power And affection But never love. Vanished now into the mist Caged with his demons Leaving me cracked In the mirror image.

Eyes Looking Out from a Paneled background Sad and hopeful that An escape can be found From the evil world he sees In a home that looks wonderful Deceiving all that see the gilt cover He leaves tonight with his girlfriend Disappearing into the mist Leaving Mother speechless Grasping an image Of hopelessness Drunkenness Empty House  

It was a beautiful spot, way up the hillside with a view of the valley and river.   It was now in the hazy shade of winter.   My skin stung with blowing snow.   There was not going to be any digging until the storm subsided.  Nobody outside the family knew she was dead.   To everyone else, she had just taken off.   Back home to Omaha or wherever.   She didn’t have any other family we knew of, so there was no way to for anyone to disprove the claim.      But he knew.     It was his form of divorce.   Always in control, he had been the one who buried her up here.   What was he thinking, giving me this trinket?   It was Mom’s.   The information he would never tell the police, he left to me as he gasped his last in the infirmary.   I looked down at his shell and knew the worst was over.   I signed the cremation papers and said the ashes could be flushed in the sewer.   The German Storm T...

Hopeless romantic Says this is the one. Wrapped around her heart Just like the last one. The one who Took her daughter's virtue. Do they come With an owner’s manual ? No matter. This is truly the one. Just like the calm, Cool face of the river Asked her for a kiss .*