Writings

Writings
Miscellaneous Writings and Musings

Maelstrom

Maelstrom
A genie and her rock band

(Novel and Short Stories)

Steal Tomorrow

Steal Tomorrow
Murder, Mystery, First Love, and the End of the World

(Novel and Short Stories)

My Books and Stories

My Books and Stories
Where to Buy, Read, Download

55 - Bagpiper


He plays outside the Palacio hotel, the only Mexican bagpiper for miles around. He spurns all offers of a steady gig. He has everything he needs, especially when a tired young mother stops to listen, tears in her eyes, then hands her boy a dollar. "Give this to the nice man."

Tonight he is rich.










About Friday 55: Write a story in 55 words, then tell the G-Man!

Mockingbird


I pause on the riverbank 
and listen to the mockingbird.
A dull plumage is no liability 
for an imposter
whose gift for mimicry is his badge 
and claim to fame.

In the darkening twilight he riffs on:
cardinal
grackle
sparrow
squirrel
and even the humble duck.

Oh little feathered jazz man,
how I love your repertoire!

Life is made of moments such as this.

This Three Word Wednesday post is in honor of a feathered entertainer on the San Antonio River.

55 - You Can't Go Home Again

It wasn't the strange car in the driveway; I had expected that. And it wasn't the yellow paint, although it came as a surprise. The trees were bigger, but much as I imagined them. No, what surprised me about my childhood home was just how small it was! Or have I simply grown since then?











About Friday 55: Write a story in 55 words, then tell the G-Man!

55 - Taco House

It wasn't much to look at: concrete floors, yellow walls, inexplicable disco music. But the corn tortillas were a miracle of softness and flavor. Now nothing else will do; no fancy restaurant with tablecloths and a specialty chef trained overseas, no over-hyped review can tempt them from the simple tasty charms of Eddie's Taco House.











Note: My husband and I love to go here when we are in San Antonio. When I first saw one of their corn tortillas, I thought for sure it was flour. OMG, so soft and tasty, unlike those cardboard ones you get at the store! Now I always order some to bring home with me.

About Friday 55: Write a story in 55 words, then tell the G-Man!

Love is War

Each interaction
is a game,
deadly competition.

We circle each other,
vigilant,
like feral creatures
looking for an opening,
a weakness,
a place in which
to sink one’s teeth
and hold on.

Who will break first,
look away,
let their ego be trampled?

I am vulnerable
but not helpless.
My weapon is my indifference,
because advantage goes
to the one who cares
the least.

And in this game
of slings and arrows
where nothing is what it seems,
I will bury my heart,
lift my chin,
and always play to win.

This is a Three Word Wednesday post, and not to be taken too seriously.

Mission Reach Adventure

On a sunny day, one begins this popular trail in the busy tourist section, where the chants of vendors and press of crowds make for a scene of happy chaos.











From here, we head into the peace of a nineteenth-century German neighborhood of stately homes and jasmine-covered gates. Trees cast their leafy branches over the path, creating the illusion of green caves and tunnels.











As we continue on, artist lofts and hipster bars come into sight, created out of dilapidated warehouses from the early years of the twentieth century.











Soon these give way to crumbling mills and factories, the humble homes of the working classes, and what was once an iffy neighborhood of crooks and broken windows.











Finally, a Spanish mission comes into view. We are at our destination.











Circling back toward downtown, we are grateful for the areas reseeded with native plants and visited by local birds and wildlife. Water cascades over rocks and riffles, and the open mouths of nearby flood control channels assure us that these pleasant places won't be soon washed away by erosion. Dotted here and there are parks, some new, others restored to their midcentury glory, and all of them busy with family picnics and active children waving jubilant fists in the air. Runners and cyclists zoom past, dog-walkers tug on leashes or get pulled along, and here and there a child casts a line into the water, learning how to fish.

Four miles and we are back in the thick of the tourist section again, eighteenth century limestone turning over to the steel and glass of the modern era.











But by having delved into the past and back again, we have seen what can be done when people put their minds toward creating a place for everyone to enjoy. We have reclaimed the land, but given it back to nature as well. In sum, we have demonstrated that in this world, there are indeed second acts and nothing is binding.

Created for Sunday Scribblings and The Sunday Whirl in honor of my recent trip to San Antonio, where recent river development has resulted in the wonderful Mission Reach trail.

55 - Pizza Time


Some people tell me they like their pizza cold,
but I say to them I'd rather eat green mold.
But here I am hungry; what am I to do?
Last night's remains; slices equal two.
No oven in my room; can't boil, nuke, or fry.
I have no way to heat pizza...
...or do I?











Write a story in 55 words, then tell the G-Man!

55 - Dessert for One

Oh, little bread pudding
prepared just for one,
who ever said calories
should not be fun?

If I ate many like you,
I'd soon weigh a ton,
but I know that won't happen;
weight gain I shun.

Tomorrow I'll wake early
and go out for a run,
and my dessert adventure
will officially be done.











Write a story in 55 words, then tell the G-Man!