Broken Toys

They tell us we are old
Discarded dolls that no one loves
Lost in the peeling paint
Mothballs of our dreams
And hollow wood
Rotted through to see the ages.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewb47/4582690638/

Once Upon a City Light

you owned the city lights

when I was once upon a time

a lost, devoted creature

mezmerized naively

by your glow.

 

shining in my imperfection

we touched hands and danced

the best way I knew how.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slaff/283107316/

Emory

We remember names

if we forget faces

the sounds of crying

echo past the tissues

strewn over the living room

and wadded up in shame

beneath the cushions.

 

We remember names

fall deep into the trap

of repetition

so we stay sane

a minute longer.

 

 

Help Animals with the Quillective Project

Some things parents cannot explain.  The simple questions asked by children are often the most profound of these.  I remember asking why humane societies had to kill animals they took in to save.  “There’s just not enough room,” never stuck with me as a good enough answer.  I often thought that they could do more and always felt it was barbaric.  For the longest time, I was not aware an alternative existed.  My friend, Amber Norrgard, was the first to tell me about no-kill shelters.

The idea really struck a chord with me.  I felt for the first time in supporting these I could do more than watching news broadcasts where animals were killed instead of helped.

The Quillective Project began as poetry collaboration between myself, Amber Norrgard, Rob Zimmermann and Scott Morgan.  I brought up the idea of using it to support a charity and Amber found the cause.  The plan was to create a book of our collected words to help a no-kill shelter in Dallas.  It is a cause I hope will catch on.  The proceeds may be going to one institution, but it will benefit all of them.

 I love animals and always have.  I helped rescued four cats last week and the value of life reminded why it is important, not just to this project, but to all charities that we strive for something better than the status quo. Every time a book is purchased it’s going to benefit the sponsored organization, Dog and Kitty City.

Please support our project and make a difference in the lives of the animals.

 

For more information, please visit:

www.QuillectiveProject.org

www.dognkittycity.org

“Like” on Facebook.com:

https://www.facebook.com/quillectiveproject?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Four-Paws-Project/314503625329757?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dog-and-Kitty-City/164827343550612?fref=ts

Follow on Twitter:

@quillective

@fourpawsproject

@Dallas_Humane

Cat & Rosa

Characters

CAT, ROSA

Setting

A small apartment in Berlin

(ROSA reclines on the sofa while CAT paces nervously.)

ROSA:  Think how much Germany could save if we simply got rid of all the undesirables.

CAT:  Isn’t that becoming a fine line, Rosa?

ROSA: Not at all.  There is a clear distinction between the worthless and those of value.

CAT: And what, pray tell, is that distinction?

ROSA: The worthless are clearly those living off the government’s dime.

CAT: People get injured, Rosa.  It is a fact of life.

ROSA:  Oh, but the true Germans would pay for it themselves.

CAT: What if true Germans could not afford to?  It is an age of inflation.

ROSA: They would die with honor.  That is true dedication to the Fatherland.

CAT: I think we differ on the notion of what is true.

ROSA: But we should not.  Truth is a construct.  We must resist the communist and Jewish influence, or have it become us.

CAT: Are communists and Jews really the worse alternative?

ROSA: Bite your tongue.

CAT: You would seek to murder or expel citizens simply out of monetary gain. There is more to life than money.

ROSA: There is not, when our enemies surround us.  Germany must devote her resources to the tanks and guns.

CAT: We’re becoming our own enemy, Rosa. Can’t you see?

ROSA: I see cowardice and it would do you well to talk a little less. (CAT starts packing her suitcase.) Where are you going?

CAT: I’m leaving this country, before more think like you.

No Vacancy

no vacancy
for broken hearts
no vacancy
for half truths
and empty promises
no vacancy
the lobby's closed
the lights turned off.

Sunscreen

I appreciate the sun

Its beautiful proximity

The light in dark places

Reflecting off the moon

Rising at dawn

Setting over water

Ending a romantic day.

I fear its end

Uncertainty at night

The cold breeze

Swept over burns

Memories of brightness

On a lonely night.

Photograph by National Geographic

Prompt by New World Creative Union's Wednesday Wake Up Call

The Zeppelin Chronicles is now Available

My new short, the Zeppelin Chronicles is now available. Check out this young adult adventure where three friends must hijack a magic zeppelin and stop the Holocaust.

Available on Kindle and Smashwords