The Kiss

A collection of short stories and an occasional poem

The Kiss
A short story, to brighten your day:"The Kiss"Sometimes, a kiss is just a kiss. This wasn’t one of those times. I’d ...

A Round of Robins
A Round of RobinsJanuary 6 - EpiphanyI put the nativity scene in storage until next year. The tree was so dry, it went out with ...

Orange Sky, Blue Hair
“I’d like to fall into that sky,” she said. Her head was on my shoulder as we watched the sun sink into the wa ...

Old Durham Road in the 1950s
Sarah grew up on Durham Road. It was an urban experiment sandwiched between two expansive strawberry fields. Old Man Muelle ...

Lap Dance at Lunch
I went to the library at lunch today to research grants. While there, a man sat down two seats from me. He held his bo ...

Birthday Fall Back
It is all planned out for me. All I have to do is go along for the ride. The drive into the resort is a divided boulevard lined ...

Cassie and Ryan
The early morning light struck Cassie full in the face from the eastern window. Squinting her eyes, she rolled her head toward t ...

In the Dog House
Corey ran to the office Monday morning. He couldn’t believe his luck in landing this job. He lied to get in the door, tell ...

Changed in the Twinkling of an Eye
But I am telling you this strange and wonderful secret; we shall not die, but we shall be given new bodies! It will all happen i ...

Dreamland
In the land of my dreams Life’s innocent and pureMy days are all sunny My paths are all sureNature is there  ...

Midnight Blue
The world was gold when I met you and sadness only flecks of blue.Now time has flown, and thoughts of you are flecks ...

Resorting to Murder
Bill has been cornered at the conference for writers. The anxious man handing him the script is sweating. Bill doesn't have the ...

1978
Bud was a looker. Tall with jet black hair and flashing blue eyes. Pam thought he looked like a druid. His hair fell in waves to ...

Satisfaction
I’m getting round as a barrel, she thought as she reached into the clear cellophane bag and took out a bite-size candy.&nb ...

The Monster in the Basement
Alice had heard every joke in the book, but today she felt like she really had fallen through the looking glass. Finding an alie ...

Walking the Labyrinth
When I walked the labyrinth, the first thing I did was try to think deep thoughts. I wanted, I yearned for, a knowing I’d ...

The train to forgetfulness
She leaned out of the train window and let the wind blow through her hair. Just how she had come to this place was a mystery, bu ...

Cat Nap
It’s raining on my windowHusband’s in bed asleepWith covers all piled on himExcept, of course, his feet. The ca ...

Lost Dreams
All of my dreams are goneCrushed by an angry tide that one time was youNow I’m alone and feeling blue How could you l ...

Morning Glory
I remember the dial toneHow I held that phoneHer voiceHe fellRebarImpaledDriving home, how it sunk in.I may not get to say goodb ...

'S in
‘S in me    ‘S in us         ‘S inexcusable&n ...

Moonlit Goodnight
The day sunk into the oceanPainting the sky with its goodbye.I didn't get to say goodbye. I listened for your voice on the ...

Summer Bird
I lay in my hammockIn the screened porchIn the excruciating heatWhen a hummingbird flewInto the screenAnd got his proboscisCaugh ...

Ted and Tina
I am a bartender. A man came into the bar last Tuesday night, it was rainy and messy outside, a quiet night for business. This m ...

Poems from a dark place
Poem One:That sorrow must be lived throughto produce one spirit trueseems cruel, sad, a bad jokewhen others carry no yoke.Depth ...

The Chair
The chair sat woodenly in the corner, chuckling at its own thoughts. Last night's party left it tired but not without a sense of ...

Stolen Gray
The tall man walked across the porch with a regular clomp, clomp, clomp. He stopped, turned, and again, clomp, clomp, clomp. He& ...

A Ho Hum Fairy Tale
Once upon a time, there was a princess who was very bored. She spent her days staring out of her window with her head in her han ...

Season's Song
When the sun shines through your windowpane Tracing new designs upon your floorRemember me and our good times again  K ...

When a Curse Ain't so Bad
Once upon a time, there was a magic frog Who lived in a miry bog, Waking each morning in a terrible fog, (due to the va ...

Brittle
I am dry. I think I will be brittle soon. I am letting my hair grow long, and I don’t want to color it. I want to sit on a ...

Camping
Pete had the car packed when Paula got home from work Friday. They piled into it and were in the middle of the stop-and-go traff ...

The Great Fall: An Irreverant Radio Segment
The Great Fall: an irreverent radio segment in one ActVoice of the Almighty: (booming) This is your last transfer, Lucifer, and ...

Chapter 34: A bruised sky
A bruised skyThe bruised and brooding sky outside my window reflected the mood of my soul. Working from home was a curse and a b ...