I know I’m capable of finishing this bottle of wine
And watching the candle burn down to a nub
And fizzle out.
Fire has always fascinated me
I could bathe in it
I’d be happily consumed.
Red wine, cold outside
candle light, a warm, sleeping dog
comfort radiates inward.
The Just Jot It January rules and other posts can be found here: https://lindaghill.com/2017/01/13/jusjojan-daily-prompt-jan-13th17/
They call me “Even Steven,” but I have a confession. I’m uneven. One of my legs is shorter than the other, one of my ears is bigger, and my nose is crooked. Come on, you think they’d at least notice that! But no, they still call me “Even Steven.”
Hey, there’s three of them now.
“Look, guys, it’s ‘Even Steven’!”
“Hi there, fellas. Let me ask you something. Why do you call me ‘Even Steven’?”
“You don’t know?”
“Nope, no clue.”
“You know our names, don’t you?”
“Errr, no, sorry.”
“I’m Steven, that’s Steven, and this guy over here is Steven, too.”
“No kidding!”
“And you’re even Steven. Get it?”
“Aha! No. I still don’t get it.”
Thank you once again to Dan the magnificent, who has helped me for the past three days with Just Jot It January. You can visit Dan’s amazing blog here: https://nofacilities.com/
Did you know you can join us in the Just Jot It January challenge any time? Click the following link to find out how, and to read all the other amazing posts! https://lindaghill.com/2017/01/10/jusjojan-daily-prompt-jan-10th17/
tempted
from the moment she saw it
to lay down her heart
her soul
her body
for the man with the riches
to purchase
the ice to place
upon her finger fair.
glitter
reflecting from the hearth
the fire
the warmth
the blessing of a stone-cold heart
to steel
the expense of her soul
against the price of hollow existence.
Thanks so much to Judy at “Edwina’s Episodes” for our prompt today, “Spangly.” You can visit her by clicking here: http://www.edwinasepisodes.com/
And a special thank you to Rosemary for hosting today’s Just Jot It January!! Please visit her here: https://rosemarycarlson.com/
Just Jot It January is a fun way to keep that resolution to write more! Click the link and check it out: https://lindaghill.com/2017/01/05/jusjojan-daily-prompt-jan-5th17/
He was a school crossing guard; we called him the Copsicle. Every September, he was there at the corner waiting for us. In the mornings he was cheerful. At lunchtime he was sullen. But after school, especially starting around Christmastime and up until March, he would stand, immovable, in the middle of the road, clutching his hand-held stop sign in a mittened fist with a smile frozen on his face.
People knew not to drive that way in the winter because the traffic was ridiculous. Three-point turns by drivers not wanting to break the law by going around a school crossing guard were common.
One day, (and I admit to this with no end of shame, even now that I am in my thirties and have children of my own) my friends and I stood in the middle of the road beside him and poked him. And we threw snowballs at him. But the smile never left his face.
I have no idea who came to get him, to warm him up in time to be cheerful for the morning commute. Perhaps they lit a fire around him to thaw him out. I’ll never know. My parents wouldn’t let me out of the house to check.
His legend lives on. My children tell the tale of the school crossing guard who, dedicated to his duty, would stand frozen to his post. And that every afternoon, we could count on the Copsicle to be there, to see us safely across the street.
Just Jot It January can be found here: https://lindaghill.com/2017/01/04/one-liner-wednesday-jusjojan-417-prompt-pro-tip/ Click the link and join in today!
“You’re late!”
“Yes, Sir. I know, Sir. I’m very sorry.”
“You know the number one rule when working for the Department of the Interior is that you’re never late!”
“I’m very, very sorry, Sir.”
“Do you understand why it’s so important that you never be late?”
“Yes, Sir. It’s because we’re the Department of the Interior.”
“And it’s the Department of the Interior for what?”
“For Time itself, Sir.”
“Which means?”
“Which means it’s the Department In Time, Sir.”
“That’s right! You could have destroyed Time altogether! Don’t be late again.”
“I won’t, Sir.”
Today’s Just Jot It January prompt, “Time,” was brought to us by JoAnna! Read her post here: https://joannesilvia.com/2017/01/02/time-time-time-catching-up/ To participate in JusJoJan, go here: https://lindaghill.com/2017/01/02/jusjojan-daily-prompt-jan-2nd17/ It’s fun!
First thing you must know is I love you.
I wish for you that the world will always treat you well
and that the sun will shine brightly on all your waking dreams,
and that the moon will hang in the sky for you to pluck out and gift to the one you adore.
I wish for you a long life of pleasure and not too much pain
I wish for your health, your compassion, and your love for those not as fortunate.
I am hopeful that one day you will read these words
and that you will take them to heart.
I wish for you peace, to the very end.
This Stream of Consciousness Saturday post is dedicated to my children. A very happy new year to all three of you, the best sons a mother could have.
To join in to SoCS and to read more posts, click here: https://lindaghill.com/2016/12/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-3116/
“Darling, did you take my library book back yesterday?”
“No, my dear. We don’t have a library in town.”
“But it says here in this book–look, now–right here. For return or renewal on December 28th.”
“I see that, my dear, but the rest of the date states it should have been back in 2012.”
“Of course. That’s this year.”
“No it’s not. This year is 2016. You forget, you’ve been sleeping for four years.”
“I have?”
“Yes, my dear. You only woke up last week, the day after we moved. I had to have you packed in a wardrobe.”
“You’re joking!”
“No, dear, I’m not.”
“If you’re not, you know what that means, don’t you Darling?”
“It means I should sue the movers for waking you up?”
“No, it means we’re going to owe four years in late fees on this damned library book!”
you’re full-on
or not at all
retreat! retreat!
is your frightened motto
screamed in a whimper
of stage-one inversion
…continued from here…
“Oh! You’re here today. I’m so happy to discover you’re still alive.”
“Why wouldn’t I be, Dr. Spiers?”
“I had this very odd dream that you’d died in all kinds of ways. And that we’d been having a… well, a tryst, you might say.”
“Doctor!”
“I’m sorry, my dear. Was that inappropriate? Truly, please forgive me.”
“No, that’s all right. I had a similar dream. Say, would you like to go out for a drink later?”
“Ahem. I’m not sure my wife would appreciate that. Why don’t we get on with our first appointment. Shall we?”
“Okay. Mrs. Horner is coming in again this morning.”
“Is she having her teeth replaced?”
“That’s right.”
“And did you put them all in the right order?”
“What… order? They’re a pair of false teeth.”
“Just checking.”
…continued from here…
“It wasn’t me. Ahem. I didn’t do it. Ahehehehem! I’m not responsible for that girl’s death!
“Oh, who the hell am I trying to kid? Okay, I’ll tell you the whole truth.
“My hygienist and I had an affair. It was torrid and disgusting and it was the best sex I’ve ever had in my life. But then her friend moved in with her and was all, ‘Make him make an honest woman out of you!’ and ‘You have to get a commitment out of him!’
“It drove me crazy. I did my best to stay calm amidst her demands but it was no good. I finally decided to break it off, and she went off the deep end. She threatened to tell my wife.
“So I made her eat her words. Every last one of them. I watched her brush her teeth for the very last time.
“You know, you’re a great interrogator. I didn’t think I’d ever tell…
“YES DEAR? I’M JUST IN THE BATHROOM! WHO AM I TALKING TO? OH, NO ONE, DEAR! JUST MYSELF. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS WHEN I COME OUT? I’M ABOUT TO GET IN THE SHOWER.
“I LOVE YOU TOO, DEAR.”
…continued here…
Linda G. Hill 