Cat jumped off of the red couch and eagerly stocked its prey. Mouse, looking back at this grey feline, started to scurry towards that green door which was swinging shut.

Large black Dog observed said scene briefly wondering if he should jump into action before springing into motion. Man then entered.

“Stop!”

An eerie silence echoed. Each animal stopped instantly. Who would make such demands?

...

Brainstorming

Ideas - present divorced, reflecting on a past wedding

Characters: Lilian / Dawson

Reason why the marriage didn’t work: different priorities, she wanted a partner, he was too committed to his job.

Reason they’re seeing each other in present: funeral of a mutual friend.

The story:

Dawson had expected to see Lilian, of course. He knew how tight she and Kierra had been, but d...

“I have this theory,” my date said, “that you can tell a lot about who a person is as an adult just by hearing childhood anecdotes about them.”

“Okay,” I said, digging through my brain for a few anecdotes that I could safely reveal. “I, myself, am but a puzzle, so let me tell you a few.”

—-

The Clouds

My earliest memory is of my father holding me as he was taking me out of the car. I remembe...

I’d like to say that I was eager to start the new semester, but the truth is that there is always a lot of trepidation that surrounds new beginnings. Even when one is a veteran teacher (and I was getting close to that point now) there is a cloud of anxiety that engulfs the individual. I think it is because teaching is based so much on relationships, and each semester rips old relationships apart...

(I ultimately took out the “every day seems the same” prompt because it wasn’t adding to the poem itself, though this poem was very much inspired by the prompt nevertheless. I’m not sure if the spacing is working - I’m trying to have work on one side and home on the other. Needs to be tinkered with more, and the diction could be improved…putting it out there so I can revisit it later).

Home...

“I think I just met the happiest person in the world!” Heather exclaimed sarcastically.

“I know, right?” I agreed softly, a little bit shaken from the interaction I had just had with the surly elf. I just wanted to get out of there though so I scooped Leo up into my arms and tried to catch up to Heather who was already huffing ahead of us with her daughter, Kathryn. Heather was never afraid to...