I returned home to find a stranger standing in my family room. Sparsely furnished, the focal point of the room was a brick fireplace with a thick oak mantle mounted above. Resting on the wooden shelf sat a framed photo of my wife accompanied by her urn. The stranger, his back towards me, stood in silent observation of the display. I pulled a switchblade from my pocket but kept the blade lodged i...

“Are you aware that we’re gonna fight to the death?”

Without acknowledging his tactic to goad me, I stared across the antechamber at my sole competitor. It was a battle that had been building for years.

In a world where over four thousand religions existed, the various Gods had grown weary of their bickering over whose secular beliefs reigned supreme above all others. Unwilling to compromise...

Pleased with himself, he stood erect

Happiness personified

He knew it was time to genuflect

To keep her satisfied

He leaned in close and kissed her lips

His tongue in slow rotation

He stroked her moon til she eclipsed

With moans of passioned oration

They sang with salacious syntax

Gyrations synchronized

Their melody reached a climax

Lustful hearts were harmonized

Contented satisfaction

No need...

Surrounded by the cover of night, Stanley loitered in a neighbor’s yard waiting for his friend to arrive. He found it difficult to contain his enthusiasm. For weeks, he kept an eye on the calendar as Halloween was one of the few holidays he took notice of. This year was extra special. It was the first time he was permitted to go trick or treating unchaperoned.

Out of all the houses in the ...

Standing in a grassy knoll when Earth was in its infancy, Adam looked up towards Heaven and asked, “Where do babies come from?”

It was a topic that weighed heavy on his mind. He had been living in the Garden of Eden for months without any companionship other than the animals God created. After talking to most of them, Adam found they were disinterested in what he had to say. The language barri...

Mired in confusion

Yearning with unease

Inspired delusion

Learning the birds and bees

Emotional labyrinth travelled

Collection of twists and turns

Devotional efforts unraveled

Affections frequently spurned

Plenty of embarrassing moments

Too high a number to count

Twenty and college enrollment

Clueless still looking to mount

Another rejection, refusal to quit

Delayed gratification

Mother walke...

Footpath of serpentine madness

Often beckons me

Travelled roads of badness

Callous monstrosity

Desirous to do better

Rather than going astray

Choices led to be fettered

There had to be a better way

Helpless to make a decision

Without guidance extraordinaire

Only one who listened

Interrupted every prayer

Resisted his assistance

A shadowy figure of lore

Outdistanced his persistence

In search ...

When the fostering agency called to schedule an appointment, I tried to keep my emotions in check. All the necessary paperwork had been filed and interviews finished. The only thing left was for custody to be granted.

On paper, I was an ideal candidate. Working from home, I planned to home school the boys even though a school was within walking distance. A large, fenced in yard with a swing...