Bona Fide Image II

-"John, do you have the MTA itinerary ready for me?" Clare asked as she rushed on her way out.

-"Yes Madam, but I must reiterate that I would prefer to take you to that part of town myself." John insisted.

-"No, no, thank you John. I do have to get into character, therefore I will take the buses there, and back. By the way, how do I look?" Clare asked with a smile which showcased her yellowed teeth with an overbite.

John was at a loss for words. He was used to his employer being a bit eccentric, but this just came down to weird.

Clare was dressed in old clothing which had seen better days, a bit torn here and there. She carried a hump on her back, wore dirty sneakers, a gray wig, and her skin's appearance had been altered beyond recognition due to a home made concoction of beaten egg whites. When it dried, the effect was similar to the effects of a prolonged drought on the terrain, with deep crevices proliferating all over the arid landscape.

This balsam had been generously slathered on her face, neck, and hands, and as it dried, it made Clare appear at least seventy-five. The handsome woman which Clare is, was nowhere in sight.

-"Here is your bus itinerary Madam." John said in a neutral tone.

-"Oh, by the way John, can you brake a fifty? I don't think I can get change on the bus for the fare." Clare said as an afterthought.

-"No Madam, but I do have ten dollars, if that might help?" John said as he fumbled for his wallet.

-"Thanks a lot. Remind me to pay you back tomorrow." Clare said as she left in a flurry of tattered layers.


There she is. Cindy looked just like the picture Phillip had shown her plastered on his cell phone. She was indeed a beautiful girl; this Clare had to concede.

Clare stood outside the window of the doughnut shop where Cindy tended the register and to the sporadic customers.

After fifteen minutes of watching Cindy chew gum like a cow, while she texts on her cell phone, Clare decided to commence her project.

Clare stood on the open doorway of the doughnut shop and got to work.

-"Please sir, will you please spare a quarter or a dime? I just wanna get a cup of hot coffee." She asked anyone going in or out of the doughnut shop.

-"Lady! You can't panhandle here! You better leave, or I will call the cops!" Cindy, the love of his cherished son Phillip, threatened to call the cops on her.

-"Young lady, it is so cold this evening. I simply want a hot cup of coffee to thaw my cold bones. I have not eaten anything since this morning's breakfast at the shelter.
I am only a quarter short, do you think that you might give me this small cup of coffee, and I will be on my way, and leave you alone?"

-"Look lady, THIS IS NOT A CHARITY! Okay? Go beg somewhere else. I don't want you to scare away our customers." Cindy said in no uncertain terms.

-"But I am a customer too. Young lady, please have some respect for the elderly. You are young and beautiful now, as I was too one day. You don't know how hard life can be when becomes a nuisance. Won't you at least give me old doughnuts from yesterday? I won't mind, I will soak them in the coffee and they will become bland. Then I will just be on my way and leave you alone." Clare would have been happy with crumbs.

In a derisive tone, Cindy answered: -"Are you are dense or stupid? You have to leave, NOW!
I am not giving you even last month's left overs. I am not here to serve people like you! This joint is owned by my parents - this is not my career. I am going to college; I am very beautiful, and I also have a very rich boyfriend, so don't you worry about me. You had your chance, I am now calling the cops." Cindy said as she dialed 911.

Not to be deterred so easily, Clare continued with her charade.

-"Young lady, you are indeed beautiful, but you are very mean to someone who is vulnerable and begging you for a few crumbs to eat, and coffee for warmth. This shows to me that you are not truly beautiful where it counts."

-"Do you really think that I care for your opinion?" Cindy's mock erupted in a laugh.

A bystander took pity on the old woman, and gave her a dollar.

-"Thank you kind sir. Now, may I please have a small cup of coffee, and I do have enough for a glazed doughnut too." Clare said this as she took out all the nickels, and dimes from her pocket.

With a sour disposition, Cindy served the coffee, and the doughnut. By her demeanor, she made it explicitly clear that she was too good to serve the likes of Clare.

-"Young lady, won't you be so kind as to open these little cream containers? You see, my arthritis will not allow me to flex my fingers well. I just want four creams in my small cup of coffee, if you would be so kind."

-"Do you also want me to wipe your ass? Just get your stupid cup of coffee and get out!" Cindy said through clenched teeth.

Just them the cop car pulls in front of the doughnut shop.

-"What seems to be the matter here?" The uniformed officer asks Cindy.

-"This old hag was told many times to leave the premises. She was panhandling on the doorway, and disrupting my customers.

-"Officer, it was all due to a minor misunderstanding. I did after all pay for my coffee and doughnut in full." Clare said as she gathered her purchases and sat on a chair.

-"I want her to leave, she is harassing me and the customers. Just take her away." Cindy ordered.

-"Ma'am, I'm sorry but you can't come here to disrupt the clientele. You have to leave, and please don't come back." The officer said.

-"But officer, I am a paying customer. I have not done anything wrong, except to request that I get some cream in my coffee. I paid, and I deserve to eat here. Surely you have more important things to do officer, than to deal with an elderly woman who is simply hungry and cold. Surely, you have thieves and criminals to catch and to process, to keep this city safe." Clare insisted.

-"Ma'am, one more time, if you don't leave...right now, I will take you to the station and book you for disobedience."

-"But officer, doesn't your vehicle state that you are here to protect and to serve? Surely as one of the most vulnerable citizens of this nation - of the planet, as matter of fact - I am entitled to my right to sit in a public establishment, and to eat in peace my glazed donut and coffee - sans cream I might add - which I have recently purchased!" Clare said stubbornly.





-"John? Hi, it's Clare. It seems that I will need that ride after all. It simply is too late, and I don't have the bus information to get back home from the police station. Can you please come and pick me up? Obviously I can't call Phillip for a ride from the police station. It's the Los Angeles police station.....it's on 12312 Culver Blvd....thank you John."



-"Madam, may I inquire as to how they released you without your attorney present?" John did not dare ask as to the reason why Clare had been picked up.

-"Simple logic. I spoke to the captain in charge, and I told him the truth, my name, and so on. He checked me out with a few prominent references - no prior record.
I made a point that as the city budget was in such dire straights, it made no sense to persecute an innocent woman, and to incur that expense.
Besides, he hates his ex-daughter-in law. She slept around while his son worked the night shift, and on top of that, now has him paying her alimony. So,he let me go with a warning.

You know something John? It is appalling how people most people tend to treat others' simply based on their exterior adornments." Clare said as an after thought.


Once again, John was at a loss for words.




To be continued...

Bona Fide Image

There was a very wealthy, and powerful lady. She was of noble birth, and had inherited a vast wealth from her parents, and also from her deceased husband.
She had been widowed while very young, and only had one son.

She loved her son dearly, and she cultivated his mind, body, and spirit, with the tenderness and care, as if she were to tend to the most precious of gardens.

Clare forbade television, except for the National Geographic, and the History Channels. Most video games which promulgated violence, were absent from her household, because she deemed those to desensitize impressionable minds, to the anguish and horrors inflicted by wars and violence.

Even before her son’s birth, Clare listened to classical music, and read the classics novels out loud to him. And as soon as he was old enough, he was tutored in the art of music, painting, foreign languages, and a keen appreciation for classic literature.

Perhaps this woman was too preoccupied with the nurturing of her son. Yet, not needing to work for a living and a widow at the tender age of twenty-five, she devoted all of her pent up energy, on just her son.

Yet, there was an ulterior, driving force which led Clare to devote so much care, and devotion to the tutoring of her only son. Clare was highly superstitious and she consulted periodically with an old woman who read the Tarot cards to foretell the future.

On one such occasion when her son was barely two-years-old, the fortune teller had advised Clare that her son was a very important piece of a puzzle. For in the coming years, there would be escalated conflicts between the dark and light forces.

Her son needed to find his real soul mate on earth - she would be the most beautiful, and from their union, there would be borne a son.
Their son, would be a leader among men, and critical in the fight against evil, hopelessness, and human despair. He would supply the most important and elusive element of his time – hope for mankind.

-“Oh my, how on earth will Phillip be able to pick just the right woman?” Clare wondered out loud.

-“It’s fairly easy. There are no coincidences Clare. I have inherited a magical mirror, and it is meant for you. You can buy it for what you think is a fair price, for it is priceless.
The hope of mankind is on the balance. This mirror will not reflect the exterior beauty, for it is meant to reflect the vital body, and the real innate beauty, or ugliness of the person standing before it.” The old fortune teller offered.

-“I will take it! Although give me some time to place a fair price on it, as I will study its properties at my leisure. I will send my employee to fetch it.”

And so, the years passed, although not spent idly. Although Clare had plenty of suitors due to her vast wealth, youth, and good looks, she utilized well the magic mirror to see the true interior of her suitors. This deterred most of them from pursuing any further, when she told me in strict form - to leave her alone.

When her son Phillip was ten years old, Clare filled his days with studies, and for physical exercise, he was to tend the extensive gardens. His job was to water the plants, and to clear the weeds.

-“Phillip see the vast beauty in nature, God is present in every flower, every leaf, and in every miniscule insect which lives in the gardens.
Life, like the seasons, shows us that it is a continual cycle. We are born, grow, wither and our exterior perishes, and we are reborn again, though in a different form. And if you put your ear to the earth, you can hear her talk to the sun, and to the moon.”

When Phillip was fourteen-years-old, he was relieved from the gardens, and made to work each Saturday in a soup kitchen. He chopped mounds of carrots, potatoes, and celery sticks. The job was tedious, and hard, and besides cooking huge pots of food, he also had to serve food to the indigent people, who came for a hot meal to appease their hunger.

Before initiating this job, Clare said to Phillip: -“If you do a job well, no matter how menial, then you are giving the best of yourself. This will reflect on the finished product like the soup, for the people will taste in the meal the positive energy you have contributed.
And when you meet someone who may not be appealing in form or scent, please don’t show discontent; simply smile to them. You must always remember that in everybody lies a precious soul which sparkles with the intensity of the sun.”

And so, the years passed and although Phillip was utterly exhausted with the information crammed into his skull, and the voluntary labor he was involved with, his hormones were beginning to cause havoc with his developing body.

His concentration was disrupted by filtered images of girls, even though Clare had enrolled him in an all male college preparatory. He was about to graduate and to leave to higher education, when he fell deeply in love with a beautiful girl.







To be continued...

"Girl With a Mirror" by John Godward

Dear Mother

Please mother, please desist!
You have to let go sometime
I am a man now, and I must follow my own path
I’ve wandered far and wide to meet others for my cause
Like a traveling salesman, to distribute my wares…far and wide
For that is my true calling, I find!

The travels have been long and arduous;
I’ve encountered enemies and allies
Also temptation which might have derailed me...
From my restrictive itinerary…
But always, I sought solace and counsel
Knowing I must focus, and be tolerant

I am a seasoned advertiser
I’ve recruited others to my cause
I will delegate some of the projects to those
Who will administer them in my absence
So do not worry, things are going according to plan
The project is formidable, and propagates, and grows!

I have no regrets; I look forward to my journey
For one must look from within to follow the call
Isn’t everyone here for a specific reason?
It really is very simple
We are pawns in the game of life
Your tears can’t deter me; I must follow my own path

You've raised me well, for I truly know my Self
And I love you, and everyone else
I am up to the challenge, and will face..
These challenges with a brave heart
Those are given for a reason, and one must rise bravely
To the occasion, and not waver in self pity, and indecision.

Gather comfort in the knowledge, that I am
Detached, I am not this you can feel and touch
Yet, I am only too human mother
Your tears and laments affect me even more...
Than the lashes, or the nails perforating my hands
Please mother, please stop!



.

Gatherings II

-“How did you like last night’s lecture?” Danny asked to make casual conversation.

-“It was informative, although, my favorite lectures are the ones from the history professor. He is very knowledgeable.

I particularly liked the one on the Inca civilization, and how Hiram Bingham discovered the ruins of Machu Picchu in 1911. When I hear of those faraway places, I get the urge to travel there someday.

Can you imagine the excitement of such a discovery? Or even of the Spanish conquistadores, when they braved uncharted oceans and saw the new world for the first time? And of the loot they found too, as they filled the belly of cargo ships with chests full of gold?
One day I’d like to visit Machu Picchu. Hey! Maybe we can go together?” Ben offered that possibility.

-“Sounds like a plan. Have you prepared your lecture?” Danny said with a tentative smile.

-“No, but I’ll improvise, and play it by ear. I sure wish that I had access to my old textbooks. Which is your favorite author or book which radically altered you in some way Danny?”

-“I have lots of favorites, although when it comes to one that affected my views, I’d say that one is Dostoyevsky’s, “The Brothers Karamazov.” When I read how the general unleashed the dogs on the naked little boy to punish him for a minor infraction - and those dogs tore the eight-year-old to pieces right in front of his mother - I became enraged at the injustice, and the abusive use of force by those in power.” Danny said.

-“Sometimes life is stranger than fiction. Although, I prefer lighter fare. I like Melville’s “Moby Dick,” and Cervantes’ “Don Quixote.” I guess that is why I have the urge to travel and see the world. What I would like more than a cigarette, is to hold the tome of a good book in my hands.
I would caress each line, lovingly with my eyes. I'd consume every phrase with delight, as I would a strawberry ice cream cone, in the heat of July.” Ben said with nostalgia in his eyes.

Draping an arm around Ben’s shoulders, Danny said, -“We are very lucky Ben. We have some of the finest minds in our group, and the knowledge we partake in every night, is like a virtual encyclopedia at our fingertips. This reminds us of who we truly are.”

-“You are right Danny. I suppose that, that which does not kill us, can only make us that much stronger.” Ben said with steely determination in his eyes.

-“Hey lighten up. We should play the game of the most wonderful things we can think of. I was thinking of jasmine scent, blended with the essence of a beautiful girl. What about you?” Danny asked.

-“To me the most sublime scent is that of a freshly bathed baby. Or if you were to blend that, with the scent of family all gathered at a table, that would be just as wonderful.
Said table, laden with mouth-watering delicacies, and all gathered, from the little ones, to the eldest. I guess, it is the scent of home. There’s nothing like it Danny. You are still a young man, and hopefully one day soon, you will build again - your family.”

-“Do you have children Ben?”

After a pause, Ben says dryly, “Please don’t ask me that ever again.”

-“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”


The quiet interlude which ensued was interrupted by the commotion outside. Danny quickly went to peek through the small window, to see what it was about.

-“More coming. They are being separated now.” Danny announced.

-“I don’t want to hear it Danny.” Ben said this as his calloused hands lightly shook. He looked down at his hands which had once made love, created beautiful paintings, lovingly held his newborn son, and now itched to destroy.

-“Danny, please come sit here and tell me about your bodybuilding days, and those sunny days at the beach, when the hot sun browned your skin. When you describe it so eloquently, I can almost imagine being there as a spectator. When I listen to you; I can almost feel that same hot sun thawing my body from this glacial cold.” Ben said as he was shaken by a coughing fit.

-“I can do better than that Ben! You said that you missed reading your books? Well, I’ve got news for you my friend. I stole a pencil from the shop, and scraps of wrapping paper. I have written several poems, which I hide under my mattress. I will share with you my poems.” Danny whispered this, as he ran to his cot to retrieve his little scraps of torn papers.

-“I’d love that Danny; you have no idea how much. Thank you.” Ben said with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

-“You’re welcome.” Danny said as he carefully handed the scraps of torn papers to Ben. Then he smiled the rueful smile which made his face handsome, and seemingly boyish.






.

Gatherings

-“You know what is one of my favorite all time things?” Ben offered.

-“What is?” Danny politely asked.

-“Gathering with a spoon the cream off the top of steaming hot milk. I like it best with a spoonful of sugar, and a dash of cinnamon sprinkled on top.
My fondest memories are from we were kids, and we visited my aunt’s farm. It was just an hour’s drive from the city. The sky seemed clearer, and the deep color hues sharply contrasted with the fluffy clouds.

When I was a young lad, I was intimidated by the sheer size and palpable strength of the horses, but I rode one when I was seven years old.” Ben said this with a faraway look, as if for the moment, he was instantly transported there again.

-“I love milk chocolate. On milk, cake, or even melted on my fingers. I’d lick them clean. I also like to play with marbles and dice. I am kinda lucky at chance.” Danny’s smile was rueful, and this smile made his features handsome, and seemingly boyish.

-“Of course those random, fond memories which are imprinted in the psyche, and can still induce pleasure only by recall, change and become more sophisticated as one grows up. As a teen, I’d say my favorite memories are of my first cigarette, and my first kiss on the lips. Mother’s kisses don’t count.” Danny said.

-“I am a gentleman, and will refrain from talking about the woman who made me a man. I will only say that she was a bit older than me.
Even before then, I was always fascinated with the female anatomy. By the winding curves and valleys, where the hand seems perfectly designed to rest there, and hold on to. Also the elongated slope of a well shaped calf, or the daintiness of a wrist, or a pair of petite feet.

I don’t find pendulous breasts as attractive as perfectly shaped, tear drop breasts. That is why I took up sketching, and that led me to develop my superior skill as a sculptor, and painter.” Ben said.

-“My artistic talents are solely relegated to playing the piano. My grandfather wanted to listen to me play frequently. As to my predilections in women, I am drawn to a pretty face, adorned with intelligence. It’s in the eyes, you can tell a lot by looking into a woman’s eyes. From their moodiness when it’s close to that time of the month - when it’s best to steer clear - to their playful nature, mischief making, or gauging intelligence reflected in their eyes. Those eyes usually sparkle, and are seldom dull.

But…who knows….who knows how life’s struggles may affect that sparkle in the eyes, or dull the radiant beauty with the passage of time….


After a length of time, where the men became pensive and introspective for a while, lost in the snared memories from the past, they resumed their chat.

-”You know, I really do believe that one can order the subconscious to alter one’s mood, and psych ourselves into feeling better. For instance, I like to go into a deep meditate trance, and actually go back to a specific time and place and relieve every minute detail. Down to the weather, to the date and time, and recall with exactitude what I wore that day. Who was gathered in that event, what they wore, said, and what we ate.

I will consciously relieve the scents and flavors. And I find that if I recall pineapples for instance, I feel my mouth watering instantly. Sometimes, if I put enough effort, it’s amazing how in my dreams I will actually still play that part. Just last night, I had the sweetest dream. It involved a girl I had a crush on. We were lying side by side, and I distinctly felt a sweet kiss on my lips. It was just a peck on the lips, but the emotion and excitement I felt was genuine – while I was asleep!

When I awoke this morning, I did not feel the chill of the morning. I felt blessed to have relieved that kiss, it was magical. I carried that feeling of longing and wonder, throughout the day.” Ben said.

-“Okay, let’s play that game. We still have twenty minutes before the lecture begins. I want to imagine that I am sunning on the shore of azure waters. The sun is unrelenting, and I am obfuscated by the oppressive heat. Rivulets of perspiration run down my torso, elegantly sliding over the oily expanse of my suntanned, muscled body. I lifted weights for several years you know. In the summer, I wore short sleeves to better showcase my bulging biceps.” Danny boasted.

Laughing lightly, Ben urged him to continue. -“Then what happened?”

-“Then to continue with my strict bodybuilding regimen, I asked two petite ladies to each sit on either arm, and I picked them up as if they were paper weights, as they squealed with delight.
I managed to grab hold of their shapely limbs for balance of course.” Danny said with a wink of an eye.

-“By petite, did you mean, two five-year-olds?” Ben asked with a mischievous smile.

-“No! They were two pretty girls about seventeen. You’re just jealous because you did not develop your biceps like me. Afterwards, I invited both to an ice cream soda at the local ice cream parlor. They were both pretty cute, and in awe of my sheer masculinity.” Danny boasted even more.

-“Thanks for the laugh, and for the fond memories of your summertime. By the way, who is the lecturer tonight?”

-“It’s the doctor. His lecture is on the symptoms of prostate cancer.” Danny informed.

-“Fun subject.”



To be continued…











Painting by Salvador Dali

The Three Pig Brothers VI

The urgent knocking on the front door clamored for attention. Brian quickly donned a bathrobe over his silk pajamas, and went to answer the call.

-“Who goes there this late at night?”

-“It’s me, Michael. Open the door immediately! The big bad wolf is on my trail.”

Quickly opening the door, Brian greeted his brother with a frown. –“Why didn’t you stay home then? Don’t you know that I rise with the dawn, in order to monitor the financial markets?
Holy shit! Is that a real gun you are carrying?” Brian’s eyes bulged when it dawned that Michael was packing.

-“This is no time for explanations. We must reinforce all the lower windows, and prepare to confront the wolf. He is on his way, of that I am sure.
He is injured, and it is only a matter of time before he dies of starvation or hemorrhaging. In his state he will not be able to kill his prey, and tear off the flesh, since I blew off half his teeth.”

-“Why didn’t you simply kill him, and let me sleep a full night’s sleep?” Brian questioned.

-“I do not want to kill, or even consume another life. Although we may be mortal enemies, and of different species, it does not change the fact that we are still brothers.” Michael reiterated his stance.

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Brian went to the kitchen to heat water to make hot cocoa. –“I have oatmeal and raisin cookies, would you like some hot cocoa or coffee?”

-“I’ll have the cocoa, thank you brother.”

They were about to seat down at the kitchen table to warm their bellies with the hot chocolate, when a thunderous thump on the door announced the arrival of the wolf.

-“Come out, come out little piggy! I know that you’re in there! I can smell you, and can almost taste your tender, lush flesh. And when I get my paws on you…do you know what I am going to do?

Why, after I eat your entrails, I am going to sauté you. I will make little sausages, bacon, and patties just like they serve in Mc Donalds, for people to devour your cousins at the bargain rate of two for three dollars.
I will condiment you with salt and pepper, and grill to a golden crisp, your filleted meat…Yum! Yum! I am salivating with the anticipation of such a treat!”

-“Cut it out wolf. You know that you are dying and get even swallow with your injured muzzle. You should go back to the woods, and die in dignity.”

-“Piggy why are you so harsh with me? After what you did to me, you should come out willingly and offer yourself as a sacrifice. What you did was very bad.

Would you also kill a homeless indigent, if he were to come near a patio table of a fancy eatery to beg for money - in order to appease his raving hunger - from a lovely couple enjoying their outing?
And this lovely couple, instead of seeing in the labyrinth of dementia and a foul smelling form, a precious being housed in that offensive body, chose to cruelly turn him away as if he were merely a flea-ridden dog, so as to not contaminate their perception of the good life.
And so this man, lost in a state of dementia and consumed with raging hunger, takes their basket of fresh baked bread and runs away with it.

Would you then, justify shooting this poor man in the mouth, so that he could not eat that bread? The death from slow starvation is surely more horrific than instant death. You should be ashamed little piggy.

Now, OPEN THIS DOOR AT ONCE!” The wolf ordered.

-“No! Go away, and you can't compare bread to my little brother. We will not open the door, so just leave!” Michael said.

-“Very well, if that’s the case, I will break my way in, and I will make you watch as I roast on a pit your brother alive, and he cowardly begs for forgiveness of all his sins, since the pit will only be a prelude to hell!”

Brian went from rosy cheeked, to ghastly white when he listened to this. He sat on a nearby couch, shaken to the core.

Try as he might, the wolf could not make an impact on the bricks, through massive bodily force. The attempts seemed puny at best in comparison to the impenetrable density of the bricks.

Perspiring and bleeding profusely from the right shoulder and muzzle, the wolf felt his mighty energy, slowly ebbing. He needed to eat some protein urgently, so he rested for a bit, and considered his options.

He walked around the stately home, and saw that all the windows were shut. Then he looked up and saw the chimney upright. The rays of the moon, filtered through the dense bush of a massive tree. This tree was fortuitously rooted next to the house, and its branches razed the chimney.

The wolf smiled slyly from the good side of his muzzle. He knew that he could do it. He could agilely climb up that tree, and from the highest branches, it was just a calculated leap to the rooftop of the house.

When they heard the thump on the roof near the chimney, Brian quickly ran to the chimney to light the wood, while his heart beat accelerated to a spiraling beat.

-“Michael come quickly and fan the fire, I have to run to the kitchen. Quickly, before the wolf comes down the chimney!”

-“Why are you going to the kitchen? This is no time to eat. I have to stand guard with my gun cocked. I can’t be entertained with matches and sticks.”

-“I am not going to eat now! I am going to gather water in a large pot which I will place on the fire, and I am going to eat the wolf when he is boiled.”

-“Are you crazy? You can’t eat that wolf; if you did you would eat our own brother Bernie! We are not cannibals; I simply won’t allow it!” Michael, who usually was congenial and easy going, was adamant on this.

-“I’m so tired of your spiritual crap Michael. This is my home; and I am going to do this, and you can’t stop me!” Brian said as he ran to the kitchen to fill a large kettle of water.

-“Save your trouble Brian, regardless of whether you share my philosophies or not, I won’t allow you to eat this wolf. What we will do is to let him fall into the burning flames of the fire.
He will burn to ashes in the flames that consume and devour, and he will be purified that way."

Michael said this as he quickly reinforced the metal grill of the fireplace with nails, so that the wolf when it fell through howled like a creature from hell and could not scape.

The eerie, unholy howl, created goosebumps on Brian’s skin. He was busy carrying the heavy iron kettle to the living room, when his left arm released the kettle, and became paralyzed.

All chaos ensued as the wolf whelped in agonizing anguish,while he attempted like a being possesed by a demon, to escape the flames. Meanwhile, Brian grasped his chest with his right hoof, and toppled to the floor in acute pain.

-“Michael, help me! My chest hurts. Take me to a hospital.” Brian said as he vomited on the floor.






-“How are you feeling today? The doctor said that your blood pressure and stress level were off the roof.

He also said that with time, and rehabilitation, that you will probably regain some control of the left side of your arm and face.

The good new is, that mom has decided to move in with you, in order to take good care of you.” Michael said to Brian, as he recuperated on the hospital bed. Due to Brian's facial paralysis, it was difficult to discern his reaction.













"Moonlight Lanscape" By Linda Messier

The Three Pig Brothers V

The lean, muscled beast, curled its lips back – emitting a snarl.

-“It seems that I have underestimated you, my scrumptious morsel. But know this, I will not be deterred. You might shoot at me, but I am an alpha predator.

My instincts are razor sharp. I have keen eyesight, highly developed olfactory, and hearing capabilities, and I’m built for optimum speed.

I will most likely dodge the bullet.

Then, my succulent little piggy, I will tear open your abdomen, and eat your entrails, while you are still alive and squealing.” This, the grey wolf said, with a malevolent gleam in his yellow eyes.

-“Know this wolf; I do not want to kill you. Yet, I must defend myself. If you choose to enter, you will sign your death warrant, for I will focus with intent on your vital organ, and with a steady hand, I will send you straight to hell.

Perhaps, that is what you seek - to end your miserable existence.” Michael said with a steady gaze, and a cocked pistol ready.

Laughing diabolically, the wolf changed its stance. –“Perhaps you are right little piggy, for I am too old, and weary of this life.

I howl at the moon, to appease the savage beast which lurks within me, for the moon’s cycles, play havoc on my senses. Those drive me to insanity and I feel a primal lust for flesh which urge me inexorably, to a feeding frenzy, until I can hold no more in my belly.”

-“You are the beast, wolf.”

-“Am I really? Or is it merely my nature? If so, is man not a beast too?
We are alpha predators, where the fittest thrive and survive. They too eat your kind without qualms, even though they could survive without it. They kill each other without honor, or fabricate reasons to do so.

Whilst I merely kill for survival - as nature intended it to. I regurgitate the contents of my meal, in order to feed my family. I also provide nourishment for other species, as they eat from the carcasses I leave behind.

I’ve been driven out of my habitat, by overdeveloping, and pollution of my drinking water - these man made.
You must ask yourself little piggy, why did nature intended it this way? Why is there light and dark, good and evil? You might find that they are just polarized energies.

I was a playful pup once, until a rival pack pounced on us and ripped to pieces my father. He was a noble, loyal wolf, with lush grey fur, and a regal bearing. He was loving and playful with us, and with our mother.
My father fought them well - until the end. Before, he had made my mother run away with us, and away from harm’s way.

I could not move. I hid and watched as they ate my father amongst them, tearing off his flesh, and leaving his carcass for vultures. Something cold and feral then gripped my heart and mind.

Ever since that fateful day, I hardened my heart forever. Hate resided there, in every beat of my lacerated heart.

I trained to be the fastest, strongest, most cunning, and vile of all wolves.
One day, I sniffed, and searched for that clan which had eaten my father. I gathered my posse, and to hurt them where it would hurt the most, - like they hurt me in the past – I ate their pups as they watched in horror, while the ones who belonged to my pack held them back. Then we killed the elders, of course.

Go ahead and judge me little pig. But first you must judge nature and its Infinite Intelligence, for making us devour each other, in order to survive.”

-“I’m sorry you lost your father that way wolf. But I also lost my baby brother to you, and I too hurt. Go search for smaller fare, and go away. I will spare your life, because I won’t kill you intentionally. I do not want to become a beast too.” Michael said with certainty.

-“Ah…you see my little piglet, it is not that easy. You must kill me then before I leave this den, because I am ravenously famished. I have not eaten in two weeks, and I must appease my aching hunger. Nothing will stop me.” The wolf said as it snarled and prepared to pounce.


With the intent and synchronicity of an intricate dance, the wolf leaped and met the bullet which perforated its muzzle. The impact caused it to fall back and slam against a wall.
Howling in pain which only hemorrhaged more blood, the wolf geared to attack once again fueled with blood thirst and a feral, all-consuming rage.

The second bullet met him mid-air on the right shoulder, which made the wolf reel with the force of the impact, to slam against the wall.

Michael had circled the wolf, and edged closer to the door, anticipating his renewed attack. When the wolf was down for the count, he ran outside and closed the door to stall for time. He ran towards his car and drove off without looking back.

The full moon lit the valleys and hills, as he drove to Brian’s house to protect him from the wolf. He knew the wolf was blood thirsty and royally pissed off.
They had to join forces to deal with this situation once and for all.



To be continued…








Photograph by Jim Brandenburg

The Three Pig Brothers IV

A knock on the front door, interrupted Michael’s deep, meditative state. He carefully snuffed the lit candle before him, before he stood up to answer his front door.

-“Who goes there this late at night?” Michael asked in the darkened living room. The new full moon blanketed the earth with her light, which partially illuminated the room.

A sensuous female voice answered: -“Oh kind sir, won’t you please let me in from the glacial cold? I have a flat tire, and I have never-ever changed one in my entire life! Please let me in so that I may thaw from the cold, and wait for my help to arrive.”

Usually, Michael would not have hesitated to aid someone in need, yet his penetrating discernment impeded that he open the door. Instead of helping with a selfless, and open heart, his heart rate accelerated with the premonition of danger present behind his door.

-“I’m sorry dear lady; I cannot help you at this time. Please go back to your car, and wait for your help to arrive.” Michael said in a dismissive tone.

-“But…but, you just can’t leave me outside in the cold! I have a four month old baby asleep on the car seat. I must get the tire changed immediately, to get my baby back to his warm crib! You can’t be so cruel and heartless dear sir!” Pleaded the female voice, which resorted to crying for maximum effect.

True remorse tugged at Michael’s heart. How could a newborn babe die of hypothermia, if he could help to avoid it? Besides, if he didn’t intervene in any way, there was the remote chance that if this was the bad wolf, that he would appease his ravenous hunger by moving to his neighbor (an elderly lady), or even run the three miles to Brian’s house. No, he had to confront this danger himself. He could not live with his conscience, if the babe was for real and in real danger, just walking distance from his own, warm home.

Michael did not say anything, as he walked stealthily to his bedroom to change into warm clothing, and to get prepared for this confrontation. He was almost done dressing, when he felt the walls of his modest home, rattle and shake as if in the epicenter of a massive earthquake.

Irritated by the wait, and impatient due to his ravenous hunger, and by the defiance of the little pig, the wolf decided to force his way in.

-“Fine! Have it your way little pig, since you won’t open the door to me, I will demolish your little house made of sticks!” The wolf shed his disguise and slammed his powerful body against the little house. He howled in pain when he was met with more resistance.

The little house was tightly woven and held together, by intricate knots of bamboo strips. The sticks themselves were not made of regular, pliant sticks, rather of sturdy bamboo, which defiantly refused to be broken, or give way.

Michael shielded his head from tumbling objects, as the considerable force which the wolf used, rattled and shook his home, causing furniture and objects to fall. If he did not stop the wolf, he would shatter all his dishes, and pictures, and he ran the danger that the wolf would uproot his little house off the ground, and send it tumbling down. He could not break through the bamboo, but he could break everything inside by the sheer magnitude of the shaking.

-“All right! I will open the door, but you must stop this shaking at once!” Michael negotiated with the wolf.

Foaming at the mouth from hunger, anger, and sheer exhaustion, the wolf perked its ears and smiled. –“Go ahead then - open the door.” The wolf said in a velvety voice.

Michael braced himself for the face to face confrontation. He was about to meet the legendary grey wolf which was the stuff of legends. Since he was a little piglet, they had heard scary stories of the fabled wolf, who many said had a pact with Satan.
Michael controlled his breathing, and with resolution, opened the door. A pig had to live in peace, or it was no life at all. He had to confront the thing he feared the most; he could not live all his life, in the shadow of fear.

The front door slowly opened, to allow the moonlight in. It sparkled when it caressed the silver barrel of a gun; this pointed directly at the wolf.

-“If you put one paw inside my home, I will shoot you through the heart.” Michael said in a steady voice.




To be continued…

The Three Pig Brothers III

The mother mourned her youngest piglet, mired in heart-wrenching pain. Her plump cheeks were awash with a torrent of tears non-stop.

-“My poor baby! My sweet little piglet!

He was so adorable when he was newborn. How could he have been so naive as to let the big bad wolf in?” The crying renewed, and shook her plump frame to the core.
-"I'm so sorry that he didn't live a good life. He squandered his gift on loose girls, and vice. He had so much potential, full of zest for life, and merry mischief! My little piglet, I'll always love you. I hope that you are in heaven now."

Michael embraced his mother as she continued with her lament. –“Don’t cry anymore mother; it will do you no good for your blood pressure. Bernie still lives, he has moved to another plane of existence.” Michael whispered to his mother as he too felt a deep sadness for the violent ending which his little brother had encountered.

Bernie has been savagely devoured, snot, rump, and even his heart. Only the carcass of his skeleton had been salvaged for a decent burial.

-“That devil’s spawn, son of a bitch wolf. I will kill him myself if I ever meet him!” Brian said to his mother, as he came closer to her.

-“Violence only begets more violence brother. We should be keenly watchful for that wolf, particularly on a full moon. We should protect ourselves, but not retaliate. What good would that do to Bernie? Besides, there are many wolves that run in packs.

How would we exactly know, which wolf ate our little brother? Judging by the tracks, there was only one, not a pack. And the wolf hairs which remained on the crime scene, point to a grey wolf. Are we to discriminate against all grey wolves as a whole group?”

-“Don’t be a pussy! I will kill that son of a bitch, and I will send investigators to scout for him. He will surely boast among the mountain tops that he ate our little bothers, snout, rump and heart. One day, he will come forward and I will see him skinned alive and then tie his limps to four horses to be ripped apart, right before my own eyes!” Brian said with determination and hate in his eyes.

-“Brother please, you are making our mother even more nervous. Please desist from this hate and bravado show of machismo. What we must do is move on, and to be alert to danger. It is the law of nature. Wolves are carnivorous animals that prey on weaker victims. He does it instinctively, he does not reason, like we do.

We know better brother. Please desist, and heal your broken heart.” Michael rationalized.

-“You vegetarian pussy!” Brian said with disgust, as he spat on the ground, and walked away to his fancy car.





To be continued…


Photograph by Lynn Stone

The Three Pig Brothers II

Bernie snored contentedly, having fallen lightly asleep on his couch, while watching a bootlegged porn movie. Suddenly, a knock on the door awoke him with a start.

-“Who could it be this late at night?” Bernie said, as he wiped the drool off his chin, and he tasted the sulfur in his mouth. Over indulgence and too much drinking earlier during his birthday celebration, had left him with a massive hangover.

The full moon illuminated the living room, as Bernie edged closer to the front door, and asked: -“Who goes there this late at night?”

A sensual female voice responded: -“Oh, dear sir, I have a flat tire on my car; and I have never - ever changed one! I don’t even have a flashlight! Won’t you be so kind as to let me in from the glacial cold? I am sure that my brother can come to help me change it when it’s daylight, as he works all night as a security guard.

Could I please come in from the penetrating cold for a few hours?” The soft and sensual voice, helplessly pleaded.

Bernie was a little embarrassed, which is why he hesitated a bit to open the door. Not only was his little house a mess, but he sported a lingering hard-on. He had meant to masturbate, but sleep had flirted with him on and off for a few minutes.

He thought that it would be best for his hard-on to subside, so he stalled for time. –“Listen lady, if you go back to your car, I will join you there in a little while. I will take with me my flashlight, and I will change the tire myself. Where are you parked?”

-“Oh thank you kind sir, but you see, I do not have the tools needed to change it, nor a good replacement tire. It is a special fit. I am sure that my big brother will take me to shop for a new one that is the proper fit, when he ends his shift.

Won’t you please let me in? I might die of hypothermia if you leave me out in the cold tonight! I will do anything to get out of this frigid cold!”

-“Anything? Like anything at all?” Quickly Bernie opened his door ajar a few inches. The full moon darkened her visage; yet from the silhouette of her form, covered with a shawl, Bernie could make out the statuesque length of a tall, shapely female with two enormous….feet.

-"Yes, anything at all. I will even...blow you, if you promise to buy me a new tire." The woman said, short of breath.

She must be horny Bernie thought as his other head pulsed to attention. He did not consider any ulterior motives coming from this Amazon female with the seductive voice. Since she was in such a bind and cold to boot, perhaps she needed some warmth. –“So, I guess you could come in. I can serve you some wine to thaw you from the cold.”
Bernie smiled to himself as he walked to the wine rack. He intended to warm her up and loosen her inhibitions before daylight.

Unfortunately, Bernie did not reach the cup board before the wolf shed his disguise to pounce on Bernie, and to sink his fangs on his jugular.



To be continued...


Photograph by Kurt Freundlinger

The Three Pig Brothers

.

Once upon a time, there were three pig brothers who had already become of legal age. Upon the time that each reached the age of twenty-one, their mother - a widow - gifted each with the sum of ten thousand dollars, and sent them off into the world.

Five years had passed since the youngest pig - Bernie, had turned of drinking age, and this he did with gusto. His belly was bloated and he suffered constant flatulence due to the large consumptions of ale.

On this, his twenty-sixth birthday, they had all gathered to celebrate merrily in the eldest brother's stately home. Brian, the eldest had invested wisely his mother's gift received just fifteen years before. He had multiplied many times that initial amount with his savvy investments, and shrewd business sense. He had created a level of wealth which was impressive for such a young pig.

With this wealth, he had custom built a handsome home, construed of bricks. In his garage, he had several late model cars, and in his closet the finest garments that money could buy.

They ate with gluttony as the extended table heaved with the weight of succulent roasted meats, a stuffed golden turkey, large Idaho potatoes with clouds of sour cream, and rivulets of drizzling real butter overflowing, over a bed of melted cheddar cheese. The sumptuous feast assaulted the senses with the tempting aromas.

A plethora of pastries adorned each corner, along with wines, ale, and chocolate truffles, so delicate, they melted on contact with the warmth of the tongue.

Only the middle brother, Michael, abstained from over indulging, and ate moderate amounts of everything after thanking above for this bounty. He ate a bit of everything, except the redolent and succulent meats.


-"Come on now! Eat up brother! Eat to your heart's content!" urged Brian, as Michael sat to contemplate the feast, while nursing a cup of green tea.

-"No thank you, Brian. I have had enough. It is a lovely feast, and you are very generous."

-"Yeah, thank you Brian." Bernie spoke while he masticated a stretch of flesh, and unexpectedly, his body released a nefarious odor resembling in its essence, rotten eggs - although silent in its manifestation.

-"You only live once Michael, why not loosen up a little on such a festive occasion? Here have some more wine!" Brian slapped Michael on the back, while he repleted his wine glass to the brim.

-"I beg to differ bother, although this is not the time nor the place to speak of such things. There is always tomorrow to indulge in this feast. I will take a Tupperware home with some of the goods displayed - if you don't mind." Michael responded.

-"No, by all means, do so. Although I do mind your uptightness even in such a merry occasion. I just don't get you brother, and perhaps I'll never will. Look at you!" Brian's tongue loosened thanks to the over indulgence of wine. -"You have practically nothing to your name. The money our dear mother gifted you with, you have blown on trips to far away places. And you live in a house made of sticks, which any day the wolf could destroy.

I just don't get you." Brian said as he shook his head sideways, and then drank more wine, while some spilled on his fancy white shirt.

-"That is a shame bother. It is true that I've spent my money in travels to faraway and magical places. I've met, and made lifelong friends, and learnt and adopted different philosophies.

I have weaved a tapestry of rich memories, and lessons which I have learnt whilst traveling. Those invaluable lessons, given by different masters I've been privileged to have met on those introspective journeys.

While you on the other hand, live for work and to make more money, one could say that avarice owns you brother. You don't even travel, too afraid that your servants and employees will rob you." Michael said with kindness, though laced with frankness.

-"Look here brother, money makes the world go around. With it I can marry the girl with the loveliest tail. I have a solid home to raise in my future sons. I have a solid financial base, and a secure future." Brian said in a belligerent tone.

-"Yes brother, I don't doubt that you can marry the lady with the curliest pig tail, but if your union is based on material acquisitions, would it withstand a long-term illness, a change of fortune, or an unforeseen handicap?
You are so materialistic that you base your future union, and the basis of your potential family on a barter of goods, for good looks, and not on true love!

I love you bother, I wish that you would see that if you don't nourish your spirit as well as your bank accounts, you are not indeed building on a secure future, for your soul!" Michael dictated.

-"At least I have something to offer a lady pig! And you brother? Will you live happily on carrots and lettuce? Will only love sustain you?" Brian taunted him.

-"Well, actually yes. I am vegetarian and I would hope that she would be one too. Although, if she is not, I will respect her selections. As to your impertinent question, yes, I do believe that true love will endure, no matter what!"

-"Oh come on guys, don't start this life philosophy shit! It's my birthday! So what if Michael blew away his money on trips? I did too, just on broads, marijuana, and booze! Life is too short not to enjoy it. I too have weaved a tapestry of unforgettable memories of memorable lays. Oh, wait, I don't recall all of their names. And just for the record, I am quite content to live in my pre-fabricated plastic house." Bernie said this, while he punctuated this with a reverberating burp.





To be continued...

Little White House

Even on a cloudy day it radiates splendor
The floors are spotless, and the windows
are sparkling, for one to see clearly
It is a modest house, yet it houses such wonders
I feel such comfort when I enter, insulated from the cold


The hearth is warm, and so is the welcome
For we gather with others who hail from
Near and far. From the old continent, to the new world
and home grown too. We embrace and feel much kinship
As we seat to break bread, famished for nourishment


A few times, I've walked through your garden
A feeling of rapture unexpectedly surged
It's as if the flowers and trees whispered
to me, In a forgotten language, I strive to recall
Yet like sign language, I get the gist of what's involved


The last time I lost myself in your garden,
I found profound serenity. I sat on the grass in a secluded
corner, fragrant with flowers and foliage, to simply enjoy
I thought for a moment, what I could do for you in return?
As I looked over to the house and felt the vigilant presence


Then I knew! I leaned to my right side
To place my face closer to the grass, and allowed
One tear to irrigate your soil. I felt one with
the earth, to which one day my body will return
Then I recalled, isn't everything intricately connected?



.

Ire

Ire


With the formidable strength of an anaconda
You wrap around your victim to asphyxiate him
Until he turns crimson, and his veins become pronounced
To see only red, and to obliterate all reason
Impervious to cries, and pleads for mercy

You are the culprit and the force behind…
A parent beating his little child to a bloody pulp
Sometimes, snuffing an innocent life when you
Pull on the strings of the marionettes
And reduce man to the lowest common denominator

You are a tool for the unscrupulous lawyer
For you’re an intrinsic part of insanity
You weave a red veil which blinds momentarily...
For you are raw negative energy, which...
Can feed the collective consciousness

To turn brother against his own brother
You are the impulse behind the trigger
And you are the assassin of love
When you cause hurtful words to be flung
Since those can be forgiven, yet not forgotten

You can make the blood boil effervescently
And cause it to be shed just as effortlessly
You also create long-term havoc on the liver
As well as frown lines which deform the countenance
For your explode with the force of a volcano

I can do without you, and your cousin envy
For when you insidiously infiltrate -- you set me back
Off track, and much farther from my true Self
If we only remembered when we fall prey to you…
That we actually hurt ourselves






.

The Warden

The Warden


Don’t attempt to bribe me
I have no heart, nor soul
That is why I am suited for this job
You may cheat me once, yet ultimately
You will become my ward

Don’t complain to me, or elicit my sympathy
I’m just doing my job -- unbiased
When your case comes to my desk
I am detached, dispassionate as I
Execute the law

Don’t act so surprised to meet me
You know we have met before
You knew that I would greet you
To guide your passage to the other side
To await the transport to where your destination lies

I walk a fine line
Between the dark and light
I am detached, dispassionate, as I
Snatch a small child from his mother’s arms
Or when I guide a soul just suctioned from the womb

I do not know this concept of love
I see loved ones lament disconsolately
When I appear to enforce the law
I am nondiscriminatory, rich and poor alike
As you stand before me without vestment or wealth

It’s strange though, when I find a lonely man…
In acute pain, he seems to welcome me to cease
The suffering. Don’t complain to me, it’s just my job
If you need some advice, you know what to do...
You must pay your fines; I simply uphold the law






.

Dawn

Dawn



You illuminate the darkness
Insinuating ever so gently
A little ray of hope which shines so brightly
I don’t fear darkness as you light my passage

You herald the genesis of a new day
A chance to start anew a fresh page
To fill a blank canvas, and a diary page
A chance to feel reborn again

I love you best in your nascent phase
I breathe in deeply the misty air
The moon’s silhouette hides behind a nebulous midst
A rich palette of pastels, colors the firmament

I feel more keenly an intimate connection with God
As the darkness evanesces, rendered helpless
Against the splendor of your energy
I am humbly grateful for yet another day

I decree with intent that it will be a good day
As I wash away impurities of the body
I choose with care my vestment for the day
Opting to reject the cloak of fear

A chorus of birds chirps to greet you
If I close my eyes I strive to hear
The music of the spheres
As we dance around your majestic sun






"Dawn" by Michael Parkes

My Valentine

My Valentine


On this cloudy Valentine’s Day, he is seated alone
In the cold kitchen, to pen a poem to his beloved
He is wearing his good suit and tie, which perhaps
Have seen better days - yet his dignified carriage
Overrides such banalities

“My eternal Valentine, need I ask you to be mine?
Perhaps you were also in a past life, for when I
First dived into the pool of your eyes…
I was mesmerized as I recognized the spark…
Of my other missing half

I am a poor man, yet I feel like a millionaire…
For you have chosen my love above others
Your love lightened my backbreaking labor
It is just a necessary means to indulge your fancy
The thought of you infuses joy to the suffocating routine

My calloused hands seem to touch heaven
Every time they wander over your landscape
To support your tear drop breasts
Or when my hungry lips seek those
To suckle and nourish my soul

Is love perhaps a little portal to heaven?
As our spirits soar in flight, as high as the stars
In mutual joy we recognize the special spark
Of the one we promised to meet - yet again
When sent to this valley of tears, fears, and scarce joy

I feel rich because I have found what men search for --
Perhaps all of their lives. With the fervor of the miner who
Toils hunched over from dawn to dusk, excavating
Through the dirt and filth, in search of that very unique
Diamond, emerald, or huge nugget of gold…

Sustained only with the belief, that once he finds it…
His luck will change overnight. I’ve found a particle of
The sublime, which brings such immense joy,
That no other man-made vice, gold bullion, or cash
Can induce - because true love speaks to the soul

Thank you for being my valentine.”


He looks at his watch; he must not be late
With much sacrifice, he has saved for two dozen roses
And contracted a trio, to serenade his beloved
For two weeks he gave up coffee with the boys
And dined on tea, butter, and toast

He endured the cold to keep his heating costs low
Because that’s what a man does and more,
To express his deep love
On the way out, he encounters his neighbor
Gallantly he offers her a long-stemmed rose

“Happy Valentines Day,” he says
Her haggard face is instantly transformed
As her eyes sparkle anew when she is transported
To when she was a young woman, and came home…
To find her senses overpowered by the heady scent of roses

The whole living room was awash in roses of all colors
It resembled a flower shop with the same bittersweet
Scent of a flower market, as her husband smiled expectantly
To gauge her reaction, much like a boy awaits praise for good grades
Her expression, more eloquent than mere words could say

Right on time he meets up with the musical trio
On cue they play her favorite song
As the sky weeps, for it cannot know such deep love
Then stops for a bit as it recalls that not all men are
Blessed with true love - or embrace its basic principle

Her love places lovingly the roses into the vase
He inserts in between those his poem of love
He carefully minds his weak knees…
As he leans on his cane for support
To clean with his handkerchief the marble headstone





photograph "Tendresse" by Michel Pilon

Lovely Lady XII

Sandra looked, and felt splendid that Saturday evening. The glow in her eyes and cheeks was not artifice, as those derived from the love barely contained in her being.

-“What a lovely surprise! Imagine finding YOU here!” Charles’s stepsister spewed with malicious intent. Giving Sandra the once over inspection, she then leaned closer to Phillip to bestow a kiss on his cheek.

-“Hello Cynthia, have you already met Sandra?” Phillip said unaware of Cynthia's diabolic intentions.

-“Why, I have shared the same roof with Sandra when the fool of Charles hired her as his own, on-site prostitute.” Like a cat that’s caught a mouse by its tail, her sinister expression glowed with malevolence. –“I am frankly appalled that you would resort to hire a prostitute for this upscale event Phillip. It really is bad form to do so.”

Sandra felt the blood drain from her face, and her body temperature drop. She seemed to be trapped in a time freeze, as she looked from Phillip’s horrified expression, to Cynthia’s venom slowly dripping from her lips in a slow motion.

-“What? You didn’t know this Phillip? Oh, this is too delicious. Don’t tell me that you didn’t know that Sandra is a common, vulgar whore. She spreads her legs open for any man willing to pay her a stipulated amount.” At that point, Cynthia could not contain a laugh. She laughed so much that her eye make-up ran.

Sandra felt almost lightheaded, as if the ground shifted and swayed under her feet. Phillip grabbed her arm and pulled her outside to greet the cool evening air.

-“Please tell me, is what Cynthia said, even possibly, remotely true? Is she making that up? Don’t you dare lie to me Sandra!” Phillip said through clenched teeth.

-“Yes, Phillip. It’s true. But, that was before. I am now leaving that all behind to earn my living through my business enterprise. I’m so sorry that you had to find out this way.
What I did, doesn’t define ME. I am a human being worthy of love too!
I just want you to know that I love you, and if you love me too, nothing else should matter.” Sandra pleaded with her voice and supplicant eyes.

-“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Phillip yelled as he ran away from her.

Before the torrent of tears broke the damn, Sandra went back inside to ask Charles for cash for a cab. Methodically, she poised her face to be devoid of any emotion, as she encountered Charles. Upon securing fifty bucks for her cab, Sandra then walked with intent to the bar. She sat there, and waited patiently for her moment to act.

Sandra locked the restroom door, as she cornered Cynthia inside a bathroom stall.
She plunged Cynthia’s face into the urine-filled toilet bowl, over and over again, until she gasped for air to survive.

-"You are right Cynthia. This is not very ladylike behavior on my part."









-“Dude are you even going to take a shower today? You are starting to smell like rancid milk.” Cindy stood with hands on her hips, towering over Sandra’s reclined form, sprawled on the couch.

Kicking aside empty bags of Doritos, chocolate wrappings, and empty wine bottles, Cindy made room for herself on the edge of the couch.

-“Mind your own business; just leave me alone to gloat in my misery.”

-“Well, you know that misery loves company.” Taking a moment to reflect on what she was about to say, Cindy then spoke. – “Dude you know this was about to happen sooner than later. You didn’t fess up, and frankly you aimed too high. It is what it is, and the sooner you realize it, the sooner you will snap out of this funk. Life’s too short to spend it reveling in your misery.”

-“I know Cindy. Still, it doesn’t lessen the pain one bit. I love him. No matter how many men I fucked, no one touched my heart. Not until Phillip. The pain is too much Cindy.
I hate myself for fucking this up.” Sandra burst into a heartfelt crying binge that shook her frame, as she sobbed with a pain that came from the depths of her soul.

-“You know what I was thinking today? That we create the circumstances that shape our lives – including the difficulties in our life.
We are, the architects of our lives.
Imagine if instead of hooking, we had gone to earn a decent living working as a waitress, barista, telemarketer, or what have you. Surely we would have struggled financially, but those people earn their money honestly, and at the end of the day, they go home and gather with their loving families, even if they have to do with less.

Because we lived a life of sin, now we have to pay the heavy consequences.” Cindy said with a heavy heart, and hot tears running down her cheeks.

-“Perhaps you’re right, but then we probably would not have met, nor would I have had the seed money for our thriving clothing line.
But why are you crying Cindy? You have it made. You are no longer hooking, and you will graduate in two months.
You are pretty and smart, and you have a knack for design. Your designs are well liked, and how you are marketing the dresses with a guarantee to look two sizes slimmer, is making you well known!” Sandra said as she blew her runny nose.

-“I had a big fight with Ronald. He’s recently found out that he is HIV positive, and told me to get myself checked. I just found out today that I am too.” Cindy’s hot tears, became uncontrollable sobs.

-“Oh my God Cindy!” Sandra sat up on the couch and embraced Cindy as both women hugged and cried together.

-“I was thinking when I left the clinic that I brought this on myself. If I had just stayed in school, gotten a regular job, I might today have my own family and perhaps a few kids too. I was a single child; I always wanted a large family. I was looking forward to that when I graduated, you know? To meet a decent guy since I kicked Ronald to the curb.”

-“You wanted like fourteen kids? That is ….idealistic, although a bit impractical.” Sandra joked.

-“Shut up! Like I would want those stretch marks.” Ceasing her sobbing, Cindy wiped her face with a tissue. –“Sandra, you have to get out of this funk; I don’t need you to drag me down. Look at me! I have my days counted, while YOU have your whole life ahead of you. You have a promising future, and you have to look forward to new opportunities.” Cindy renewed her crying session once again.

-“Now you shut up! Look, we are all going to die someday. The only difference is that you are sensitive to that fact, and must learn to take good care of your medicines and diet. And you must live your life to the full. Look at today’s papers. Read how some poor son of a bitch met his or her death unexpectedly, without having truly lived their life fully, fearlessly, and with love abound!

Tell me Cindy, where would you like to travel to? Which is your favorite place in the whole world?” Sandra asked excitedly.

-“Hmm…I think an ocean cruise in the Caribbean. Yeah, that would be my dream destination, to splash in the crystal clear waters and kick the white sands, while the hot sun, toasted me to a golden brown.” Cindy said while she ceased to cry for a bit.

-“Okay! This is the plan. As soon as you graduate, we will take a ten day cruise on the Caribbean – my treat! Let’s live and appreciate every single day we are blessed with Cindy. In fact, I’m going to shower right now, and clean this place up and we will go out to eat a nice dinner.

You are right Cindy; there is no time to dwell in misery. Life’s too precariously short.”









-“Do you have your passport, tickets, and credit cards ready?” Hurry up the airport shuttle will be here in thirty minutes!” Cindy said excitedly as they were about to depart on her long awaited cruise ship voyage.

-“Yeah, I’m ready. I’m just going to the potty.” Sandra said as the door bell rang.

Opening the door, Cindy is met with a delivery boy holding a large bouquet of roses.

-“It’s for you Sandra, there’s a card with it.” Cindy said, as she carefully placed the floral arrangement on the coffee table.

Reading the note enclosed, Sandra’s face registered shock. –“It’s from Phillip. He says that he loves me too, and that we all deserve a chance to redeem ourselves. He writes, that ‘if I want him back, to meet him at eight at our favorite place.’ Oh my God! I can’t believe this!” Sandra sat on the couch dumbfounded.

-“So, what you are going to do? If we don’t take our plane on time to Miami, we will miss the cruise ship people at Miami’s airport. We'll miss the ship!” Cindy silently pleaded with her eyes; she had looked forward to this trip with anticipation. If Sandra didn’t go with her, it would just not be the same for her.

-“Dude, I understand. Whatever. I’ll wait outside for the shuttle van. If you want to come, do so, if not, I'll understand.” Cindy hauled her luggage to the elevator while hot tears formed in her eyes.










"Tuesday's Child" by Michael Parkes

Lovely Lady XI

Sandra knocks on Cindy’s room to wake her up. –“Cindy, I need to talk to you.”

-“Why so early man? Why do you look so pissed?”

-“I had a thousand dollars in my petty cash box. I was going to use that cash to pay several bills, and to buy merchandise. It’s gone! And you know who took it.” Sandra said with an expression that would not easily be placated.

-“Why do you keep so much cash on hand? You should have that in the bank. I don’t know what to tell you, except that it wasn’t me.” Cindy said this with a sinking feeling.

-“I hope that you haven’t given the loser boyfriend of yours, a key to my apartment. Sometime when you were not looking he broke into my room, come take a look. The lock was forced open since the door frame is scratched.

Cindy, you have to cut ties with losers which are only going to drag you behind. Where was he when you were in the hospital and needed to replace a broken tooth? You can’t rely on that loser, who you know would not hesitate to rob from his grandmother to get cash for drugs!”

-“I’m sorry Sandra. I will talk to him and ask him to return it. Just let me handle this okay?” Cindy said with the sinking realization that Sandra was right. He was not moving forward, just idling the motor, while time passed by.

-“Look Cindy, I’m not one to interfere with your personal life. If you want to continue seeing him, do so, but please don’t ever let him come in here. I will change the lock to the door today.
If you want to sleep with him, just go to his place. Although I would suggest that you wear sandals if you plan to shower there, since those guys never clean.”

-“Oh yeah, I guess he too should look for a subbie to come clean his place, just like you let that rich guy come here to clean while naked, and to even iron your clothes.
It’s ridiculous! Besides, I have no secrets with Ronald. He knows what I did for a living, and he accepted me just the same. What about you Sandra?
Does your well-to-do lawyer boyfriend know that you hook on the side, besides working on your clothing like?”

Seething from being questioned, afterall she was the victim, Sandra said: -“I have ulterior motives for cultivating my relationship with Charles. He is just one of the few selective clients I cultivate to make ends meet while I strive to make this project work.

I am not on the streets or in bars hustling for any new business Cindy. Your accusation is unfair considering that I have to hustle to pay for all the bills, and for your salary as well.”

-“I see, so are you going to throw your help on my face. I am contributing you know, and I am only three months away from obtaining my associates degree in fashion design and marketing.
I am just this close to getting there Sandra. I hope that we don’t throw overboard the entire advances we’ve made over a petty amount of money.” Cindy said with hurt in her eyes.

-“I know Cindy. I’m sorry if I came on too strong; I guess I am just afraid. I am in fact terrified, that if Phillip found out about my side enterprise, that he would grow to despise me.

It’s my fault too. I should not have mixed business with pleasure, nor let this evolve from casual flirting to a deeply loving relationship. I just don’t know what to do, except that I do not want to lose him.” Sandra said with internal agony replacing the anger in her eyes.

-“You are risking too much, especially considering that he works in the law office which represents your subbie Charles. I hope this doesn’t come to back to bite you on the ass.”

-“I know honey, I know. I have created this image of the new me I am becoming, while still not fully detached out of sheer necessity, of the impedimenta which hinders my progress. Regardless, please don’t allow Ronald back in here ever again. He will simply never change.”

-“I know that Sandra, but I keep hoping. Yet, sometimes we think we don’t deserve any better, and it beats being all alone.” Cindy said.

-"This reminds me of something I heard once. There was a man used to cheating at gambling. One day he was found out, and the men playing with him threw him out of the second story window, where he incurred multiple injuries.

So he went to the sage master and told him of what had transpired. Then the master said to him, “Next time my son, make sure that you play on the first floor.”

The others came back to the master and asked him why he did not reprimand the cheater, and even helped him to do so in the future. Then the master said, “Because he will not change his ways. That is the level where he is now.”

Embracing once again, the two women dissolved the brewing animosity among them. Each had to give up what had become a burden, to lessen the baggage on their individual journey of self discovery.




Later that evening Sandra’s cell phone rings. She smiles when it reads Phillip’s name.

-“Hi!”

-“Missed me? I have.”

-“A little bit. How are you?” Sandra inquired.

-“A bit overwhelmed with so much work. Just for that reason, I forgot to tell you that there is a corporate event which is black tie affair. I am short of a lovely woman to take with me, so I thought that I would call on you. It’s this Saturday evening; can you be ready by seven?”

-“I guess so. Yes, I’d love to go with you.”

-“Good, It’s a date then. By the way, I can’t wait to see you.”

-“Me too.” Sandra said with a big smile which was perceived through the airwaves.





To be continued…


"The Creation" by Michael Parkes

Lovely Lady X

Sandra swallowed an aspirin, and rushed it down, with a gush of water.
She simply had too many things on her plate, which depleted her energy, and the sadistic play Charles requested at night, was getting to be a chore for her.

She found it perplexing that such an interesting man, who wielded so much power in his everyday life, would seek the need to be humiliated and castigated like a bad child.

Reflected on the vanity mirror, Sandra could make out Charles standing naked by the ironing board, except for a collar and leash attached to his neck. He was industriously ironing Sandra’s laundry at this time.

-“Charles, that is enough for this evening. I think that now I could really use a deep tissue massage.” Sandra said as she thought to employ Charles in a more productive way.

-“Yes Mistress. Please allow me to hang these quickly, or they will get wrinkled again.” Charles hastily proceeded to hang the ironed garments, and to place those in the closet.

While Charles massaged thoroughly the sole of her left foot, he had the temerity to request a sounding spanking.

-“I’ve been a very bad boy today Mistress. I really do deserve it.” Charles said as he licked and sucked her toes.

-“Okay. But, first work on my right shoulder and arm again. I am overworking my right side.” Sandra conceded.

Her arm throbbed from exertion. She brought down the paddle on Charles’ buttocks over and over again, until she thought the routine boring beyond expectation. Charles squirmed and braced himself, a glutton for more punishment. When the sensation became numbing, he called out for more.

-“Tell me that I’m a stupid, bad boy. Tell me that I’m good for nothing, and that I deserve this and more. TELL ME!” Charles pleaded once more.

Something snapped in Sandra. She dropped the wooden paddle on the floor and she leaned over Charles’ prone form. The images of Charles’ scarred backside, and of Cindy’s battered face juxtaposed in her mind.

Sandra could not endure this anymore. What was happening to humanity? She simply could not perpetuate the punishment to another human being. She desperately needed to retain a sliver of humanity to save herself.

-“Charles, turn around and look at me. LISTEN to me!” Sandra said this as she gathered Charles in her arms, and ran her hand through his hair. -“Listen to me Charles. You are not a bad boy. You are NOT stupid. You are a wonderful, lovable boy.
From now on, you must block out of your mind all the abuse that mean and vindictive people inflicted on you since you were a little boy. They simply manipulated you into thinking that you are bad.

You are very, very lovable, and I care so much for you. I care so much, that I can’t hurt you anymore. I can’t hurt you because you are precious. You are a beautiful, precious being, and I can only hold you, and help you feel better.

Our minds and bodies can be powerful tools for destruction, as well as they can make love, and create life, and beautiful thoughts.
I can’t hurt you anymore Charles. It injures me, to inflict pain on you. Let’s just lie here and hold each other close for tonight.” Sandra said with intent.

Charles didn’t say anything for a long time. He allowed Sandra to embrace him, and to soothingly caress his back.

After twenty minutes, he broke the silence. –“Can I still iron your clothes, and be of service you?”

-“Hmm…yeah. I guess you can. Besides finishing ironing my laundry, you can refer me to your attorney and accountant to help me set up my start-up business.” Sandra asked since he insisted on being of service.

-“Yes, mistress. I will do all of that.”

-“Just one more thing. Please stop calling me mistress, that irritates my nerves. From now on, simply call me by my name, and know that I love everything that you do for me.

You are such a good boy, and you make me very happy.” Sandra thought that she could live with this amended type of play.

-"Yes mistress. Oh, I'm sorry, my bad."

-"What did I say? Just so you will remember this, I want you to write out one hundred times, 'I will call Sandra by her name.' Next time you forget to call me as I have instructed you, I will double the length of lines which you must write."






To be continued…







"Puppet Master" by Michael Parkes

Lovely Lady IX

Sandra stood on the doorway when she was met by the grisly sight before her. She suppressed a gasp, as she stood in front of Cindy’s apartment door.

Tentatively, Sandra inched closer to Cindy and looked for a place to rest her lips to bestow a soft kiss on. Not finding any part of Cindy spared victimization; she opted to take hold of Cindy’s right hand.

-“What happened Cindy? Who did this to you?” Sandra softly whispered still in shock.

Looking out of her one good eye, Cindy responded, -“A new client. Someone I had never met before. He was one crazy son of a bitch. He broke one rib, and fractured my left wrist. Last, but not least, he broke my nose and lips.

He practiced his boxing technique on me, as if I were his punching bag. Don’t take a picture of me know OK? That’s why I didn’t go to the photo shoot. I lost a front tooth, when the crazy psycho kicked me on the mouth.
I think…I think that he would have shown more mercy towards a dog.

There are some crazy motherfuckers out there, who really hate women.” Cindy said through her swollen lips.

-“I’m so sorry about this Cindy. Why didn’t you call me before to see you in the hospital?”

-“I was in acute pain. I didn’t want you to see me this way. I’ll be Okay soon enough; it’s just the hazards of the job. Although, I do want you to help me get a new tooth; I can’t work like this you know.” Cindy almost managed a crooked smile, though it turned into a comical simile of one, and then it vanished when Cindy burst into tears.

Sandra gently embraced Cindy, ever careful of her multiple fractures and injuries.

-“I’m so sorry Cindy. Cry if you need to, but know this: He broke your nose, but not your spirit. No one can hurt you, if you don’t allow them to. Perhaps this is a sign that we are not meant to continue with this life. As soon as you feel ready, I want you to work for me.

I can’t give you a lot of money, but I can give you the tools for you to fish with. If you leave prostitution behind, I will help you with your tuition costs in a community college. You can also move in with me, and we will work from home.

This is no life Cindy, no matter how easily you think the money is. Just look in the mirror and you will see that it is not easy money at all.” Sandra persuaded Cindy to grab hold of the lifeline she offered.

-“Thank you Sandra. Thank you, for not giving up on me. Were you able to get a model for your free photo shoot?” Cindy asked once calmed down.

-“Nah, I had to do it myself. Well, one must improvise and wear different hats. The catalog will be out in two weeks, and there is lots of work to do. So, I hope that you get well soon, and we will go shopping for a faux gold tooth for you.” Sandra said between tears and silly laughter.



To be continued…

Lovely Lady VIII

-“Marta, do you know why there is animosity between Charles and his stepsister? What’s the deal with them?” Sandra asked Marta while she had breakfast in the kitchen as was customary for her, so that she would spend more time talking with Marta.

-“All I can tell you is that since his stepmother died six months ago, the feud escalated between them for the fortune Mr. Charles feels rightly belongs to him. It seems from I have overheard here, and there that when his father widowed, Mr. Charles was a very young boy. His father remarried his stepmother, and she already had a daughter from a previous marriage.

His father died a few years into his second marriage, and left the bulk of his estate to his son, yet for his wife to manage until he became of legal age. When the old woman died, there was a dispute for the fortune, which in part his stepmother had always had a majority of control.

She lived in this house too until her dying day, and ruled the house and the companies with an iron hand. She was extremely abusive to Mr. Charles all the time. She would severely scold him, as if he were ten years old.

-“I see that pattern with his stepsister too. The verbal abuse, I mean.” Sandra said with a little understanding as to why perhaps Charles relished the physical and verbal abuse inflicted upon him.

-“How is your catalog coming along?” Marta inquired to change the subject.

-“It’s beautiful, and very professional. It should be ready in two weeks. I just need to tie up loose ends, and form the corporation, and a myriad of other things. It’s hard though to do it by myself. I don’t what’s happened to my friend. I am very worried about her. She had not gotten back to me in a week.

-“I’m sure she is fine. You could always call the police and place a missing person’s report.”

-“Yes, but calling the police is the last resort. I will wait a few more days.” Sandra said weighing her options.

-“WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?” You disregarded our appointment for the catalog shoot, and didn’t even bother to call me to cancel, so that I could have found a replacement?” Sandra said into the telephone receiver.

-“Can you just please come over to my apartment Sandra? I could use a good friend.” Cindy said.

-“Where were you all this time?” Sandra inquired.

-“I was in the hospital. Please come see me Sandra.” Cindy begged.


To be continued..