Bathed in the warm glow of the spotlight, she bowed to the applause of the patrons calling for more. She sat at the baby grand. The music flowed from her soul. A harsh voice burst the bubble of her dream. “Get back to work!” Rising slowly, she brushed at her stained tunic, grabbed her broom, and limped toward…
The use of computers and the introduction of the internet rendered office supplies nearly obsolete. But, still, every business had a room full. I took off my lab coat and donned a cheap suit. I bought as much of the unwanted stock as possible. People were happy to rid themselves of their unnecessary junk. At least, that was before the…
Clémence was the spirit of mercy, kindness, gentleness. She looked around the world, and found very little of it. Gone was goodwill toward a fellow-sojourner in life, love for a neighbor of a different sort, and good cheer for a holiday season. As Clémence journeyed, she fell into despair. She petitioned the Highest to change her essence. It was granted, and she…
Just because I have white hair doesn’t mean my head is full of cottage cheese. I have seen and experienced the beginning up until now. I watched the sky as they arrived. No one heeded my warnings. They secretly assimilated into our way of life. They destroyed all that was dear. Everything considered old and outdated was replaced with shiny…
Walking along the road of life, Rebecca fell through the cracks. In the gloomy world below, she felt compelled to follow the darkened passageways that spiraled downward. “I can do this,” she whispered numbly. “No, you can’t,” the voices hissed. She stumbled yet kept moving. At long last, she declared, “I can do this!” A tunnel…
The following photos are my contribution to Thursday Doors, a door-lovers group hosted by Dan Antion over at “No Facilities.” ~~ This week’s post is a continuation of one I did in September. In our part of southern France, the “transformer sheds” have been beautified. I discovered this shed on a walk my husband and I took…
Before her mother died, she said to Jyothi, “It is not safe. You must hide. If no one sees you, you don’t exist.” Living on the streets, Jyothi learned to acquire what she needed without being seen. Abandoned alleyways. Cardboard houses. Trash bin meals. Sitting in a doorway one bright sunny day, loneliness squeezed her chest. Jyothi cried out-loud, “If…
The following photos are my contribution to Thursday Doors, a door-lovers group hosted by Norm Frampton. ~~ Two weeks ago, my husband and I went for a nice walk to an equestrian center outside Perpignan proper. We breathed deep the crisp air and enjoyed the beautiful countryside and the big blue sky. On our way to the…
The blur of a man beckoned from outside the glass door. I walked through. Strings of popcorn, homemade chains, candy canes, and ornaments hung from the sparkling tree in the corner of the room. I sat on the floor, a little girl, amid the joyful chaos of Christmas day. After the last bright package was opened, she stood before…
I run through the maze of the narrow cobblestone streets and alleyways, hemmed in by stone facades and boarded up store fronts. With dead ends and wrong turns, how do I find my way out? Terror shivers down my spine. It whispers at my back. I wake with a start. Cowering in an abandoned doorway, the fear finds…
The following photos are my contribution to Thursday Doors, a door-lovers group hosted by Norm Frampton. ~~ For the third and final week, the featured doors are ones my daughter, Sarah, captured in Collioure. Collioure is a quaint town in the southern French department of Pyrénées-Orientales, located along the Vermillion Coast. There are … interesting pedestrian…
The following photos are my contribution to Thursday Doors, a door-lovers group hosted by Norm Frampton. ~~ As promised last week, this week I am featuring more doors my daughter, Sarah, captured in Collioure from October 2019. Collioure is a lovely town along the Vermillion Coast in southern France. “The pearl of the Vermillion Coast, the…
