Thursday, May 29, 2014

Smoochyface

 

“Ugh. He’s messaging you again. I get a weird vibe from him.”
“He’s harmless.”
“I know he’s harmless, but I think there is more than friendship in his head.”
“I told him I’m not interested in anything more.”
“I know, but I get a weird vibe. I think the messages are kind of leading him on.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Okay.”
Phone vibrates.
“Can you get that, I’m painting my toenails.”
“It says, ‘I’m going to bed, smoochyface, I’ll talk to you later. I think the kids call it duckface. I call it smoochyface.’”
“Bullshit, what does it really say?”
“That is what it really says. I told you, I got a weird vibe.”
“Give me the phone. Holy shit. What the hell! What does that mean?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it… smoochyface.”
 
 
 
 
 

Super Dad




“Where is he, mom?”

“You know your father. He’ll be here. Has he ever missed the important days?”

“Seriously?!” I ticked off countless events on my fingers. “Really, mom, do you want me to keep going?”

“But this is your Med School graduation. I’m sure he’ll be here.”

“I know he’s a busy man, but this is getting ridiculous. He always puts everyone else first.”

“Look, here he comes.”

“No, that’s a bird.”

“Is that him?”

“Nope, that’s a plane.”

“Oh yeah… how about that?”

“No... wait, that’s him.”

“Sorry I’m late, son.”

“It’s okay, dad. I'm glad you're here.”

 

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Claire




I live my life in a series of flashes. Jumping from event to event never quite knowing how I got there. The only constant has ever been Claire. She has been there for as long as I could remember. Usually provoking me into doing things that I didn’t really want to do, but I always felt comfortable with her. Even if I wanted to, I was helpless to keep her away. When I woke up she was there lying next to me with a smirk on her face, like she knew something that I didn’t. She was always there.

I knew she was a problem, but she was my problem. I connected my identity to her. For better or worse she was part of me. I believed that until I was standing over the beaten and bloody body of a man who bumped into me in a bar. The events are sketchy. I remember not wanting to hurt him. I was happy to walk away, but Claire wouldn’t let that happen. She pushed me to do something. “Are you going to take that? You’re not a man! You don’t deserve me. Don’t be such a pussy!”

I told her it was okay, but she kept prodding. I screamed at her to leave me alone. The patrons looked at me like I was crazy, but she kept pushing. “I’ll leave if you don’t handle this. Then what will you do? You can’t live without me. Be a man.”

The security camera had to tell the rest of the story. I picked up the bottle of Allagash White that I had been drinking and brought it down on the back of this poor guys unsuspecting head spilling beer and blood on the distressed wooden floor. He crumbled. I stopped on the screen. I looked at the body and then off screen. I must have been looking at her. The bouncer lurched towards me, but I dropped with the remains of the brown glass bottle in my hand and landed it on the man’s neck just under his chin with the full weight of my body on top. Frothy pink bubbles spilled from the fresh wound as he gasped for air.

I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up in an emergency room handcuffed to a hospital bed with a uniformed officer outside the room. Claire was nowhere to be seen. I was woozy and drifted off again. When I came to I saw her through the glass window in the waiting room. I half wished she hadn’t come, but I was glad she did.

She threw the officer a smile and then walked right past him and came into the room. Why would he let her come in? I had to be in some pretty serious shit. She looked me in the eyes and told me how proud of me she was. I screamed at her, “Do you realize what you did? Do you realize that we are not going to be able to be together anymore?” She laughed. The officer opened the door and barked at me to shut up. Clair mocked him. I laughed. She could always make me laugh.

A doctor came in to talk to me. Claire sat quietly in the corner. He asked me how I felt. I told him I was fine, that I wasn’t hurt. He said he knew that I wasn’t hurt. He wanted to know how I felt. Claire laughed again. I told her to be quite. The doctor asked who I was talking to. Claire introduced herself. He ignored her so I introduced her. The doctor was polite to Claire and then excused himself from the room.

When he returned he had a syringe and vial marked Haldol. Claire started to panic; I asked what the needle was for. I felt fine. All he said was that it would help. Claire was yelling, telling me not to let him give it to me. I struggled; the officer came into the room and I stopped. He gave me the injection.

Claire stopped panicking. She looked at me with depressed eyes, turned silently and opened the door to the emergency room treatment bay. She stepped through. I called after her, “Don’t go. Where are you going? I need you. Don’t leave me.”

She never looked back, she just kept walking.
 

Monday, May 26, 2014

Last Night



singletail


She moaned a little different; her hips softly gyrated with the sting. I surveyed my work, the lovely shades of red that would soon give way to purples and yellows. I traded the koa paddle for the single-tail. Time to get serious.


Friday, May 23, 2014

Unwanted Changes

Unwanted Changes

PHOTO PROMPT Copyright - Erin Leary
Copyright – Erin Leary


It’s the Sunday mornings alone with him I miss the most. We would follow the old post and rail fence down the country road to the pond at the edge of our property. It’s been a while since he had the desire to go fishing with me. It’s been a while since he had the desire to do anything.

The happiness was replaced by rage, the smiles with scowls, and the undying love with anger. Where did my baby go? This is not how an eight-year-old should be. I would give my life for one more smile.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Difficult Decisions


It’s hard to believe a year has passed.
My heart still lays on the asphalt where it happened.
Time heals all wounds.
Bullshit! Nothing can heal this.
Living without them isn’t really living.
Halcion or the 9mm?
Not much of a choice.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Survivor


 
Lined up at the edge of the shallow trench arm-in-arm with my brothers, soldiers behind. I stare at the abundance of worms churning the fresh soil below. “FIRE!” I feel nothing, we fall together. Fighting tears, I lay still. Earth covers us.


Friday, May 9, 2014

Too Late


There she was… in an instant I was alive…
Through each moment… she brings life to me…
Our short time… our brief journey… happiness and sorrow…
She lies still… her breath has left…
The crow sits where the Cuban Emerald once flew.