By, Karen Lee Stradford Lillian Maria-You’re the first personto show metrue love,teach meto respect myself,othersand worship God. My best friend-It’s difficult to express exactlyhow much you mean to me.Somehow, no adjective seems suitable.You’re a proud lady who knowsshe’s blessedand leads…
By: Bruno Rescigna A Midnight Walk Around My Neighborhood The peace and safety of daylightgive way to the suspicions of darkness. Sounds imperceptible in daylightgrow ominous in the night’s quiet.A leaf scraping across a sidewalkcould be a footstep.Parked cars become…
By: Rina Olsen The laptop shut with a curt clack. He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair, pushing a sigh out from puckered lips. His hand curled around the tiny chocolate box, which screamed can you find…
By: J. Ross Archer Tommy Stone, a fourth grader with a deformed leg, watches his colleagues playing softball. The resident bully, Clyde Bedingfield, walks by Tommy, bumping him with a knee and sending him sprawling. Tommye is slow getting up,…
By: Karen Lee Stradford We grew up together,next door neighbors.Our siblings close in ages, like steps. We were always full of life, playinghide and seek in the backyard,running around the basesand riding our bikesto the corner store for snacks. We…
By: Jim Bates Early morning sun.Casting golden glowing light.Dewy grass sparkles. Summertime gardenFlowers blooming cheerfullyRefreshing the soul. Fresh corn-on-the-cob.Sweet golden and white kernelsTasting of summer.
By: Ramlal Agarwal Ruth Prawer Jhabvala came to India in 1951 after her marriage to an Indian Parsi architect and settled in a posh locality of Delhi. She had earned her M.A. from London University by writing a thesis about…
By: Ramlal Agarwal The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje was declared the Golden Man Booker winner, a special one-off award to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Booker Foundation in 2018. It was chosen as the best work of fiction…
By: Raymond Greiner The year was 1947, my seventh. On Saturday mornings my Dad accompanied me to the YMCA for swimming lessons. We took the streetcar from Vienna, WV to Parkersburg, a six-mile trip. The streetcar clattered, as the operator…
By William T. Hathaway Humanity is in crisis. Our social structures are crumbling. Institutions that had seemed secure are now breaking apart. Politicians are figures of contempt. Once-respected news sources are distrusted. Schools have devolved into internment camps. A dozen…