What grace given as redemptioncan this grace be now? she wonders,walking past his corner againin the glassy white glare of 6 o’clock,seeing what little is leftof what he gave his life to. This was a man who worked the same jobfor twenty-seven years, fixing machinesmade by other men, machines meant to breakfrom wear, from neglect, from war.A man who worked in a concrete boxon the corner of Patterson and Mainin a soiled, quarter-sleeved jumpsuit,washing away the work each nightback home – c...| The Bookends Review
In all the horror movies I’ve ever seen, the haunted are powerless to the ghosts who do the haunting. Ghosts invariably arrive on their own terms: a quick flash of their reflection in the bathroom mirror when the victim wipes away steam; a vase that, unprovoked, falls to the floor and shatters at the living’s feet; a shiver that raises goosebumps all over a grieving lover’s body on the hottest day of the year; a disembodied moan outside a widow’s bedroom window on a windless night. So...| The Bookends Review
People claim to have been crushed by love.I doubt it.Alien compression most likely, pressed for time,squeezed into a photo booth or lostin the grip of gravity. I often contemplatewhat 3 Gs might do to an unwary spine.But I won’t take the fall, there’s still spring in my step.Once on a field trip I gazed out the windowof a trans-galactic express and immense objectsappeared out of nowhere, threatening to demolish the ship.I rubbed my lucky wart and secured safe passagefor saint and sinner a...| The Bookends Review
The rustling sound and movement in the bushes alarmed him. When he had lain down in the darknessbefore, it seemed that there was nothing in the nearby woods that would be a problem. Suddenly,he felt that might not be the case. As he shaded his eyes from the bright, hot light above, he began to seethe creature stepping into the clearing where he had slept. Surprisingly, it looked like him, somewhat, butwas different in unfamiliar ways. Its movements were graceful and determined, showing no sig...| The Bookends Review
This story based on Stephen King’s prompt in his book “On Writing” comes with a 30-year delay. Did she have an imaginary friend? Yes, she did. Nelly would say he was quite real, even if other people could not see him. His name was Sinbad like the cartoon character. He had huge dark eyes, tawny-brown skin, a turban and those funny pointy-toed shoes on his feet. Sinbad came to her house when her mother moved out. Her mother Jivka changed her name to Jane when she left for London. Sinbad k...| The Bookends Review
Sometimes I wonder if everyone doesn’t need someone to missA peg where they can hang that heartache hatAnd its miles of cloudsIts volume of sleepless sadness.You are the doorway through which my mourning passes.We could not house happinessBut you remain safely in my heartWinnowing the sadness. – Jenny McBride| The Bookends Review
