GARY CLIFTON: Grounds for Divorce

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

“Sir,” the judge said somberly, “the court hereby grants your wife’s petition for divorce. Do you understand, sir, that I have also awarded her one thousand dollars per month as support?”

“That’s right kindly of you, Judge. Perhaps I can kick in a few bucks myself, from time to time.”

Gary Clifton, forty years a cop, has been shot at, shot, stabbed, lied to and about, and frequently misunderstood. He has short fiction pieces published with over a hundred venues, has published a novel in national paperback, and blogs at bareknucklethoughts.org.

NANCY HAINES: Better Late

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

“I have wanted to be a writer for most of my life. I’m 62 years old. If I don’t start now, I may never do it.”

With that shocking realization, yet with no story she could think to tell, Sadie closed her laptop and gently slipped away from her desk.

Nancy Haines finally published her first two books after she passed 62 years old. She is looking for her next story. She currently has “Twitter-block” but someday hopes to learn to tweet. See more at pleasantgreenbooks.com.

Editor: And yet, Nancy, it looks like you got those fingers typing away after all!

RONALD LINSON: Arrival Time

Amusing, Submissions, , , ,

A small airplane roared in, clipping treetops before smashing between two trees on the ninth hole, tearing off both wings. Terrified golfers dialed 9-1-1.

In minutes a fire engine lumbered across the fairway. “What happened?” a firefighter asked the pilot.

“Don’t ask me,” the pilot replied. “I just got here.”

Ronald Linson lives in New York City. He has a number of stories and poems at bewilderingstories.com, and is currently working on a young adult fantasy novel.

MARY PENNER: Hold On

Poetry, Submissions, Touching, , , ,

You’re feeling down
And a little lonely too
I have come around
To be close to you
Hold on, I am here
Hold on, cry those tears

Soon you will see
As we join hands
We’ll do this, you and me
You’ll smile and understand
Hold on, dry those tears

Mary has written poetry since age ten and continues to do so. She is also writing short stories and enjoys being a member of a writing group.

ALISON WOODHOUSE: Mother Tongue

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

Release the dictionary eaten whole, the bird swallowing a fish, in case it chokes you. Escape the mind fog. Unburden your broken back.

Let the old words butterfly your face, your hands, colour you gold, purple, red and blue.

Let them undo your reinvention: unearth the person you’ve always been.

Alison Woodhouse writes short and long fiction, has work forthcoming in Ellipsis 3 and Leicester Writes Anthology, has been short- and long-listed in various competitions, and has won Adhoc and matter magazine competitions.

CONNELL WAYNE REGNER: Incurable

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

As the gates of Hell locked behind him he felt he had one more chance.

He’d lost his job, house, family, and now his soul. Unperturbed, he strode towards Satan and his entourage.

He only needed to think of one more thing to gamble with to make it all disappear.

Connell doesn’t need to gamble, as putting pen to paper is risky enough. He never knows where the words might take him.

JEAN LLOYD: Reality

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , ,

Lingering between sleep and wakefulness, she savours that moment when light starts to pierce her eyelids, before reality dawns.

The drapes, stirred by the breeze, create flickers of light and then shadow.

She listens, hearing only her own gentle, rhythmic breathing.

Disruption, when it comes, is sudden, loud, cruel: MUM!!!

Jean enjoys writing short stories now that the birds have flown and she has more time. She would welcome a return of the disruption, though!

HARRY DEMAREST: The Boy Who Believed in Monsters

Amusing, Submissions, , , , , ,

Big Gerald wanted to show Little Jerry that there were no monsters, so he locked his son in the basement.

An hour later, Gerald let Little Jerry out. “See? No monsters.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy, there is a monster. It’s very hungry!” Little Jerry sobbed. “I told it you were bigger.”

Harry Demarest wrote this story. The first draft was 1836 words.

BILL DIAMOND: Hubris

Adventure, Amusing, Submissions, , , , ,

Achilles removed his armor.

His servant announced, “The soldiers wish to celebrate your victory over Hector. I’ll re-attach your anklet.”

He waved him away. “I don’t need it just to drag a body before the gates of Troy.”

Achilles taunted the Trojans, then felt the deadly bite of Paris’ arrow.

Bill Diamond is a writer in Evergreen, Colorado, whose initial work has appeared in The MacGuffin, Eastern Iowa Review and Windmill and other publications. See more at bdiamondwriting.com.