~*~ “Matyas, what are you doing?” “Playing Liszt on a sad, old piano,” replied Matyas as he fumbled over the bass clef of an abandoned, battle-bruised upright. “But, we are in the midst of battle.” “I play anyway.” He culled from memory the patterns of finger play for the opening bars of the Hungarian Rhapsody. His lately unpracticed, … More Buying Time
~*~ “Which, of all the goodbyes in your life has been the hardest so far?” Manda, my inquisitive 12-year-old niece, has asked the impossible. Good grief. How do you tell a child, albeit an old soul, about the painful goodbye to lost youth? How do you get the young to understand that all that lies between youth and old age … More The Hard Question
#FWF Memory Prompt: Write about your earliest memory. Good, bad, happy or sad. Before you begin, take time to dwell in that memory. Absorb everything you can about it. What you see, what you smell, what you hear and mostly, how you feel. Let it resonate. Marinate your mind in that one moment. Then begin. … More Alfie
~*~ “There’s a gentleman I’d like you to meet,” announces my dear friend, Sara Bartholomew-McCreedy with a rustle of silk and wink of an eye. I’m a young, childless widow, thanks to the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, and this outing is a rare treat after a year of mourning. They say “Missing in Action” … More The Stranger
~*~ The gentle gypsy gestures for me to stand beside her. I move over yet keep my distance, still feeling my uncertainty. “Good,” Erzebet’s voice is comforting. “Just a few things I would say before you enter the Sacred Circle of Hidden Wisdom.” She smiles reassuringly, noting my discomfiture. “Don’t worry, you are perfectly safe as … More Lost and Found … Part III
My heart leaps. What could this exotic woodland gypsy possibly mean? She doesn’t stop to explain, but continues her slow march through an archway of Sumac and into the thicket with the noble Chiron by her side. This twist in our encounter intrigues me. My power to resist squelched. Chiron has shot his golden arrow into my heart … More Lost and Found … Part II
Prompt: Late summer. You’re wandering, lost in the woods. You come across a gypsy wagon, and you call out…”hello?” ~*~ “Hello! Is anyone there?” The Gypsy Vanner stands quietly beside me. Such a docile giant I’ve just found wandering lost in the woods. I give him a gentle pat on his strong yet soft piebald neck, his … More Lost and Found
~*~ “Oooh, will you look at that! Look at what she’s wearing?” Ethel did as her sister bade and turned to see Poe’s bride sashaying formidably down the aisle. “I say, isn’t that a treat, then?” exclaimed Ethel with some enthusiasm. “Whad’r’ya sayin’?” moped Mable. “It’s ‘orrendous!” “What are you saying, you myopic mad woman? This is tremendous! Dark … More It Takes All Kinds
“It might also be possible that the world has whatever meaning you attach or, perhaps bring, to it,” Aunt Rose cautioned Sally. “Never take what anyone says at face value. Always explore something and measure it against your own truth. And, if you don’t know what your truth is, seek it out.” “How do I do that, auntie?” young … More Ignorance Is Rarely Bliss
~*~ Abandoned in the woods of my mind The music I used to make. The songs I used to sing. The choral symphonies and A cappella wonders that resonated So deeply at the time I could never Imagine my life without them. Then life happened. A new chapter unfolded. A change of direction. The … More Music Never Dies
Shedding Light on the Family Tree 