Zebrina the cat takes a romp

Zebrina lept onto the window seat making certain she didn’t upset the plants and the many yogurt containers full of muddy potting soil. What, she wondered sulkily, was her human thinking? Didn’t she know this was her spot for sunning herself? So, why did her human insist on crowding it with these stupid pots? She couldn’t grow a tomato if her life depended on it. You’d think she’d figure it out by now. As for the catnip... well, it had been delicious. Wished she grow some more.

A Dominican Christmas

Loupe loved Christmas. The abundant music, tons of family, the garish lights, lavish decorations, the infectious joy and the food, oh, that wonderful, only-available-during-the-holidays food! She could never get enough of that. And her family always seemed to out-do themselves every year. It was as if they only wanted to cook during the holidays.

“What’s this called, Maria?” Loupe asked already dishing some up before getting an answer.

“Choriso and mangu made with platano maduro,” Maria replied.

“Oh, I love that stuff! And this?” Loupe went to the next bowl and took a huge scoop.

Maria smiled and said,  “Mondongo but you won’t want me to tell you what’s in it so don’t ask.”

“Who cares what’s in it?  I love that stuff,” Loupe gushed. “What are these?”  She took several.

Accidental friends, part 2

He groaned. That was not what he wanted to hear. “You’re not serious, Lisa. We were just... it was nothing to get all bent out of shape about. Nothing to get divorced over anyway. Jason’s not really going to get another wife.”

“I’m not bent out of shape,” she said indignant. “I thought things over and I finally got to see it through your eyes or rather through the eyes of the male animal. That is what you said you are, isn’t it? Nothing better than monkeys and apes, as I recall.”

“Uh....sort of, yeah. I said it was our natural inclination to have multiple partners. It’s in our genes.”

“And in your jeans. Yeah, I know,” she added with a distasteful look. She waved a dismissive hand. “Same difference. The point is I agree with you and that’s why I want a divorce but you know what that idiot said to me?”

Accidental friends, part 1

Kyle knew she’d be there. She always was. Of course  her fiery red head would be virtually impossible to miss anywhere even from the top of the skyscraper whose construction he was currently supervising.  But now that the trees were all leafed out spotting her from this vantage point was not so easy. He, however, was certain she would be there, although he wasn’t positive she would want to talk to him today. Their last conversation had been a heated one.

 So it was with some trepidation he crossed the street to the park, leaving his hectic work day behind for a precious hour, his favorite Tim Horton’s coffee  in one hand and his lunch in the other. He made a bee-line to the usual place, the picnic table just under a Pink Horse chestnut tree. Not that he knew a chestnut tree from a maple. Lucky for him Lisa did and explained to him with obvious adoration how her husband always sneezed his head off when they were in bloom.

“Good thing he’s not here then, huh?” Kyle had said looking up at the huge and highly fragrant flowers hanging off the pretty tree. He had to admit he never noticed them before. That was three months ago. He couldn’t believe it only had been that long since they’d met. It felt as if they’d known each other for decades.

A poem: To no longer be shackled

In an odd twist of things, I wrote a rare poem. A definite departure from my usual short stories, to be sure. It just sort of hit me one day. I wrote it down and here you have it. Being I know very little about poetry, I'd advise you not to expect too much.

To no longer be shackled