The dust sparkles in the dim beams of light from the soiled windows, and I trip over a sheet meant to cover a canvas, sending a stack of paintings like dominos to the floor.

“Do you have any idea what you just did?” Jake asks me.

“Probably nothing good.”

Low moans emanate from the floor and turn to shrieks with the volume down, pitiful cries from pitiful souls, all of them trapped here in their portraits.

“We never should have come in here,” Jake says.

“But we have to find dad!”

“Do you really want to find him in here?… Read the rest

“I ran to the market -“

“No, you sauntered.”

“They didn’t have what you needed.”

“You didn’t look hard enough.”

“Well, I had to be back by 10!”

“You should have gone to other markets.”

“But I didn’t have time!”

“Then you make time, child. Did you do your chores?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“This floor is still dirty and the dishes are sitting in the rack.”

“I’ll take care of everything ma’am, I promise, please just give me a chance.”

“All you’ve gotten from me are chances you haven’t deserved, no more!”

Then I walked away knowing it would never get … Read the rest

“Did you bring it?”

“Wasn’t that the point of coming here?”

“Let’s see it.”

“This place is busy, you want me to take it out now?”

“Yes, yes!”

The man opened the kerchief in the palm of his hand and revealed the diamond, nearly the size of a golf ball, rare, clean, and uncut.

“Where’d you find it?”

“I’ll never tell.”

“Good evening, gentlemen, can I get either of you something to drink?”

“Looks like you are pretty busy in here tonight, maybe we’ll just leave.”

“Yeah, it might be best to go somewhere more private to make this deal.”… Read the rest

He slams the cash on the counter. “I need a bouquet with a hidden meaning.” He’s not the first to ask.

“What meaning, sir?”

“Murder.”

“Murder again!?” the shopkeeper exclaimed.

She puttered around the room and talked:

“Well, my heavens, sometimes I wish I didn’t keep promises, like when I promised to keep this shop open after my grandmother died. She passed the magic along to me, though. Don’t worry, dear. I’ll solve your problem.”

She presented him a bouquet of the deepest red roses, and he watched her spray them with something.

“Don’t sniff – only her.”

“Who?”

“Your … Read the rest

I am Atlas with the world on my back.
I am the poor soul with the albatross on my neck.
I am pushing this rock up and up and up
this hill like Sisyphus with not
even a hope let alone a promise
of relief.

There’s only so much I
can hurt in my heart before
I decide to set down the weight
of the things holding me back,
and things you’re piling
on top of me to carry.

One day I’ll either lose
my strength or my will,
but either way, that is when
I will lose you, finally.… Read the rest