Thursday, May 26, 2011

Through the Eyes of a Soldier

His eyes demanded attention; looking away was not an option. Something reflected there told me he had seen things the rest of us could never begin to imagine.

Through the eyes of a soldier I live each day. They haunt me each time I look into the mirror, my breath catching as cold gray steel glares back at me.

When I dream, I see only what he has been through while serving two tours. I do not know the names of the men that have tried to kill me or those that I have killed in order to survive. I am haunted by the faces of the men, women and children encountered in war.

Each day I felt more of my own identity slip away as Sergeant Eli Stevens crept deeper into my mind. If I had known what accepting this transplant would mean to my sanity, I would have chosen to go blind.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Short Stories: Inspired by the Paintings of Marilyn Knell

Jungle Night...Inspired by the paintings of Marilyn Knell


As the sun sets, the moon and stars take their places high in the sky. The purple glittering glow of the jungle night creates a rather magical sight.

The lion, tired from his busy day, lies down under a tree in the tall grass and watches out over the land. His mane shines as the sparkling stars reflect on the watering hole nearby.

The elephant's massive size as he huddles with his family makes it hard to tell one from another.

The zebra keeps a watchful eye on the night, paying close attention to his surroundings as he prepares to rest.

Baby gorilla takes one more glance at this magical sight before she cuddles up to her mother for the rest of the night.




7-2010





Surprise for Leo

Hunkered down in the tall grass, the king of beasts closely watched the herd picking out the weaker one. He was in no mood to hunt; the lioness should be out here, not him. He yawned and settled waiting for the right moment to pounce. If he was lucky, maybe the weakling would move closer. As far as Leo was concerned, the less running he had to do the better.

He preferred to be laying in the shade of his tree. Usually, on hot days, he would be napping not stalking prey. Leo looked around, careful to move slowly, so as not to give away his presence to dinner. Taking his eyes from his target for only a second, he looked back to find the herd had suddenly went on the move.

So much for a simple kill, Leo sprang from his hiding place giving little thought to what had spooked the herd. He stopped in his tracks. Accustomed to fearing nothing, it was not often that he was caught off guard. Seeing the irony in being taken by surprise a slightly amused yet stunned expression crossed his face.



5-2011