Aldous and Francis

     Aldous was always covered in crumbs and lint, or fluff, or bits of string, or dust or dandruff.  He had long ceased brushing away the detritus that clung to him like iron filings on a magnet.  In contrast his fraternal twin Francis suffered from a fastidiousness that verged on effete.  Francis picked and brushed and preened with expert hands.  Through constant obsessive effort he maintained a large wardrobe of black jeans and itchy turtleneck sweaters.
     Mary, their mother, loved her boys deeply and as equally as she could but against her will it was Francis who pulled harder on her affections.  Aldous was a fussy mother's worst nightmare.  No amount of spit and polish could banish the blob of mustard that alternated between corners of his mouth and occasionally his eyebrow.  As a grown man with a full beard and mustache Mary couldn't even look at him.  Thank God  for neat, trim, clean-shaven Francis.
     He could calm and soothe her every neurosis related to cleanliness just by entering a room.  It was like he was statically charged in reverse.  Cat hair, dust motes, and dirt visible or otherwise seem to flee before his tidy aura.  Stains dragged into the house by clumsy witless Aldous removed themselves from carpets, drapes, and upholstery whenever Francis was near.

Lunch Break

     Lizbette prided herself on utilizing her 45 minute lunch break to its fullest potential every day.  She sat on the cool concrete bench in the center of the park opposite her accountancy firm contemplating the duck pond and crunching on a rice cake.  Her thoughts drifted serenely as the plump waterfowl dabbled and dove as if they were entertaining her.  She thought of order and chaos and how somebody should tell those peacefully disorganized ducks to line up and swim in an orderly fashion.  They reminded her of children in a playground.  Grubby little humans in need of a stern talking to, a face-wipe, and some rules.  Not like numbers.  Those things knew their place values.  She chuckled at her own little joke.
     No.  Numbers were too easy.  They did what she told them to, they always lined up.  What Lizbette craved was an outlet and a challenge.  She liked yelling and stomping; shushing others and telling people what to do; making them line up and walk instead of run.  She imagined steamrolling little dreams under the inevitable force of reason and immovable objective realism.  "It is no difficulty to bring order to order, but order to chaos that is the eternal struggle."  She waxed philosophical under her breath.  Then suddenly, with the crisp final bite of the rice cake an epiphany.  "I should have been a school teacher!"
     Startled ducks quacked in alarm and dismay.  Some even took flight, albeit briefly, at their lone audience member's uncharacteristic expostulation.  They waggled their tails and dipped their heads at the unexpected rudeness, then returned to their ballet firm in the knowledge the show must go on.  

Barney

     Barney pretended surprise when Candace shyly revealed her glass eye.  "I hadn't noticed."  He boldly lied.  In fact the eye had initially drawn him to her.  Even now at the heady apex of a three-week whirlwind of innocent hand-holding romance it remained the focus of his hidden carnal agenda.

She Sits

She sits in her cool dark basement,
Patiently counting the cats on the walls,
and stubbornly resists the madman who calls.
She persists while he insists
that she and the cats,
aren't really there at all.

Sunday Morning Waffles - The Reprise - A Stream of Consciousness Conversation

What time is it?
I don't know
It's time to get up.
No it isn't.
Come on, I'm hungry.
I'm tired.
Dad!!
The kid's are up.  The sun is up.  Make some breakfast.
You make breakfast!
Daaad!  Make breakfast!!
Fine.  Do you want cereal?
Waffles!  Waffles!  Waffles!
Do we have bacon?
Bacon!  Bacon!  Bacon!
I think so.  You'll have to check.
Why don't you check!?
Dad!  Don't be grouchy!
Fine.  Help me up and go to the kitchen.

We need a measuring cup...that's a drinking cup, we need a measuring cup...No a measuring...I'll get it.  This is a measuring cup.  Get the bowl.  The plastic one.  Good, now hold it.
I wanted to!
You get the flour.
I wanted to get the flour!
Fine, you take the bowl, and you get the flour.  Don't spill it.  Careful, grab it by the...no don't!...Get the broom.  How much is left?  Let me see...There's enough, we only need two cups.
Can I scoop it?
I'll do it.
Why can't I?
You're holding the bowl.  How about I scoop and you pour it in?
But I wanted to do that!
You pour the first cup, and you can pour the second.  One...Two...Good...Now sweep up the floor please...The floor...I'll do it.  Get the salt.  Stop! Don't pour it in, we only need half a teaspoon.  And a teaspoon and a half of baking powder.  No not baking soda, the powder...in the can not the carton.  Good.
What's it taste like.
Like powder.
Can I try some?
Uh...Sure.
Hey! Don't let her eat that!
It tastes funny.
Oh yeah?
Did you find the bacon yet?
I haven't even looked, we just started.  Okay 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and now 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
I'll get it!
No don't!  The lid's not...on...Sweep it up please.  There should be enough left in the jar.  Fill up the teaspoon.  Good, now put it in.
I wanted to do that!
You dumped most of the cinnamon on the floor!  Clean it up.
Mom!
Your Dad said clean it up.  I don't think we have any bacon.  Do we have sausages?
I don't know.  Can you get a cup of water and a cup of milk and pour them in?  I need a big spoon.
I have to wash my hands.
Fine, can you do it after you clean the floor?
Sure.
I'm still holding the bowl!
Good, give it here.  Get two eggs, the whisk, and another bowl.
Here's the water and the milk.
Good, pour it in.  Carefully, not on my...It's ok just a little spilled.  Stir the rest in until everything is smooth.
Dad how do I do the eggs?
Crack them on the bowl.  Now pull out the shells... We need to separate the yolks.  Like this.
Ewww!!!
Look Dad, I'm stirring!
Good, now stir in these yolks.
Ewww!!!
Take a fork and whip the egg whites until they're stiff.
Ha, ha.  You said stiff.
Not funny girls.  Stir a little more slowly, don't spill.
Are the sausages ready?
What sausages dear?
I asked you for sausages.
You what?  When?...I didn't...I think we have some bacon, just wait.  Is the dog outside?
Yes, he's barking.
Let him in please.
My arm hurts.
I'll finish the egg whites, you get a teaspoon of vanilla and two teaspoons of apple sauce.
Okay now what?
Put them in.
Why do we use applesauce?
It replaces the oil.
Why?
It just does.
The dog's barking at the neighbors.
Then let him in!  Can you get the bacon out of the fridge?
Fine.  Come.  Inside.  Now.  Come, come on...he's not coming.
Come!  Inside!  Now!  Good boy.
I think I'll shower.
Good idea, pass me the frying pan, I found the bacon.  How many pieces?
3!
6!
5!
All of it!
Two each then.  The egg whites are done, fold them in and take out the waffle iron.  I'll do the bacon.
I want to!
Okay just lay them out in the pan and use the spatter shield.  Turn the element to medium.
Can I watch T.V.?
What?  Who?  You?  Yeah, go ahead.
Yea!
I'm helping you Dad!
That's great, thank-you.  Is the waffle iron hot?
I need to plug it in.
Fine do that.  Can you set the table too please?
Can I watch T.V.?
Sure.  Tell your mother I'm making coffee.  Do you want syrup or jam or what for the waffles?
Sure
All of them?
Sure
Butter and syrup then. Okay get out of here I'll let you know when everything's done.
Is it ready yet?
I thought you were showering?
I was, I am, I mean...I'm going to.  How come no-one's helping you?
They did.  How come you're not showering?
Fine I'm going.  Give me a kiss.
Is breakfast ready?
It's just started cooking.  Why aren't you two watching T.V.?
There's nothing on.
Yeah, nothing.
Set the table then.

Shadow

Don't think the shadow is empty,
or that it's just a shell.
It is a clever decoy,
Luring us to hell.

Welcome to the new land,
A place to make your stand,
Lost along the way,
The pathway home.

No-one will follow here,
This is a new breed of fear,
Unfamiliar screams,
We hear them come.

Stand up straight and stand up tall,
Face your last chance to fall,
Sometime soon,
Before the dawn of something new.

Hungry Smiling Fish

Barracuda, you have sharp, sharp teeth,

Lurk in murky waters just slightly underneath,

Unsuspecting swimmers' toes,

As you purposely prepare for a phalangee feast.