“What happened in there, soldier?” The sergeant nodded toward the concrete cell behind them. Vince needed to find his voice, he knew that. Any voice would do. He stood in silence, his eyes trained on the sergeant’s scuffed boots. A regimen doctor was examining the body – her body – no doubt trying to confirm her death, rather than the very obvious cause of it. “She’s dead.” The doctor handed the palm-sized monitor to the...

A father toiling beneath a sky of gruesome darkness  Merciless sun on his back, a storm in his heart. A mother burying her child with dignified acquiescence, Body too beat-down to spare more than a single tear.  A child marching with a village song in his heart Cold comfort found in a loaded carbine on his back. A country raped, blood seeping from her every pore, A land at war, a land of dearth, a people dying to survive....

Without deception or disguise Bodies tingling without a touch They danced together as lovers dance, To the rhythm of music only they could hear Bodies not touching, yet souls intertwined Passions flaring like a white-hot flame As they bared their souls, a pact was made They were but prisoners to their own desires Bound within the unyielding chains of love ***** I held her wriggling form close, breathing in her fresh baby...

Her life of comfort seemed fair exchange  For penance served in a far off land Neither heat nor hunger could beat her down Spirit growing with every challenge met.  The years gone by more cruel than kind  Scars in her heart map each moment of discord The one true future she now beholds Tainted with the tears of her own bitter despair. ***** The sound of approaching sirens pierced the silence of the quiescent suburb. With...

“Do it.” Her voice, while quiet, terrified him. “I… I need a… give me a minute…” Even if she had failed to notice the way his hand was trembling, there was no doubt in his mind that his stammer betrayed his anxiety. “We don’t have a minute. Do it now.” Nothing scared him more than how calm she sounded. How could she be calm? Sometimes he wondered if she was even human. His hand was shaking visibly now, the once cold metal...

Note from the Author This book was written as a Valentine’s Day gift to all of my readers as proof that romance is still alive in our hearts. Thank you for your support. Please note that the songs in here are pretty darn awful - mostly because they are intended to be that way and likely also because it's my first attempt at writing romance.  *** The bar was packed to capacity, revellers jostling for space as the band star...

The Tale of Pip the Slippery Mouse Once upon a lonely hill there stood a little house. All day long the little house buzzed with busyness, just like all little houses do, for the family living inside were a busy kind of folk. There was cooking and baking and cleaning and rustling and bustling and a whole lot of other hullabaloo that busy folk have to do. But late at night, when all the world is dark and the moon shines he...

Words slice like a double-edged knife; my heart cannot endure So watch me bleed, tainted blood pouring from my soul I tried to save you, but it was all in vain You cut me down, to ease your own pain  Now here I stand, wounded, broken and alone… Here I stand, yearning, bleeding; I've come undone…  Broken mirror on the wall, watches me tumble as I fall Refracted light blinding me to a truth that's buried deepA shattered ref...

Please note that this is a teaching story for children. I have included some xhosa words, so they can learn both facts and a new language in a fun way that helps them understand rather than merely memorise.  Ilanga - SunImvula - Rain Umoya - Wind  In a deep forest not too far from here, there stood a little oak tree. His name was Oakley. Oakley’s branches had begun to sprout the most beautiful little green leaves you have...

Our eyes met across the smoky room, Smoldering gazes locking intimately. Your unspoken words stroking me in an Ethereal tongue only our souls could understand. Moving toward you as if in a dream, My hungry heart could be plainly seen. As I looked up into your eyes, You saw desire that was hard to hide. How could one glance have said so much? Our hearts spoke silently Without deception or disguise, Bodies tingling without...

It was the night before New Year's Eve 2011... For weeks there had been a “Coming Soon” sign up on the blank billboard outside of my apartment building. Over the years, it had become a ritual for a few of the residents to sit out on the rooftop every Friday night and unwind after a long week. The rooftop of the building on Black Velvet Boulevard was the place you could come to if you wanted to bemoan your fate, plan your...

Night rolls in thick as molasses, In the womb of darkness, evil stirs. The beast is hungry and needs to feed, And so each silent prowl begins.Surveying our realm from Hell’s dark gate With anxious muscles tightly coiled. He sniffs the air in search of her scent, Watching and waiting impatiently.His dreams laced with thoughts of her, Flow of her blood music to his ears, Smell of her fear and shrilly scream Only serves his...

A house on rocky shores it was, A broken-hearted place; Stone walls etched with memories, That time cannot erase. Where once there was a glowing hearth Of warmth and billowing smoke, Now all that's left are cold and dust, No one its fires to stoke. As wind blows through its rafters On quiet nights like these, You'll hear its timbers’ sad lament Carried across darkened seas.

Looking out across the ocean I sit alone, Cool sand sifting between my toes.Soft sprays of salty air blown against my skinAs blue green waters rush toward shore.Glorious rays of sun in all their splendorDance like golden stars across tranquil waters.Brilliant hues mirror the skies aboveIn dazzling shades from light to deeper blue.Gale force winds sweeping over land and seaCause the whitecaps to erupt and roll violently. O...

“Hello.” I continued to chop the coriander, cradling the phone against my shoulder. “Yes… it is she. How may I help you?” The knife clattered to the ground as the news I had just been given knocked the air from my lungs. “No. No… it can’t be. There must be some mistake…” There had been no mistake. I listened in silence as the person on the other end continued to feed me details in a clinically efficient voice, convincing...