On the way to the Waffle House minding my own biscuits only to share, my, please and thank you psalms the best part of biscuits and gravy fading into the plate as I sop, you sop, everyone else sops putting my right foot in doing life's Hokey Pokey waiting for my okra to come in riding a three-legged mule of Redman Chewing Tobacco on the way to the Waffle House with memories of Patsy Cline, "Falling to Pieces"

It was, and still is, one of the great mysteries of its time. ‘The Bazookas’ were a rock and soul five-piece band, who, in the late sixties, simply vanished. Books were written, documentaries made, and even a TV docu-drama was made, but they’re still out there, their legacy written in the history books. There were bands that were bigger than them, but they towered over all other bands below them. Three number ones and two...

You look at me and flash a grin And suddenly, I’m taken in Your mouth speaks not, but eyes say much You’re longing for my gentle touch The sound of laughter fills the air But all you do is stand and stare You cannot think of words to say But still, you take my breath away Those eyes, like windows to your soul Tell thoughts you simply can’t control They seek response from my own eyes And tell of love you can’t disguise The...

~~~~~~~ She sighed. “I said I was nothing. I know that’s not true, but sometimes it feels that way. And I know what you’ve told me, about myself, and about how my presence has… well, you said I had saved you.” She turned towards him, “Bear, you’ve become very important to me, and not just because you’ve saved my life at least twice. I worry about you, more than you may realize. “What you were saying about purpose – I get...

I fall easily in love with the pretty eyes of dental assistants. It’s mostly what I see as I lay back in the chair. The grinding drone of drills and clamps and cutting tools surrounds me. The assistants wear masks; I cannot see their noses, their mouths. So I look in their eyes without the context of a face as they work on my teeth, fingers in my mouth, oblivious to my observations. They stay behind me when not working on...

My ma has always pounded in my head, how important an education is. I counted up to ten but ran out of fingers. There will always be a job for me long as the Waffle House and Walmart are in business. In school, I majored in WrestleMania and NASCAR. Presently, I am employed at the one and only carwash in town. Soon to become assistant to the assistant manager. My family became "highfalutin" when we moved to a trailer park...

Burdened with my own pain Countless theories without gain Drowning in a simple rain Swirling soul down the drain In the shadows, I reach for the blade Knowing full well, I should call for aid My mind is boiling over and I’m afraid Another bloody disappointment made Gasping is how I breathe Silence is how I leave Isolation is how I grieve Extremes is how I perceive Swallowed whole by sorrow Clinging on for tomorrow Hand me...

~~~~~ Bear shifted his weight. “When I was a kid, we’d have fireflies every summer, sometimes for many nights. But as I got older, I saw them less and less frequently. As an adult, I didn’t even think about it – until one night, my wife, family, and I were staying at a campsite in…um…rural Pennsylvania, I think it was. And there they were. “I hadn’t thought about fireflies in years at that point. But all of a sudden, I fe...

Don't order filet mignon or pasta primavera at Waffle House until you tried Granny's entrée. It was on a Friday night, wringing the neck of a vampire chicken, with a mist of Aqua Net Super Hold, rising. Granny was serving Blackeye peas and jalapeno cornbread and finger-licking good. We were drinking from Mason jars. The liquid that is left behind after boiling greens or beans. Usually with a squeeze of crawdads wings to g...

I had never been to a Mardi Gras before, but it sounded like it could be fun. In fact, I was quite excited about it. I hadn’t long been out of the army, so could do with a change of scene. It wasn’t at all like I expected. At first, I was a little hesitant about going on my own, but everyone was so friendly. If fact, most people were very friendly. Friends did warn me that going alone may be a problem as I could fall vict...

⚜ Mardi Gras, 2000 "I see a man in your future." A smile crossed the young woman’s face. Skeptical at first, her apprehension easily dissolved as soon as she heard her desires would be met. Madam Francessa was accomplished at asking the right questions, reading expressions, and predicting what the tourists wanted to hear. This eager lover had been an easy read. “Really? When? What does he look like?” Her rapid-fire questi...

Pretty pastel pastries Sitting on a tray Around they come At meal's end Inviting me to say Let's get dessert Let's split it A bite or two won't hurt It's not like just a little bit Will pop the zipper on my skirt But will the sweetness trigger? Will I feel that I've been bad? Will I go home and stuff my face With Hostess treats for kids' lunch bags? If I don't try to stop me Who knows what I will eat? The earth, the world...

Harry had just got off the train. He had his holdall in his hand and was on his way home. It was a twenty-minute walk and he was thinking about getting a taxi. But impoverished students like him couldn’t afford luxuries like that, not at this stage of life. The sun was shining on him as he went. You couldn’t beat the days of early spring, he was thinking to himself, when it was all starting to warm up nicely. He had his p...

My legs dangle in the abyss How much longer can I handle this? My fingernails dig into the cliff-side I reach out, wide-eyed I’m running out of breath I would do anything for assistance Except to tell you, to confess Yet all that you offer is distance My arms are quivering I plead out to you, whispering, “I can’t do this, please help me Take my hand and set me free.” Your silence is rigid and stiff As I hang from this cli...

My name is James Briggs, and I have a story to tell. My life was changed forever by a set of carefully chosen words, spoken in a carefully chosen manner. Those profound words were to influence the path I chose. In life, we all make choices; some of these are wiser than others. Only with the vision of hindsight do we know which was which. My story begins after I left university. Actually, I couldn’t wait to leave universit...