Still Waters

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excerpt

“You mean with tax collectors and sinners,” Tyne had said, tonguein-
cheek.
“Well, I didn’t mean it quite like that,” Morley said, grinning, “but
how can people be saved if they don’t hear the Word? And how will
they hear the Word if no one tells them?”
Morley may not be preaching the Word as he mixed with people
but, Tyne was quite sure, his life and the way he lived it would be a
testimony in itself.
Tyne had spent a troubled week, and it was only because of Aunt
Millie’s persuasive powers that she was here tonight. Since the morning
her dad had dropped the bombshell of Morley’s involvement
with Jennifer Sears, she had been determined not to attend this
meeting. Now she knew why the schoolteacher had suggested a combined
meeting with the Building & Grounds Committee. Although,
Tyne had to admit, Aunt Millie had been receptive to Jennifer’s idea,
so she must have thought it had merit. Unless ….
Why had the schoolteacher’s suggestion appealed to Millie? Had
Jennifer played right into her hands? Without any effort on her part,
had Millie seen the perfect way of getting Tyne and Morley in the
same room together?
Tyne’s thoughts were jumbled. Why would Aunt Millie want to
throw us together again? Doesn’t she know how much it hurt me
when we broke up? And even if she’s entertaining hopes of us getting
back together, can’t she see it’s all so hopeless?
Tyne was jolted from her thoughts when she heard her name spoken.
Startled, and not a little disoriented, she looked up.
“I’m sure you all know my niece, Tyne Milligan,” Millie was saying.
“She came home to look after her father when he had a stroke.” Millie
turned her head to look fondly at Tyne. “Since she’s now a graduate
nurse, I’m sure she’ll be a great asset to our committee.”
There were murmurs of assent around the table, particularly from
the men who had been unaware of Tyne’s involvement. She tried
to avoid looking directly at Morley, but her eyes were drawn to his
face. His look was inscrutable as he said, “Welcome, Tyne. We can
certainly use all the help we can get.”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763068

Yannis Ritsos – Poems, Volume VI

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Leaving
Trees fell on the ground, wide open doors, and a black
dress under the stones. We took the roads, other
windows, and other places.
The dog turned his ear; it didn’t wag his tail. What we
learned, we called ours, nothing, nothing — only a
painted plate in the child’s room, if you took it with you,
perhaps things would have been better (I wonder whether
it would have died). Deep carefreeness for lack of
ownership, he said, and lack of hatred. And the pain feels
tiring at night, thus stooped over the aluminum pot,
the steam hides the hand that holds the ladle. You have
forgotten; they have forgotten you.
Hypnotized world quietness. Given up keys.
The hotel manager talks to Autumn in front of the stable.
The prison guard was tied to the railings. A lardy star onto
the chimney.
Broken glass on the soil. Be careful, don’t walk barefoot.
The dead men,
although silent for years, don’t forget their share.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763785

Cloe and Alexandra

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At the Movie Theater
I’ll wear the new red overcoat.
You will wear your blue shirt and jeans.
One of our favored films will be shown
the ‘Lover’ or “Casablanka’
or “Hiroshima my Love”.
I shall cry as always.
You’ll kiss the volcano of my palm.
You’ll caress my hair
softly that it won’t break because of
a memory fluttering in your mind
that we’ve lived these events
in the past, back then
in Vienna, beginning of the century
in a teke in Konstantinoupoli
or even behind a garden.
Your hand won’t touch my body
it’ll simply be part of it
like the phallus
or one of the Fates
and that way sitting
next to each other
in complete darkness
among all these people
precisely in the now
we’ll swim together
inside each other.
And finally when the black whale swallows us,
look, we shall say,
that day we went to the movie.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562908

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FPRGYMQ

Medusa

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Void
Don’t call it void or meaningless,
this poem, only empty of what
you’ve deleted its meaning and
still full of twists and mental corners
robbed of its depth like
his palms nailed on the cross
didn’t let the tree limb
extend and gain wisdom
but it was spring
their boiling blood
forced their eager hands
to rob this poem
of its unwritten meaning
nothing on the branch of the birch
but the lone owl crying
give me strength and give me air:
wisdom filling the abyss

https://draft2digital.com/book/3745982#print

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763769

He Rode Tall

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excerpt

Backing the horses out of the trailer, Tanya led them around, giving
them a chance to stretch their legs and survey their new surroundings
while Joel checked in at the office and got directions to
their stabling area. The good news was that the stalls they were
assigned were still in the state of Oklahoma. But just barely.
After stabling the horses and unloading their gear, Tanya and
Joel headed to the arena. As they arrived, they realized that they
were just in time to watch the evening’s performance. So that
night, after a long three days of hauling their two horses across
the country, they settled back to get the feel of the arena as they
ate hot dogs, drank soft drinks, and watched the cutting and
working cow horse classes.When it was all done they realized that
they were tired and needed to find their hotel in a hurry. After one
last check on their horses, which seemed to have taken to their
new surroundings quite nicely, Joel and Tanya drove over to the
hotel to claim their room for the next few days. Tanya insisted to
Joel that he could have the bedroom, and she would take the
couch. Reluctantly, Joel accepted Tanya’s firm offer. After unpacking,
they fell asleep to dreams of victory in the show ring.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562862

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0980897955

Ken Kirkby, A Painter’s Quest for Canada

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excerpt

or not – it all depends on the environment. I suspect that you haven’t
thought your way through it – and I’m not trying to be rude, or difficult.
Usually, when people come in and ask for something that’s completely
outside their understanding, they, probably, aren’t asking for the right
thing. I’d like to suggest that I come down and make a presentation to
your company, on what I think you’re looking for.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. You don’t seem sure about why you want it, and you’re not sure
about the environment it will be in. I suspect that no matter what I paint
you won’t be happy. Painting what is in someone else’s mind is almost
impossible. So, would you do me the courtesy of letting me come down
and make a presentation, and see if that is what you want?”
“Certainly.”
A few weeks later, Ken walked into the formidable skyscraper in downtown
Toronto and gave the board members his analysis. They wanted a
large painting for the foyer. Fine – he could supply that, but it wouldn’t
be as large as the Reichmann painting. And, it would be the first of several
canvases. A smaller one would hang in the boardroom, and several others
would hang throughout the premises. The preliminary sketches and
drawings would be framed and hung as well. The paintings would tell a
story that would be repeated in a booklet. A six-minute film would also
tell the story, and it would play on a large screen television in the reception
area. When a client arrived for a meeting, he would sit and watch the
movie.
“Now, they have something interesting,” Ken said. “This is something
they have not anticipated seeing, and they realize that you are a lot more
than just what you do. When you meet the client, you tour them around
and show them all the works, and then you sit down and get down to
business. By now, they realize that you are interesting people. You have
things going on other than making money. When your business is concluded
you hand the client a copy of the book – signed by me and your
CEO – as something to take away and remind them of the meeting.”
Ken suggested they take a holiday during the month of August and
turn their offices over to him. When they returned the space would be
transformed – not just because the paintings would be hung. What good
were paintings if the background didn’t complement them? He proposed
changing the furniture to set off his work and painting the walls in appropriate
colours. Everything had to work – it had to be of a piece.
The cost, he said, was irrelevant – the accountants would write the
whole thing off. He thanked them, told them he had to return to his
painting, and left. During the next few days several of the board members
visited his studio. A couple of weeks later they accepted his fee of four
hundred eighty thousand dollars.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562830

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981073573

Constantine Cavafy

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You Didn’t Know
About our religious beliefs,
the fool Julian said, “I read, I understood,
I disagreed.” As if he, the idiot, had
eliminated us with his ‘disagreement.’
But such clever statements don’t carry
any weight with us Christians. We at once responded,
“You read, but you understood nothing, because
if you had, you wouldn’t have disagreed.”

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562856

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763823

Wheat Ears

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Denial
Hesitant moonlight entered
to sit on the night table
outline of her conflagrated body
lain on the deserted bed
autumn breeze
a shameless raider
sneaked through
the half open window
to observe her two thighs
softly rubbing against each other
two fingers travelled over
her wet mound
involuntary conspiring wind
and window shutter
created the sorrowful creak
that brought her to consciousness
heart pulse bounced off
the gleaming mirror to fall
dead onto the carpet crying
unfair life even this dreamy
pleasure you denied me.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3748127#print

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKHW4B4S

Water in the Wilderness

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excerpt

Tyne sat on a chair across from her. Several seconds passed in silence. Tyne did not intend to make it easy for the woman.
Finally Ruby said, “I know you’re mad at Bill and me because the kids ran away. I know you didn’t want us to have them in the first place. But we … I did my best for them.”
“Did you?”
Ruby looked up sharply. The fire that Tyne remembered from their encounter in Emblem Hospital had returned to her eyes. “Yeah, I did, no matter what they … what Rachael says.”
Tyne sat forward, her eyes riveted on Ruby’s face. “And was doing your best making Rachael work like a woman in the house? Letting your daughter bully her – even going so far as to mutilate the doll? Telling her that she and Bobby would be sent to an orphanage?” She took a deep breath. “Was that doing your best for her?”
Ruby sat straight, ready to defend herself. “I didn’t know a lot of that stuff until later when Lark told me. And anyway, I can’t see it’s any of your business because they’re not your kids. You’re not even related.”
“No,” Tyne said quietly, “we’re not. But your sister left them in our care, and I promised to look after them for her. And both Morley and I have grown to love them which is what you don’t appear to do, even though they’re your own flesh and blood.”
Ruby’s face turned red and she lowered her head. “I do love them,” she whispered, “an’ I’m sorry about what Lyssa did. I try, but I don’t have any control over her.”
Tyne tried to quell the unexpected twinge of compassion. “Okay Ruby. I’m sure it’s difficult at times. But what about Ronald? You don’t deny his dad beat him?”
Still looking at the floor, Ruby shook her head from side to side. “No, I don’t deny that. Bill is hard on him, always has been.”
“Couldn’t you stop him?”
There was a long pause, during which Tyne became aware that someone stood nearby. She looked up to see a middle-aged woman hesitate in the doorway, then move on when Ruby spoke. “I tried to stop him at first, but he’d turn on me. I couldn’t stand up to him; he’s a big man.”
Tyne felt revulsion. “Did he hit you?”

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562884

https://www.amazon.com/dp/192676319X

Antony Fostieris – Selected Poems

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I Listen to the Sea
I listen to the sea. Orchestra
of chords, wind instruments
under the guidance of a maestro
and further away
the echo of percussions
on the rocks.
Beautiful metaphor.
Beautiful? Despicable
when instead of the sunless
concerts of a classic boredom
I mentally move to the ceaseless
water sounds of an existent Amorgos.
Now how did I imagine a maestro
and wind instruments
that don’t even let go of a whisper
in the wind?
I listen to the sea, or rather I try.
The sea is so beautiful and true
like a lie.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763653