Words

Words are like beads. You can string them along or just push them around with a pen and watch them sparkle suddenly.

Of White Rabbits

Once upon a time there was a white rabbit who lived under the spirea.
He sold delicious things like strawberry cake and lemonade cookies.
The bluebirds liked to buy his blueberry muffins.
This was because they were quite vain.
They were very fond of their beautiful blue feathers.
Consequently, they ate only blue things.
(The rabbit, wisely, did not eat only onigiri* and the insides of radishes.)

One day, the bluebirds went to buy blueberry muffins.
The rabbit was not there.
He was not anywhere.
Although puzzled, the birds decided he had gone on vacation.
He was still not back after two weeks, which was unacceptable.
The birds were tired of eating blue raspberry jello.
They decided to consult the wise green toad.
For, even though he was green, he was also bespectacled.

Why has the rabbit not returned from his vacation?
The bluebirds asked the wise green toad.
It was not a vacation, said the toad.
The Army! The Russians! The Klingons! tweedled the birds in a panic.
Silly birds! It is a common occurrence with rabbits.
Said a passing girl named Alice.
The wise green toad blinked his four large eyes in agreement and said,
Hare today, gone tomorrow.


*Japanese rice ball

The Gnomes

     Once upon a time there were two gnomes who lived in a stump beside the garden. They were named Charlie and Apple. Charlie had a yellow hat and Apple had a red hat. They were quite ordinary gnomes and did ordinary things like roll apples across the yard and turn them into pies. This particularly fine and ordinary day they decided to go for a walk down the alley behind the garden. At the end of the alley they met a black cat who was selling bow ties. Charlie bought a yellow bow tie to match his hat and Apple bought a red bow tie to match his hat.

     Having bought their bow ties and therefore now having the opportunity to look distinguished, Charlie and Apple decided to have a party. They invited their friend Celery, who wore a green hat and Apple's cousin, Purple Hat. Charlie and Apple showed Celery and Purple Hat their bow ties and Celery and Purple Hat said that they were very nice ones. Afterwards, they all had apple pie with whipped cream and sat on the roof of the house to watch the stars come out.

The End.

A Memory

     After supper, my brothers and I run outside into the backyard. The air moves sluggishly as we sit in the dark shadow of the house drawing pictures in the dust. A ripe summer sun slips behind the trees and we make a mad dash for the swings as the first cool breeze brushes our hair. Creaks of objection exhale from the swing-set as we swing higher and higher. We let go and seem to fly before landing with a thud on packed dirt.

     In the clear sky the stars peep out and the moon displays its Cheshire grin. We begin to swing slower and slower, talking of the world and spinning the stories of our future. The crickets leisurely join the stars in song. It soon fills the air. My father comes out of the house to listen. "Time to come in!" His voice cuts through the twilight. Complaining, we trudge inside to the reality of bedtime.

Shelving Books

The experience of shoving books into their appropriate positions blithely unaware of the absence of the necessary bookend has now been chronicled in pretend piano for your empathetic ear.