We grew up togetherthough we were miles apart.But even with that separationwe were in each other’s heart.Those tender teenage yearsthat included so many questions.We were only sixteen after all,and not given to know discretion.Our lives were never perfect;We both had our own faults.Still, we saw something in each other we needed.We wanted to learn the steps needed for this delicate waltz.We were nineteen now.We’d met a fe...

 Sometimes I feel like I’ve been tortured by your love,Whipped, nailed, scarred, and dragged through the streets.Sometimes I feel like I’m bound forever into submission,For the painful sacrifice I’ve made for your love.Sometimes I feel I played the fool for a heart so cruel,Begging, pleading, and bleeding for your passion.Sometimes I wonder if I’ve won the battle but lost the war,Lying here dying, sacrificed between your...

“I’m nervous,” said Jenna. “No, scared—no nervous. Oh, I don’t know what I am.” There was still a good fifty miles to go. But, the road was clear and the sunny day nice. He smiled over at her. “We’re doing this right,” said James. “We know what we have to do, and, we can do it.” “We have to convince him,” she said. “We will, I have a feeling,” said James. “You wanna stop and get something to eat before we get there?” She...

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR 2015“He just disappeared, again!” said Ronald. “Yes, and I have no idea why,” said Stacey. “But, we do,” said James. His new wife looked down. “Huh? What?” said Stacey. ‘“Before we came here today, Jenna and I talked. I’d asked her why her dad hadn’t said that ‘he’ was giving her away. At first she didn’t know, but then she started thinking,” said James. “And,” said Ronald. “Well, Jenna said, that befo...

The meeting with the judge had gone well. Winifred Clark did have some friends at court, and with Nathan backing her efforts the meeting had gone, well, well. This was one trip to the prison that she was actually looking forward to. She pulled into the spacious fenced in parking area and strode to the gatehouse that led to the inner grounds of the DOC. Admitted, she headed for the hall where inmates met with their family...

My first half year at state was bad and worse than bad. It was the loneliness mostly. The nights were the worst of course, nothing to do but think and wonder how things were going back there, at his house. From the way Stacey’d talked to me that last time I’d seen her while I was still in county lockup, I was sure that what they were saying about me to Jenna as well as to each other was likely not real sympathetic or empa...

“It’s evidently serious,” said Stacey. He smiled at her words. “And you know this how?” he said. “Jenna. Said she came over when she was there last week. They were very friendly. Jenna, is happy for him or so she told me,” said Stacey. “Hmm, interesting, I guess. I mean I never expected that he would go forever without a woman. But that woman? Weird,” he said. “No weirder than you and me,” said Stacey, “and in point of fa...

CHAPTER SIXTEEN 2003 “Mom, I have a thing going with Marlene and the pep squad this weekend. I know da—Uncle David will understand,” said Jenna. Her mother nodded. This would be the fourth time in the past several months that she had missed her weekend with her Uncle David. Stacey was concerned about him going off on her. She was sure he was going to blame her or Ronald for Jenna’s neglect. But, she was certain that it wa...

CHAPTER TWELVE 2001 I had a mission now: to talk to my daughter. The woman had said she wouldn’t stop me from seeing her, but would she not? Or, allowing me to see her, would she make it problematical in any event: maybe insist on being there while I was trying to make my case to my child. Well, I guess we’d soon know. But, first things first. I had to get me a lawyer.I knew that my ex-brother, and he sure as hell was alr...

They say that blood is thicker than water, and I guess that’s so. Still, water evaporates, and the supply of blood for any one individual is limited. But, the feelings one has for the love of his or her life never evaporates and has no limit, none. I am living testimony to that great truth. My dad, Philby Carter, married Xena Westbrook in 1964. I came along a year later, and joined my brother—a product of mom’s first marr...

"It's so good to see you." My friend Cherry throws her arms around me. "It's going to be so much fun catching up with you." "Yes it will. I'm so happy you invited me for the holidays. It was either spending Christmas with you and Gary or home alone with my fish." "I know dear. Christmas has been rough on you since your mother passed." She gives me a sympathetic look. "And we've been trying to meet up for ages. I'm so happ...

  " . . . Last night you both kept dancing When the music ceased to play Is it all over, do you still love me Am I standing in your way . . ." (Merle Haggard)  It is such a fucking cliché, what happened to me. I was a physical ruin as I left work; I'm a carpet installer. If you've never done it, you have no idea. At any rate I would soon be dropping in at Tribes to imbibe some liquid revitalizer. Tribes is a very large ba...