AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (100) A Battered Woman Looks In The Mirror (Short Stories) What does she see? [912 words] A Memoir Of Angst (Poetry) - [50 words] A Night At The Cineplex (Short Stories) Sometimes I feel like watching a flick, sometimes I feel like this. [957 words] A Reflection Of Love (Poetry) - [23 words] A Spark Of Light Through The Valley (Poetry) - [253 words] An Ode To Man's Best Friend (Poetry) - [199 words] Another Beggar's At The Door (Poetry) - [221 words] Asleep (Poetry) - [170 words] Asphyxiate (Poetry) - [169 words] Attorney At Law (Poetry) - [218 words] Battle Cry (Essays) Another self discovery made in the middle of a restless night. [438 words] [Psychology] Blue Bird (Poetry) - [142 words] [Fable] Child Murder (Short Stories) Another story written for my psychology class on a study in child criminalization in the last fifty to a hundred years. [7,471 words] [Psychology] Christianity (Non-Fiction) - [113 words] [Mind] College Boys (Essays) - [558 words] Confused Youth (Poetry) Haven't we all felt this way? [155 words] [Drama] Conversations With A Hate Monger (Short Stories) A tale of the ramblings of a bigot. Make your own judgements. [1,090 words] [Drama] Devoted Husband And Father (Short Stories) - [268 words] [Fable] Disturbing Gift (Short Stories) This is a short story that has a taboo subject twist to it. Tell me what ya think. [262 words] [Fable] Double Indifference (Poetry) - [43 words] Drinking Coffee With Loveliness (Poetry) Loveliness is a metaphor in this poem about whatever makes you smile. [122 words] Empty Barnyard In October (Poetry) - [207 words] Extreme Panhandling (Essays) This is an article I wrote about a severe problem that plagues the beautiful city of New York. [1,191 words] [Drama] Feeding Love With Hate (Essays) An article on three men dealing with their sexuality. [2,339 words] [Gay & Lesbian] Forever Mystery (Poetry) - [136 words] Friendship, Oblivion (Short Stories) Have you ever had a relationship like this? Have you ever had a friendship like this? I think I may be starting a special series. I can use more real accounts like this one. Yes, this is actual. [373 words] From Kenya, With Love (Non-Fiction) True story. [1,644 words] [Gay & Lesbian] Glum (Essays) I think this is self explaning. [207 words] [Drama] Go Away! (Short Stories) She screamed louder than ever before. [254 words] [Fable] Governmental Fiasco (Essays) This government is going to hell if we do not get rid of BUSH!!!!! Say what you will about this piece, but the fact remains that he, like Reagan, were the worst we have seen in years. BUSH, OUT!! [781 words] Grace (Poetry) A little poem about my late grandmother Grace Johnson. You're always in my heart. [102 words] Homosexual Agenda: Equality! (Essays) What gay people are really looking for. [1,647 words] [Gay & Lesbian] Hopelessly Together (Poetry) - [108 words] Human Abstract (Short Stories) Unusual art exhibit. [4,254 words] [Fan Fiction] I Didn't Do All I Could (But I Tried) (Poetry) When you haven't done enough, but should have tried. [340 words] I Miss You So Very Much (Non-Fiction) (Just For You) [493 words] I Wonder What They See In Me (Essays) When I walk down the street and people stare; what are they thinking? [629 words] I Wont Tell (Essays) This is not for the weak at heart type. This is a strong piece that is loosely based on my childhood. If you can take the sensitive content of this piece, read on. [927 words] [Relationships] If I Could Do It Again (Poetry) Regret. [96 words] If I Had Only Known Then (Poetry) - [36 words] I'm Welcomed (Poetry) A feeling of bliss under the night sky. [67 words] Intensely And Beautifully Obscene (Poetry) - [49 words] Is It Still Today? (Poetry) A poem about everyday life. [196 words] [Drama] Isn't It Strange? (Poetry) - [24 words] I've Been Having These Dreams About You... (Non-Fiction) Something I wrote about a former boyfriend of mine. I really don't know why I'm posting this here but we'll see what happens. [243 words] [Gay & Lesbian] Just A Kiss (Poetry) A poem written while vacationing in North Carolina in late July. [177 words] Keeping Your Dignity And Creativity (Getting Published) (Essays) This is an article on rejection, how to get published and a few tips to follow. [2,169 words] [Writing Resource] Life And It's Irony (Poetry) - [128 words] Little Boy (Poetry) A short poem I wrote ten years ago when I was just twelve years old. I wrote it about myself and the way I thought my parents should look at me. [104 words] Mommy, Was I A Mistake? (Short Stories) Hold me when I'm here and love me when I'm gone. [768 words] Mother Please (Poetry) A poem about a mother in dire need of help. [133 words] [Drama] Mr. Michael Jackson-The King Of Pop (Essays) Let me explain something to the reviewers who may make ignorant comments about this piece on Michael Jackson. I am not posting here to get anyone’s approval and I am not posting here to make friends. ... [382 words] [Drama] My Fathers Eyes (Poetry) The relationship between a father and son. [59 words] [Drama] My Swan Song (Poetry) - [78 words] Our Bodies Are In The Way (Poetry) - [342 words] [Fantasy] Overindulge (Poetry) When life has gone too far. [101 words] [Drama] Partners Slowly Slipping Away (Poetry) - [218 words] Playing With My Hair (Non-Fiction) This is a piece that I thought about writing while driving up the Florida Turnpike from West Palm Beach to Orlando. The mind wonders during such long trips. [228 words] Please Say (Poetry) Longing. [111 words] [Relationships] Plunge (Poetry) This is one of my final seven submissions to this site for a while. [173 words] Probing (Short Stories) This is a short story I wrote for my psychology class. It's written as a sadistic persona similiar to that of Jeffrey Dahmer. I chose Jeffrey because he was the first serial killer I learned about as ... [1,489 words] [Psychology] Reinvent The World (Poetry) If I were in charge, this is what it would be like. [206 words] Remains (Poetry) - [56 words] Ronald Reagan (Essays) Was he that good? [1,096 words] Satisfaction Guaranteed: Refundexchange (Poetry) - [70 words] Shame Or Protection (Non-Fiction) You be the judge. [985 words] [Gay & Lesbian] Small World (Poetry) - [137 words] Speak Freely (Short Stories) This is another addition to my "Fable" anthology I am creating. [258 words] [Fable] Struggling To Face Reality (Essays) My thoughts on Bill Cosby and his recent comments. [1,577 words] Success (Short Stories) Another part of my 'Fable' anthology. [275 words] [Fable] The Cave (Poetry) - [296 words] The Door (Short Stories) Another addition to my 'Fable' collection. [287 words] [Fable] The Down-Low Life (It's A Two Way Street) (Non-Fiction) This is an article on the double life that women (bisexual, lesbian, curious or the like) lead behind the backs of their partners. This topic is often discussed but it is often focused on the men who ... [2,218 words] [Relationships] The Fight (Short Stories) A true story narrarated by me about a horrible marriage and the fight that led to the bitter end. [1,499 words] [Drama] The Fire Is Almost Out (Poetry) - [100 words] The Fruitstand At Lunchtime (Poetry) - [72 words] The Habit Of Being Gay (Poetry) This poem is in response to those who think that being gay is a "phase" or "habit" only explored by those who are curious. [87 words] [Gay & Lesbian] The Mother Of All Birthdays (Short Stories) - [1,850 words] [Fan Fiction] The Painful Mistake Of Losing You (Poetry) - [106 words] The Plight Of Man (Poetry) - [215 words] The Story Of Dan (Non-Fiction) - [2,036 words] [Gay & Lesbian] The Study Of Balls (Poetry) The title may be a bit misleading. [114 words] The Vacation In Vain (Poetry) - [42 words] They Call Me Mellow Yellow (Non-Fiction) Complexion [2,063 words] Thirsty (Poetry) A hunger, a greed or a passion? [144 words] Thoughtless (Poetry) I wrote this one just a moment ago when I woke up after a restless sleep. I woke up feeling empty and decided to write. This is what came out of me. [160 words] To All The Forgotten (Poetry) - [124 words] To Whom Beauty Holds (Short Stories) All about Vanity. [2,545 words] [Fable] Trust In Dreams (Poetry) - [100 words] [Fable] Unanswered Letters (Short Stories) - [354 words] [Fable] Unclear Explanation (Poetry) A poem written about uncertainty. [62 words] Videotape (Short Stories) This is a short story I wrote after reading a particularly interesting book and was far too full of anxiety to sleep. This is a disturbing story that deals with cannibalism and pedophilia. I wrote it ... [7,472 words] [Crime] Vulnerable (Essays) The middle of the night thoughts. This is a little something based on a seris of unsettling dreams I had in the middle of the night on February, 8th 2003. It's meaning is unknown even to me. I guess t... [263 words] [Mind] Watching Me Fade (Poetry) - [54 words] We Stand (Poetry) - [282 words] [Gay & Lesbian] When Straight Guys Go Gay (Non-Fiction) This is a real life account of a guy my friends and I met online who had questions about his sexuality. [2,810 words] [Gay & Lesbian] When The Ginger Boy Sings (Poetry) - [226 words] With You Next To Me (Poetry) - [123 words] Within The Depths Of His Eyes (Poetry) Only when you're truly in love, can you feel this way. [55 words] Worms In My Grandmother's Garden (Poetry) An old peom I found that I wrote when I was very young helping my grandmother in her prized tomato garden. Circa, 1991. [120 words]
A Ride On The New York City Subway Skyler Drevan
That disgusting man hasn’t stopped looking at me and smiling since boarding this train at Penn Station. I have a long ride on this damn disease infested carousel from Hell and the last thing I need is some freak walking up to me telling me that he must know me from somewhere. I am so sick of these people. All I want to do is get from point A to point B without harassment. Why can’t they understand that? Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe he will just leave me alone. Besides, this car is full; we are packed in here like sardines. He won’t have the opportunity to some near me and harass me.
Oh, what is the delay now? I cannot take any more of this. The woman sitting next to me is snoring so loudly that people are beginning to look and stare at me as if I am with her. This car is starting to stink. The collective body order of the nine to five working stiff on a hot summer day like this really packs a punch. I haven’t smelled an order so offensive since, well, yesterday’s rush hour. Nice, she has delighted us with her awareness. Much to my relief, she has left the seat next to me. Thank you, lady. You have certainly made my trip just a little more comfortable.
Oh no, what have you done? Snoring lady, come back, that old man who was smiling at me is trying to take your seat. What do I do? I know, I can ask this nice old lady if she wants to take the seat. Ma’am, would you like to sit down? No, well, why not? Aren’t you tired you must be a hundred? Oh dear, that didn’t come out right. Shit! He has the seat. Well, I guess it’s time I put him in his place before he thinks that he has a friend he does not. Look man, I am tired and in no mood for nice talk from deranged lunatic like you. Please don’t look to me like I am a friend, I am not. I am just a working stiff trying to get home. I don’t know what or who you are and I don’t care to know. Just pretend that I am not here because I will damn sure pretend you aren’t.
There is a silence that has fallen over the train car now. It’s deafening, I hate the sound of silence in the train. It makes me uncomfortable; I feel that people are staring at me for some reason. Even if they are not staring at me, these people have nothing to do. Any sudden sound will have the entire car captivated. What if that sound came from me? A fart or burp perhaps; or grumbling from my hungry stomach? Great, that’s just what I needed. I swear there is something to be said about the power of suggestion. I now have to burp, or is it a sneeze or a cough? Whatever it is, it must be suppressed as I cannot cause any noise. No need to give these people an excuse to look at me. Don’t people read anymore? Look around this place, they are staring into space aimlessly as if their brains were on vacation or battling it out with an evil doer. I would read my book but it is at the bottom of my bag. Unfortunately, I would have to unzip my bag to get to it, which is a risk that I cannot take.
There’s the jerk. This deathtrap is once again moving. Hurrah! I am closer to home where I can once again breathe without having to inhale someone’s bad breath or body odor. Fuck! Another delay? What is there a goddamn deer in the tunnel? Run the damn thing over, fry it up and send it to Kansas, I want to go home. Please take me home. You would think that living in a city with eight million people paying taxes out of their asses; they would spend more money on assuring the efficiency of our tax paying run subway systems. As if I didn’t have enough problems, there is the sound I, and by the looks of it, the entire car was looking for. There is nothing more gut-wrenching than the sound of a child crying when you are tired, hungry and irritable. I am not a child hater, far be it from me to deny a child anything that he or she may be entitled to, but to annoy me is not a right or a privilege, it is a danger. I am ready to explode at any minute. My ears are beginning to grow sensitive to any and all noises, big or small. Twenty feet away from me there is a teenage girl chewing her gum loudly and obnoxiously with her mouth open. How necessary is that? Periodically the operator interrupts us and in a garbled message through the never working properly intercom system, tells us that we should be moving shortly. Is it just me or does shortly never come?
I need to continue to tell myself that patience is a virtue. I must value that virtue in myself. Silence is golden and good things come to those who wait. None of these corny clichés are working for me, however. This time I am really losing my mind. The walls are closing in and as if there wasn’t enough going on here, the air conditioning has died. That is just what I needed. I was just thinking to myself, I wish that the air conditioning would die so that the smell illuminating off of these people could be magnified a hundred fold. My nose hasn’t suffered enough. I need a bath just by looking at these people. Now, I believe that I need to boil my skin in scolding hot water. I think I’ll burn these clothes too. God get me off of this train as soon as possible. Oh, yes! It has started again. He answered my prayers. I can go home; I am just one stop away. Now it’s time for me to gather my things and make my way through the crowd to the door. Excuse me sir, pardon me ma’am, I’m sorry sir, please may I squeeze through here? Thanks. Great, now that smiling man is standing behind me. Whatever, I’m leaving in a second anyway. What now? The conductor has another message: “We are sorry for the inconvenience ladies and gentleman, but due to a sick passenger in a train ahead of us, we will be delayed a few moments we should be moving shortly.
FUCK!!!
READER'S REVIEWS (4) DISCLAIMER: STORYMANIA DOES NOT PROVIDE AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS. ALL REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED BY NON-ASSOCIATED VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THE WAY THEY CALL THEMSELVES.
"Hey, Skyler! This was cool. It was wonderfully written, there wasn't much of anything that disagreed with me. I don't even have any nitpicks. Good job." -- Michael Harris, Detroit, MI.
"As always, thanks Michael." -- Skyler.
"great!! exasperation and frustration described so well. brought back some memories that one did." -- just a guy.
"Horrible memories I would imagine eh' JAG? I actually wrote that while on the subway last week. It's a madhouse of drastic proportions. Truly. Thanks for the review." -- Skyler.
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