AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (47) 904 North (Poetry) A tale in verse form about a middle-aged musician/writer down on his luck and recently divorced (again) who moves into a high rise apartment on the ninth floor, which happens to be the same suite a yo... [1,479 words] A New Perspective (Essays) A different perspective on the 911 tragedy and its aftermath. [614 words] Are We There Yet? (Essays) An essay I never thought I'd have to write followed by a question I never thought I would have to ask. [1,013 words] Asleep At Last (Poetry) A man in a hospital bed is having difficulty falling asleep, but he soon will... [152 words] Bad Boy (Short Stories) A true story about a bad boy growing up in 1950. Was he just mischievous? Would his behavior be considered bad today? [2,844 words] Charlie And Mrs. Miller (Short Stories) A very short story about an old woman on her death bed whose last request is to see an old friend, much to the surprise of her daughters and granddaughters. [585 words] Deja Vu (Poetry) In times like these, pacifists come out of the woodwork. This poem was written in anticipation of what we can expect from them. [106 words] Empty Closets (Poetry) A poem which no doubt, is controversial. I'm sure many will consider it homophobic, (a stupid word) but if liberals are sincere in their belief that everyone is entitled to free speech and opinions, t... [223 words] Family Genes Considered (Short Stories) A story that is unfortunately, much closer to the truth than not. Although the main character is fictional, the relatives described are quite real, which gives me reason to often ponder my own destin... [1,198 words] Fatal Perception (Short Stories) An off-beat tale about an aging song writer who perceives he is being stalked by a strange little man. [2,959 words] Goodbye America (Essays) An essay written by an aging writer who no longer understands the country in which he lives. [662 words] Hooked (Short Stories) A short short story originally started as a poem, about a man's obsession with a special kind of woman. (Revised June 2001) [323 words] [Fantasy] How To Fool Most Of The People Most Of The Time (Essays) An essay commenting on the recent election results. [1,530 words] Know It? - I Wrote It (Short Stories) This is a funny, perhaps silly, outrageous story. I'm not sure of its exact origin, but I must forewarn you. I don't generally make use of extreme vulgarity or profanity in my writing, but in this c... [663 words] Lost And Found (Poetry) A poem that was originally written as a lyric several years ago for a country western song. [156 words] Madelaine (Short Stories) An eerie tale set in the modern day Pacific Northwest about a family's nightmarish encounter with a character from a legend with a darkside. [8,451 words] Moral Values - Who Needs Them? (Essays) An essay. [771 words] Muriel's Funeral (Short Stories) Imagine yourself dead and observing your own funeral What would you expect to see? You might be surprised. [736 words] My Three Loves (Poetry) A poem about the three things in life that keep a man going. (At least from one man's perspective.) [101 words] My Wife Is Missing (Poetry) A poem (well sort of a poem) which raises the question of who is most dear to us. [117 words] [Relationships] Nostalgic On A Bridge To Nowhere (Poetry) A nostalgic view of the life of a man in his twilight years. [369 words] Over A Hundred Years Later Nothing New About Progressives (Essays) An essay revealing the fact that progressives haven't progressed much in over a hundred years. [1,317 words] Please Read My Poem - Again (Poetry) The inspiration for this poem came to me after reading several poems (good and bad) posted on Storymania, as well as their reviews. The poem is directed primarily at the very young, talented writers w... [195 words] Raindrops (Short Stories) Ever think twice about shopping alone at night. You should - especially if you're a pretty woman. [1,469 words] Requiem For A Bodybuilder (Poetry) What happens to bodybuilders when they cease pumping iron? [54 words] Save The Planet – More Fiction Than Fact (Essays) An essay. [1,537 words] Shirley's Angel (Short Stories) A Christmas story: In the final analysis, we may discover that we love someone because of their vulnerability, rather than in spite of it. [2,228 words] Still Unsolved (Short Stories) A successful mystery writer returns to his old home town and recalls an unsolved mystery he never wrote about. [2,136 words] Symbolism Over Substance – The Liberal Manifesto (Essays) A non-fiction essay about liberal ideology and its influence on today's U.S. and world culture. [1,229 words] The Absolution Of Margaret (Short Stories) A story about life in the confessional booth of a Catholic church. [549 words] The Better Man (Poetry) A poem about a lonely, young, soldier wating for a train to take him back to base. He becomes enamored with a lovely young girl sitting across from him. Although they never speak to each other, the ... [238 words] The Diversity Mystique (Essays) The ultimate hype of political correctness. [1,083 words] The Dowry (Short Stories) The Dowry is a story set in or around the year 2020, so I suppose you should consider it science fiction. But it is also a story of romance with the ending more than a mere possibility. [2,448 words] The Farnsworth Affair (Short Stories) An innocent man becomes trapped in a web of circumstance from which there is no escape. A somewhat more lengthy story than I usually write. This is a suspense story in the mold of the English mystery... [5,045 words] The Girl In The Taxi (Short Stories) A shy, young man has an erotic encounter with a strange girl. Is it real or just a dream? [1,493 words] [Erotic] The Incurable Cynic (Poetry) A man reflects upon his life of cynicism. [143 words] The Perfect Ending (Short Stories) A tale about a wanna-be writer trying to create a story with the perfect ending. With unsuspecting help from his wife, he succeds, but pays the ultimate price. [642 words] The Price Of Freedom (2) (Short Stories) A short story. [396 words] The Rhyme Of Eternal Triangles (Poetry) A poem that describes in a silly, funny way, the futility of wanting someone who doesn't want you. [223 words] The Song That Failed (Short Stories) A somewhat dubious account of an amateur song writer's ill-fated chance at success. [156 words] [Humor] The Waitress Fom Hell (Short Stories) The story of a patron's ongoing feud with an over-the-hill waitress. [750 words] Think Before You Write (Essays) My observations, after reading the work of many aspiring young writers, prompted me to write this. It merely offers some common sense advice to any aspiring writer (including myself) and should not b... [988 words] Tomorrow's Here (Poetry) The recent death of a friend inspired me to write a poem, which salutes this somewhat hapless, but likeable character. [114 words] Victims (Poetry) A satirical poem that tells it like it is. The poem confronts a disturbing trend in our society - transferring blame to others instead of placing it squarely where it belongs. [255 words] What A Pair (Ex-Husbands And Old Shoes) (Poetry) A symbolic poem comparing ex-husbands and old shoes. Some women divorce their husbands, expecting to find something better, only to realize eventually, that the grass is not always greener. [326 words] What’S Wrong With Assimilation? (Essays) This essay was originally written in 2006 when the Senate was considering an Immigration reform bill, which of course, was not passed. [453 words] Wisdom - Lost With Tradition (Essays) An essay which compares the concept of traditional wisdom with the minds of today's intellectual elitists. [500 words]
While The Iron's Hot Richard Koss
“Why don’t you finish that later? I’m hungry Linda.”
“Be patient Leo. I’ll finish this blouse and we’ll go eat.”
Linda stroked the sleeve of the blue cotton blouse with the hissing iron, looking down as she spoke to her estranged husband.
“You know, my sponsor Hillary would be really pissed at me if she knew I was going to spend even five minutes alone with you.”
“Oh fuck that lesbian bitch!” Leo was getting angry again, like he always did.
Linda stopped ironing for a second and looked at Leo. It suddenly hit her. Why did she ever love this asshole? He continued to rant and rave but Linda didn’t even hear him. She blocked out the sound of his words and thought about Hillary and the other women in her spousal abuse support group. They were right. These guys don’t change. You have to rid yourself of them forever.
Leo stopped ranting about Hillary and her other friends when he saw that Linda was staring straight ahead, barely listening to him.
“Come on Linda, you said we could have lunch together and talk like we used to. You know I’m tryin’ to change. Damn! - you know I still love you girl.”
Linda reached back for some courage. “Leo, I’ve changed my mind. It’ll never work. I know you really mean it Leo, but you can’t change. You’re never gonna change. It’s probably me. I seem to bring out the worst in you. I make you angry and that’s no good Leo. We should never be together.”
“You’re not gonna have lunch with me?”
“No, I just changed my mind. I have a right to change my mind, don’t I?”
“I came all the way over here just to take you out to lunch and talk with you - and you suddenly decide to change your mind?”
“Oh, come on Leo, you just want me to drink with you. You think if you get me half drunk, we’ll come back here and fuck. That’s the only time we ever cared about each other – when we were half drunk. Well I’m sober Leo, and I want to stay as far away from you as I possibly can.”
Now Leo’s face was red and his eyes got wild and wide. How many times had Linda seen that look before. She knew what to expect and Leo didn’t disappoint her. His open right hand stung as it shot across her face and she could taste the warm blood inside her mouth.
Then he turned away from her slightly and started to lunge forward with his right arm bent and cocked, ready to deliver one of his patented backhand whacks. But this time Linda was ready - When he got close enough, Linda thrust her right arm across the ironing board and planted the hissing iron on the right side of Leo’s face.
“SSSSSSSSS” Linda could hear the steaming iron melting away the stubble on his unshaven face along with the tender epidermis underneath.
“You fucking bitch!” His words were muffled by his hand covering his face and mouth.
As he came at her again, Linda’s adrenaline surged within her. She cocked her arm and drove the iron forward with a force far beyond what one would expect from a woman weighing a hundred and thirty pounds.
With his hands covering most of his face, Leo turned his head to the right and the iron caught him flush on the left temple.
He fell backwards landing hard on the carpeted floor of the living room. Linda stood there motionless, with the iron still in her hand. The only movement in the room was that of the dangling cord, jerked loose from the wall outlet by Linda’s violent thrust.
Linda continued to stare at Leo lying there. She was breathing hard and for a moment she was afraid he would get up and start after her again. But Linda was the only one breathing in the room.
The piercing ring of the kitchen telephone startled Linda. She set the blood-stained iron down on the ironing board, walked into the kitchen and picked up the wall phone. “Hello, “ she answered softly, sounding almost out of breath..
“Hey kid, how ya doin?” It was Hillary.
“I’m okay.” Linda’s voice seemed strange to Hillary.
“You want to meet Jill and me for a drink around happy hour over at the Cabin?”
“Sure, why not.” Linda still sounded funny.
“Are you sure you’re okay Linda?” Hillary was definitely curious.
Linda watched from her kitchen as a little bird took flight from her patio window sill. She followed it until it disappeared from view.
“Linda, are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here, Hillary. Everything’s fine. I’ll see you later.”
READER'S REVIEWS (3) 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.
"It's good. Glad I found you. Well, at least you know I hadn't read it before writing mine. I'll be reading more stuff. Cheers" -- barf.
"I am sorry, but this is sick. I had all the good will to really read your stories that I believed they would be full of wisdom, unlike my song, but all I know is this story is absolutely and entirely ......I don't even have words to describe it. English is my second language. I can't translate "apisteuti arrwsti malakia, xwris to paramikro noima yparksis". I am sorry." -- CJW.
"To CJW: I never said my stories are about wisdom. They're just stories about people. Most of the time I try to utilize surprise endings with a twist. That's all. But I try to write stories and poems that pertain to any time or era. I don't focus on themes that may be "hot" at the time, like teachers having sex with kids. Thanks for taking the time to read it anyway. Take a look at "Hooked." It's only 323 words. " -- Richard.
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