Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-BookandPaperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak aboutthe most recent events with a previous place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination, growth from the transition after resigning from that company, and life’s foibles and overall experiences. I welcome your visit.
A friend of mine popped up to my job on Thursday to lay a care package at my feet. In it, a lovely card, fuzzy socks (my favorite item of comfort clothing!), a most suitable coffee mug, chocolate (made with oat milk), the indomitable writer and spoken word phenomenon, Lisa Marie Lovett’s (SeasonedDialogue on all platforms) book, a pleasantly fragranced candle, and a beautiful plant. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
I hadn’t realized how poignant Jernee’s death was until the people I love started gifting me things that make my heart smile.
Out of the blue, pieces of this world made their acquaintance with me. A book, a candle, a mug, some fuzzy socks, decorative window ornaments, and so much more.
How did that little four-legged creature jump into the hearts of others just as she sashayed effortlessly into mine?
To have someone pop up at the gig casually ask for you, and then unload a hug so deep it touches your soul while handing you a wicker basket full of what now connects you even more to them is love personified.
I didn’t have the words. I almost didn’t have the legs to stand on because the gesture had been a sweet blow to my heart.
I wrapped her in my arms, thanked her profusely, and assured her that these gifts will never go unnoticed. They are the divine circling us back into each other’s line of sight.
Talking points of a loss heavier than any I have ever experienced; a feature film open for all to see. There are only a few seats left at the table of love… come one, come all while there’s still time.
This friend is a former co-worker of mine. While I simply shifted back to a department where I previously worked, we are still employed by the same organization. I am now back to being patient-facing, and I no longer work from home. She still does. We correspond with each other regularly via Teams and text message; however, to see her smiling face this past Thursday, and to know just how special I have to be to her for her to tap into all the things that bring me peace and joy, lets me know that our friendship is forever.
Below is a YouTube Short of one of my favorite Spoken Word Poets, Lisa Marie Lovette, aka Seasoned Dialogue. The fact that she copped her book for me left/leaves me speechless.
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-BookandPaperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak aboutthe most recent events with a previous place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination, growth from the transition after resigning from that company, and life’s foibles and overall experiences. I welcome your visit.
I really do try to be out here rocking my own style. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Autumn’s wings
the chill in the air is what I live for; the wind that picks up moves in the right direction for me to glide on it gracefully.
I walk on Autumn’s wings, at peace with the calm that comes with it.
the love given to a bonsai tree
have you ever pondered the life of a bonsai tree? contained and pruned regularly to stay alive. the love it must take to have someone tend to what you need at the exact moment you need it is nothing short of humane. your livelihood is built around the caring heart of a human being who spares time to pour into you what they may not pour into others.
isn’t that remarkable? how many of us would thrive in a small container, shaped and structured to fit our home—safe, secure, and sturdy throughout many years ahead?
my money’s on not many.
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak about the most recent events with a previous place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination, growth from the transition after resigning from that company, and life’s foibles and overall experiences. I welcome your visit.
It’s hard to explain, I create when I need to–when the weight of life sneaks up on me and wrecks my brain. There’s nothing like moving words from one section of your heart to another… nothing like massaging your scalp to push out stories that have been trapped inside for weeks; a literary birthing of art.
Background noise, not a deterrent… I block whatever doesn’t fill me. I ignore the unimportant.
A writer’s words will see the light even if darkness has a grip on their sleeve–they’ll find a way.
My neighbor is taken with me — smitten. It’s cute. I’m sure it could have been even cuter if I hadn’t warped her brain by revealing my age. I know what it feels like to crush on someone out of your league… out of your rank. 20 years my junior, I’ll pass. I can’t see myself tuning into someone I could have given birth to.
I never thought I’d see the day when I’d say, “I am sure I’m way older than you. How old do you think I am? My guess, you’re in your 20s, right?” And right, I was. The look of shock that swept across her face was madness to my spirit.
Should I grow more gray hair? Am I aging backward?
The creator in me wants to poem the night away, but the thinker in me allows the words to marinate–to gel. I have to find a way to build blocks with the stories I wish to tell… to wrap them around the stairway to heaven.
I think there’s a race passing me by, watching me side-step and break my ankles just to be rid of people who are distractions. I want more creative things, like the stickers on my laptop, the titillating words of a fellow author, and the sacred sunset that’s never on time.
More creative things… I crave them, and until I am fed, hunger will ravage me.
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak about the most recent events with a previous place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination, growth from the transition after resigning from that company, and life’s foibles and overall experiences. I welcome your visit.
The image depicts the corner of a room with bright green walls and ornate stacked moulding in white and gold. We see part of a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. A sofa with green and gold striped fabric and gold trim sits against one wall. Various artworks of different sizes adorn the walls, some framed in gold and some black. Photo by Elif Gulgac on Unsplash.
“Where the hell is Wayne Donald?!”
Kinley Chris yells from across the salty shore. Her younger sister shot like lightning from their grandmother’s front porch to the mouth of the beach when she heard the fireworks.
To try and coax her home, Kinley runs at full speed with a bag of gummy bears dangling from her back pocket–her sister’s favorite snack.
“Wayne Donald! Wayne Donald! I’ve got your favorite snack! Come on out here. I ain’t got all day!”
The girls are the two most oddly named children at their school–in their neighborhood. Wayne Donald, the youngest, at age 7, is a blonde-haired, green-eyed turbo train of unbridled anxiety. Kinley Chris, 13, is cinnamon sunshine with a pinch of “Don’t waste my time”, and their personalities speak before they do.
Plainly put, they don’t need an introduction.
The girls’ grandmother sits in her art room, rocking back and forth to the sound of the island’s fireworks.
No one is allowed in this room, not even her husband (not the girls’ biological grandfather). The room is both peaceful and creepy. It’s a vibrant green with a cream and gold ceiling, and has Art Deco-like furniture. It smells like a scene from a Foghorn Leghorn cartoon married to last night’s dinner. The girls gladly stay out of it.
“Wayne Donald! Wayne!!! Girl, where are you?! It’s getting dark, and I’m cold as the teats on a mama polar bear!”
On the pier, directly behind the viewers, Wayne Donald appears. She is wearing a snaggletoothed smile and sea-soaked clothes.
“I’m right here, Kinley Chris! If I was a snake, woulda bit ya!”
The little girl races to her older sister, slaps five with her, and snatches the gummy bears from her back pocket.
“If that was all I had to do to get these here gummy bears outta ya, Kinley, I woulda did it long ago.”
She leans into the tight embrace of her big sister, and they plop their tired bodies on the muddied sand.
“If all you wanted was some candy, Wayne Donald, all you had to do was ask.”
The girls’ grandmother lifts the window in the art room and calls them home. Her wretched voice echoes along the beach. They race each other back to the long-winding porch and float through the front door.
Tomorrow’s adventures await.
This piece is my offering for this week’s Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge. The name, “Wayne Donald,” came to me first, then the image of the little girls, and the story wrote itself from there. I love these challenges, and I am grateful for them as kickstarters for buried creativity.
Caison Michael’s 8th birthday celebration. My little Munchkin Man is 8 now! *SOBS* Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Flying Time by Tremaine L. Loadholt
He’s eight now, Time flies, wow! Can’t keep my emotions intact The little ones are growing so fast I remember diaper-changing days, Now that period has flown away. I watch as he sprouts to the sky, His beauty and loving heart soaring high. Could it be just another year, One destined to leave me in tears, Or is it a momentous occasion, A turn of time with persuasion, And a final blow to my chest, OUCH!
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak about the most recent events with a previous place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination, growth from the transition after resigning from that company, and life’s foibles and overall experiences. I welcome your visit.
A Cornered Gurl 
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