Michael C. Keith
|
The Fires of Childhood
Every time my mom was really upset she would flare up, literally. Little sparks would shoot from her nose, ears, and eyes This mostly happened when my dad said he was going out for the night or when he came home a couple days later. They were warning signals that things might go up in smoke. When they finally did, only my mom was left in the house. When my dad showed up, he wanted to know what happened. ** Maybe You Want to Be Gone We all sat around your bed hoping for the best. The doctors were not optimistic you’d make it. We prayed for your return to the conscious world and shed tears fearing you wouldn’t. Then just before your final breath your expression changed and we realized we were aggravating you. ** A Nice Way to Start the Day 1. At the top of the hill in the park I see George Harrison. I approach him with some trepidation and say hello. He smiles at me and says hello back. I ask him how he is since he’s been dead for many years, and he replies, “Better than you might think.” I tell him I’m glad for that and suggest we get a cup of coffee. He likes that idea, and we walk down the hill to the Dunkin’ at the edge of the park. “I love their chocolate frosted donuts,” he says. 2. As we enter DD’s, we notice Leonard Cohen and John Prine at a table in deep conversation. We decide not to disturb them and order our coffee and donuts. As we’re finishing up, Cohen comes over and asks why we didn’t join them, saying he hasn’t seen George in years. We invite him to sit down, but he says he can’t. He and Prine are due someplace and they’re late already. 3. When we leave Dunkin’, George says he has to go back to the park because he’s meeting someone on the hill. I ask who and he says John. I figure he’s talking about Lennon, so I bid him goodbye. He says we’ll meet again, and I wake up happy for the visit. ** On the Road of Life Valerie saw a car approaching in her rearview mirror, and when she looked in her side view mirror, it wasn’t there. Surprised, she looked in her rearview mirror again and saw it was still there. Immediately, she checked her side view mirror and no car appeared. It’s just one of those days, she told herself. ** Naked Brunch William Lee had as many eggs at Original Henri’s as his hollow belly would allow. He then went into the alley next to the restaurant and shot his pistol at the crumpled fedora on a vagrant’s head. “Bullseye!” he bleated joyously as the man slumped to the ground. ** On the Day My Nephew Was Born Walking to the hospital where my sister has just given birth, I see a woman lying on the sidewalk with blood streaming from her mouth and pooling around her head. I’m startled by the sight and can’t move for a moment. Then I spring into action and run in the opposite direction. She will need professional help, I tell myself. ** Michael C. Keith is the author or coauthor of more than two dozen groundbreaking books on electronic media, including one chosen by President Clinton for his official summer reading list. Beyond that, he is the author of an acclaimed memoir (The Next Better Place, Algonquin Books), a young adult novel, and 25 story collections. His most recent books are Euphony (Bamboo Dart Press) and The Loneliness Channel (Scantic Books). www.michaelckeith.com |
