Author: Todd
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Presence
She was known for her collection of unusual things. Wherever she traveled she brought back objects of art to her home. Wood carvings, polished stones, intricate weavings, blown glass, sculpted metals. People said she had an eye for beauty, a gift for finding the truly unique. But she was not interested in what others thought.…
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Warmth
It was love at first sight for him. For her she had to get used to his face. He looked like her Yorkshire Terrier. It was his red shaggy beard and eyebrows. What she was attracted to was his eyes – dark and gentle, with a sparkle to them – again, like her dog’s. He…
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Spirits
Chrysalis was the name she bequeathed upon herself, a talented and troubled woman haunted by spirits. She feared their presence and hoped her entourage might provide some security. They accompanied her in limousines, opening doors, carrying bags, and living in her estate. They sat at her long table and dined with her as she ate,…
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Angels
Angels are with us, said a woman seated beside me on a plane. I smiled politely and went back to my reading. People often claim not to believe in angels, she went on. What do you think is keeping us from falling from the sky? I shrugged, less of a smile this time, wondering if…
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Stars
He fought to climb the ice walls into darkness and touch the stars. He fell back, hands burned, eyes blinded, and cried —Why? The crowd rejoiced at his success. No, a failure, he insisted, but was denied. Excerpt from Light-Years in the Dark: StoryPoems (see more) photo-art design by todd crawshaw
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Danced
There was a woman who danced herself to death and no one knew why. A crowd gathered to witness her collapse. They stared at her lifeless body until a man dressed in black took it upon himself to bury her. People stood at her grave site confused by the void in their lives left by…
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Seduced
A naked woman was arranging sea shells in the sand. I stopped to ask her what she was doing. Changing, she told me, without looking up. Her hair was long and tangled. In the twilight her skin sparkled with a veneer of salt and silica. Her intricate designs were beautiful but appeared to have no…
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Vision
On a stretch of desert, for the moment my home, the luminous vision silenced me like a blinding laugh. I knew without asking the answer. It was foretold before I spoke. There was no need to want what I already had. The blossoms of invisible substance took impossible form. I could hold in my hands…
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Killings
The condemned man smoked a cigarette with his executioner and in the short time they had together they had become friends. The subject of blame was not discussed. Neither one held the other responsible. Nor was guilt a commodity they cared to exchange, of little value now, something they both chose to bury. They spoke…
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Immortality
What is immortality? asked one angel of the others fluttering into conundrum. The question caused a collective silence that lasted for what seemed an eternity. In that time the existence of man came and went, the stars reversed their course, and once again an infant opened its eyes. The guardians watched over this delicate life…