Category: writing

writing

Acushla Bound – Part Two

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Pepper continued along the forest covered trail with Mikaela on his back. His gallop slowed as he entered a meadow.

Mikaela looked around. Wildflowers she’d never seen surrounded her. The colors were mesmerizing and they seemed to wave in unison as the stems swayed in the breeze. Mikaela rested her head against Pepper’s neck, his mane tickling her nose.

Slowly, Pepper came to a stop. Mikaela unmounted the mighty horse, stretched and looked around. “Is this where we’re supposed to be, Pepper?”

Pepper looked at her for a moment, then stooped down. He had stopped at a creek and took a sip of water. When he raised his head back up, he motioned toward his back.

“Okay, Pepper, I guess it’s time to move on,” Mikaela sighed as she mounted up. “It’s pretty here though.”

Pepper neighed briefly and then continued on the trail, across a small footbridge over the water and toward an orchard in the distance. His pace picked up as he neared the orchard. Mikaela held on as he bounded toward the trees. “Whoa, Pepper, whoa!” She feared he might throw her. Finally, he stopped and picked an apple off with his shiny big teeth.

Mikaela chuckled, “Sounds like a good idea. She reached for an apple of her own. Pepper backed away from the tree, blocking her reach. “What, you can have one, but I can’t?”

Pepper pranced a few times and then walked over to another tree. This one had beautiful pinkish-red apples. This time, Mikaela was able to pick one and took a bite. It was the most delicious apple she had ever tasted. She knew she had to have more, but how to hold them?

She looked down at the gown. It had multiple layers of light fabric in the skirt. She pulled up the outer layers and ripped a large swath from the bottom layer. She formed it into a bag of sorts and picked several apples, then fastened them to the saddle.

Pepper pulled another apple and enjoyed it while Mikaela took a breath from the journey. It was a beautiful land about her. In the distance, some trees had not bore fruit yet, and apple blossoms covered the trees. Pepper slowly walked through this area of the orchard, letting Mikaela enjoy its beauty.

The sun was starting to sink low in the distance when they came to the edge of the orchard. Mikaela spied a small village off in the distance. “Pepper, is that where we are going?”

Pepper neighed loudly, and took off in a full gallop toward town. Mikaela looked forward to having some human company to speak with as well as a break from riding in a dress on Pepper’s back. Pepper brought Mikaela to the door of a local inn, stopped, and shook his head toward the door.

As Mikaela swung her leg over to dismount, she heard the jingle of coins. She found a small purse of money tucked securely under a flap on Pepper’s saddle. Mikaela hitched Pepper’s lead to the hitching posted, and pet her new friend’s face. “I’ll be back out. Hopefully they have a stable for you too my friend.” Pepper whinnied with delight.

Mikaela felt a little disheveled as she entered the inn. A kind looking old man sat behind the counter. “Well, hello there ma’am. How can I help you?”

Mikaela fiddled with her dress a little more and tried to straighten her hair as she approached the man as his desk. “Do you have a room and a stable for my horse?”

“You’re not from around here, are you ma’am? I’m Harold. Nice to meet you. I’ll be happy to set you up for a night or two in one of our rooms.”

Mikaela smiled. “Thank you, and no, I’m not from around here. Where is here?”

Harold chuckled to himself. “Oh, you’re Somewhere between There and Nowhere.”

Mikaela tilted her head sideways. “So, what’s the name of this place?” His original answer confused her.

“You’re Somewhere!” Harold exclaimed and held his hands up and wide as if he were grabbing as much air as he could.

Mikaela nodded, and thought what a strange answer. “Um, ok. Is there a place I can get my horse some feed and stabled during my stay in Somewhere?”

Harold’s eyes glistened when she said Somewhere. Almost like it was a magical word. “Oh definitely.” He pointed to the other side of the dusty road. “The stables are over there. No charge for a pretty lady like yourself.” He finished up the register and had Mikaela sign it, then turned over the key. “Your room is right at the top of the stairs on the left.”

Mikaela nodded thank you and started to head toward the door. “Um, Harold, is there a place where I might get some different clothes?”

“Sure thing, Ms. Mikaela. The Town Clothier is down the street. Mrs. Taylor will fix you up right proper.”

“Thanks, Harold.” With that, Mikaela walked back out to Pepper and smiled. She unlashed the lead and walked Pepper over to the stables. She gave Pepper a nice brushing and a couple more apples before heading over to Mrs. Taylor to address her dress.

Mikaela walked into the Town Clothier. The door rattled as she pulled it and stuck a bit on the frame. A rudimentary bell chimed.

A sweet little voice came from behind a stack of cloth. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right there.” The shuffle of feet could be heard against the wood planked floor.

Mikaela looked around the shop as Mrs. Taylor finished working on her task.

“Okay, here I am!” Mrs. Taylor hollered as she rounded the stacks. She paused, and her eyes grew big. “You’re a woman!”

Mikaela chuckled to herself. Even at just over five foot five, she towered over Mrs. Taylor. “Hi. I, um, need a change of clothes.” Her beautiful dress now looked haggard and worn. She wasn’t sure if it could be salvaged after she tore out the swatch to carry the apples.

“Oh, sweetie, yes, you do. Are you looking to lure a man or something more practical?” Her eyes glistened like Harold’s, it must be something about Somewhere.

Mikaela giggled. Lure a man. That struck her funny. “Just something practical. My horse has decided to take me on a journey and, well, I need something more appropriate.”

Mrs. Taylor looked her over and started taking measurements. “Okay, sweetie. Can you come back in the morning? I’ll have two changes for you then. In the mean time,” Mrs. Taylor turned to her side and picked up a folded gown, “you’ll be more comfortable sleeping in this tonight. It’s yours, no charge.”

Mikaela nodded thank you as Mrs. Taylor handed her the gown.

Her old hands gently touched the top off Mikaela’s. “I get a good vibe from you. Your acushla awaits.”

Mikaela had never heard that word before, but she was tired and longed for bed. She decided to save her questions for the morning and to head back to the inn. She waved to Mrs. Taylor and bid her a good evening.

Mikaela wandered back to the inn and climbed up the stairs. Her room was sparse, but a small fireplace warmed the room and a lantern cast light on the walls with enough for her to see. She shimmied out of her dress and unfolded the gown. Sweet stitch work in the pattern of scrolls and roses lined the V-neck of the gown. Mikaela slipped it on and headed toward bed.

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writing

Acushla Bound

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Mikaela finally found an afternoon of no obligations, no commitments. She packed a small lunch and headed outside to sit by the lake.

She spread out a blanket and found a comfortable place to lean against the massive oak they saved from splitting following Hurricane Irma. The strapping still held it together, but the tree had healed nicely.

The breeze floated across the lake, carrying with it the warmth of the sun. Her skin glistened in the heat, but she was still comfortable. Her brown hair, desperate for a trim, curled up against her neck.

She purposely left her phone inside to escape interruption, but she brought a journal and pen, should any creativity come to visit.

She listened to the songs of the chickadees and cardinals as they flirted above her between the branches. Over the lake, herons and egrets swiftly flew by, looking for their lunch. Relaxation finally found her.

Slowly, she slipped into slumber, laying on her blanket. Her limbs and her eyes became heavy, but she didn’t struggle or fight it. It was nice to let things go for once. In the distance, the shell chimes clinked, lulling her further into a deep sleep.

In the distance she heard the galloping of hooves. She startled herself awake. As she opened her eyes, she realized she must be dreaming. Nothing around her was familiar.

The tree she slept under was now a willow tree, glistening in the sun. Her branches swayed in the winds, and almost iridescent leaves sparkled.

The familiar birds were gone, but new ones filled their place. Blue birds chirped and danced around her blanket. One even landed on her shoulder and sang a beautiful song.

Mikaela thought to herself, this is a pretty nice dream.

The high grass between her and the lake had transformed to a field of wild flowers, vibrant and rich with life. Butterflies, dragonflies, bees and more moved among the flowers, happily floating on the air.

One dragonfly floated towards Mikaela. This one was different from the others. As he neared, she realized it was a damsel fly instead…one set of wings instead of two. He floated and landed on her nose.

She looked cross eyed at him. She didn’t want to scare him, but then, she sneezed. He swiftly moved away, and once her fit was over, he floated nearby instead. He drifted away and then back several times.

Mikaela finally figured out he wanted her to follow him. She stood up. It was then she realized she wasn’t in her shirt and shorts anymore. She was now in a gown, similar to those of the Renaissance or one an elf would wear in LOTR, but it was lightweight and floated loosely over all her figure flaws.

She stepped onto the grass and found small stepping stones forming a path ahead. The damsel fly continued to beckon her to follow around the field. The path followed the edge of the lake which reflected as a turquoise and teal blue with a slight mist floating above.

As she continued rounding the edge of the lake, she discovered a wooded forest before her and heard the faint whinny of a horse. The damsel fly floated in mid-air before her, making her look around.

Mikaela noticed the air had a slight chill and rubbed her arms to warm them. She wondered where the warmth of the sun had gone. As she looked around, aside from knowing this wasn’t home, she didn’t know what she should see.

The damsel fly floated backward, allowing her to step forward, and then she tripped across a strap of leather.

“Ohhhh, this is what you wanted me to see?” She questioned as she picked herself and the horses bit and reign from the ground. She looked at the name engraved on the strapping… Pepper.

The damsel fly continued forward, leading her past the first few trees in the forest. There stood a beautiful Appaloosa in the thicket. He was already saddled, but no bit nor lead on him. He pranced to the side on hearing Mikaela’s footsteps.

As she neared, he bowed at her. She stretched out her hand, touching him on the star of his forehead. He neighed softly.

“Pepper?” She spoke gently to the magnificent creature. He shook his head up and down. The damsel fly landed on Pepper’s ear. Pepper twitched his ear, and the damsel fly took off, not to be seen again.

Mikaela recalled back to her youth. She had only ridden a horse once, but loved them immensely. She held out the bit to Pepper, “Shall we?”

Pepper pranced for a moment and opened his mouth. He was ready to get underway; although Mikaela had no idea where they would be going. She fastened the bit, checked the saddle, then climbed atop Pepper.

“Lead the way Pepper. Lead the way.”

With that, Pepper took off into the forest, headed towards the mountains in the distance.

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writing

Overnight Work

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Mikaela grabbed her brush pen and started writing the alphabet. She normally would be working; actually she was working. But her computer was tied up running the latest in a series of queries and needed all the CPU she could give it, so it was back to pen and paper while it runs.

Scrollwork and flourishes came from her pen, but nothing looked right. She was stressed and exhausted, and it showed through her tight grip on the pen and the heavy pressure she forced on the nib. Frustration soon came, so she paused, looked back at her computer. Still running.

She found her way into the kitchen for some tea. That always made her take a moment to breathe. Work had become overwhelming as of late, interrupted sleep, working nights and weekends, and never getting things done was getting old. Another cog in the wheel is what she’d become.

She opened the package of Teavana and brought it close to her nose. Ahh, the smell of earl grey creme. She pulled out a sachet, then place the package back on the counter and pulled a small mug from the cupboard to start the ritual. Drop the tea bag in, wrap the label around the mug, and turn on the kettle to boil. When the kettle began to sing, she poured it over the bag and allowed it to steep. While it steeped, she tried to relax her shoulders and neck. 4 AM work was for the birds! Finally the timer went off indicating her tea had brewed.

She added brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk…her island style London Fog. She lifted the cup to her lips for a drink. It was warm and soothing. She inhaled the aromas of lavender, citrus, and vanilla, and exhaled some of her angst. Slowly she made her way back to her computer, cradling the warm mug in her hands.

A quick glance at her computer, still running. She sat back down, sipped from her mug and held her head up with her free hand. Early mornings were quiet and at least she had the ability to work remote these days. She put her paper and pen aside and pulled out her phone.

Mikaela flipped through Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, still glancing up at her computer periodically. This query usually takes 20 minutes, it should be done at any minute. A few photos bring her smiles, her friends with their kids, silly posts from her cousins from yesterday. At least she doesn’t really have to think this early.

She checked back in on her computer. Still chugging along. Another sip of tea and another pin to her dream home board. She doesn’t want much, not a mansion on a secluded island, just something simple and welcoming, easy to take care of and comfortable in pretty surroundings.

She takes another sip of tea and looks up. The screen on her computer flickers, and there are the results. Time to get back to work. She set her phone and tea aside. The sooner she’s done, the sooner she’s back in bed.

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writing

Wake Up Call

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

The lonely sound of the CSX train horn echoes through the air in the early morning hour.

The quiet is disturbed as the train approaches;

The horn blows as it nears each intersection growing louder and louder.

Soon the bellows of the engines fill the air. Their low roar murmuring though the dark.

The sound of the cars clack past, clack, clack, clackity, clack.

The horn’s sound comes again, now growing faint,

the engines’ roar and the cars’ clacks fall away,

followed by the return of silence.

Why does the train have to run by at 4 AM? Don’t they know we’re all sleeping here???

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writing

Is this how interviews go?

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

“I’m interested in your story. Tell me about your twenties.”

“Do I have to?”

“No, of course not. You never have to tell me anything.”

Silence. Breathing. More silence. Her mind was racing.

“My twenties were sandwiched by heartache….the first when I was twenty. The second right as I turned thirty.”

“Was the decade all bad?”

She laughed and smiled. “No, and I know life isn’t only about men either. But a lot changed in that decade.”

“Well, tell me more.”

She smiled. “Well, guess I’ll start back in college. I joined a sorority my junior year, I was twenty then, My roommate was in one and we’d known each other since high school. She convinced me to go through rush, that it would be fun and fill my free time.”

“Why were you worried about having free time?”

“Well, my boyfriend at the time was in the military. So, I wouldn’t be dating, or so I thought.” She looked up, a little sadness floated across her face. “Plus, I’d never really had a circle of girlfriends, and I’m quite introverted, so I thought it would be a good way to be social. It would also be easier while living with my roommate.”

“So, same sorority?”

“Yeah, I was given two options towards the end of rush. Part of me wanted to go with the other sorority, but for the sake of our friendship, and knowing another one of our friends was selecting the same too, I selected hers.”

“Was it worth it, joining a sorority that is?”

“Yes, definitely. A few weeks into the semester, things fell apart with my boyfriend, so I at least had something to distract me in that “free time” I had. I was working on top of school and sorority, so I kept busy. Costs for school were covered by scholarships, but costs for the sorority and living in an apartment were on me.”

“Did you date after things went south with the military man?”

She chuckled, odd to hear that phrase as it didn’t really fit him in her mind. “I got to know a few guys, wouldn’t call it dating that fall. I didn’t really date anyone until the next semester.”

“Was there any sex with these fall guys?”

She paused. What a probing question, but okay. There wasn’t much to reveal anyway. “One, once. I felt horrible after. Never saw him again.”

“Honestly, isn’t everyone a set of walking hormones in college?”

“Yeah, sure, maybe, but I wasn’t in that frame of mind. With that one guy, it was more of a get me over my ex moment. And it backfired, ripped me apart even more. So that was off the table for a while. However, sorority life was fun. Got to know a few people, and I even moved into a leadership role that Spring.”

“Be honest, did you party?”

“Of course, we went to the clubs a few times, played pool, formals, even went to a few parties. I turned 21 that Spring, so things were legal for me after that point.”

“Did you and your roommate always go together?”

She chuckled. “Oh, no. She was busy with her own romance, her own life. I still remember having to clean up after one of her boyfriends at one party, though….so glad he ended up not working out for her. He was a mess.”

“You…cleaned up?”

“Yeah, I was the only one sober enough not to add to the mess. It was at a sister’s apartment in the same complex. It wasn’t a pretty night.”

“Be honest, were you normally the D-D?”

She blushed, “Yes, most times. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I over-indulged in college. “

“You ARE a lightweight. Would you say your college experience was typical?”

She shrugged. “I’m kind of boring I guess.”

“So, what about the actual education side. You aren’t doing what you studied. Why?”

“Oh, that has probably more drama than sorority life had for me! I always brought home great grades. Junior year, not so much. I didn’t fail anything, but one professor was so bad, the school applied a bell curve to the grades because they couldn’t afford over half their students flunking out of their first course. Moved me from a D+ to a C+.”

“Really, so, you weren’t a super nerd like high school?”

“Hardly! I had to maintain a certain average for my scholarship….and I just squeaked by those last two years.”

“Well, so you had some changes in priorities? Or something else?”

“A bit of both. Before things fell apart with my boyfriend, I had actually decided I didn’t want to stay at that University. I hoped he would agree for me to move out towards him, see if we had a future.”

“Did you tell him?”

“Never got the chance. I had even had my roommate take these silly pictures — me in my sorority baseball jersey holding and wearing a baseball cap of the team out there. I was going to write him a letter telling him if he wanted us both for Christmas, he needed to come get us. I was trying to be flirty, but also testing the waters since I wasn’t sure if he’d be coming home or not. He asked me once to move earlier that year, but he sounded drunk…so I didn’t know if he meant it.”

“Why did you not tell him?”

“I was going to, but things fell apart. So, anyway, when that happened, I stepped back from making a lot of major decisions. I didn’t trust myself with anything for a while. Although I wasn’t happy with the college’s program, I also had family pressure to stick with it. My oldest sister had a change of heart her Junior year, switched majors, then never finished. I was to be the first to get a degree in my family, so I stayed and studied, but I lost the love for the industry. Each semester, it became worse. I ended up not being able to graduate in the Spring of my senior year — I had to finish my second semester of a foreign language thanks to having a car accident which made me miss my first class in the fall of my senior year, so I was a semester off, and then the same pain in the ass professor from my Junior year gave our entire class incompletes our final Spring semester, requiring all of us to resubmit papers the following fall, well after graduation. I finally graduated a few months late. After all the drama, I didn’t want to get into an industry that made people as ugly as he portrayed in his classes, so I walked away and moved on to computers.”

“Is could this be why you write now? Connecting with those days in journalism?”

“Hmm, interesting observation. Maybe. But I’m not too interested in the news anymore; I don’t have a desire to work in the industry. I still like getting to the root of the story, or the issue, and love to research…which sometimes gets me into trouble…” She looked up briefly to gauge how her words were received. “However, I try to confine research to work, hobbies, and my writing topics these days. My writing is more cathartic for me, some fantasy, poetry, observations, random junk from my head…what we’d call fluff pieces “in the industry”…unless I’m writing for work…and that’s boring!”

“Earlier, you mentioned a car accident. Was it bad?”

“No, not that one. I was rear-ended at a light as I was headed to class. It wasn’t bad, but bent the frame on my car, which meant it was in the shop for three weeks while they straightened it and repainted it. No injuries, just cheese splattered all over the interior. My friend, who later became my boyfriend, was biting into a McDonald’s burger which had some sort of cheesy sauce when we were hit.” She laughed heartily. “It was quite funny to see cheese sauce smeared all over his face, his hair, on the window, geez, it was everywhere. The burger ended up in the back seat somehow. But, I didn’t make it to class that evening and they had a drop policy if you don’t attend the first class.”

“So, you said you worked while in college. Where was that?”

“I worked in the marketing department on campus. It was actually a fun job. I liked working there, helping with editing the course catalogs, and it’s how I ended up in the IT world. I moved from marketing to one of the program offices, which led to me setting up the classrooms including the computer lab and becoming involved with selecting and supporting one of our systems. I even trained our staff on the new system. Some things were definitely mundane…what job isn’t…but I learned a lot and experienced a ton of personal growth. I stayed there a couple years after graduating.”

“So, at the start of our discussion, you mentioned your twenties were sandwiched by two heartaches. What happened which led up to that second one?”

She looked down, then out at the distance before her. “We were together over eight years. But, there is way too much to go through. Maybe another time, if you really want to know, okay?” Secretly, she never wanted to speak about that time again in her life. It was some of the happiest times of her life when things were good, but resulted in one of the darkest times of her life when she reflected on it. “I’m just glad it is behind me and I’d like to keep it there.”

“Okay. We can talk more later if you like. Want to order lunch?”

She shook her head as he called over the waiter.

“Sangria for the lady, and I’ll have….”

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writing

Time Flies

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

A cap, a gown, an honor stole.

My friends’ daughter is graduating.

I still remember the day they brought her home.

I was grateful to help, more than they may ever know.

Ten fingers, ten toes, and a full head of hair.

It seems like it was yesterday.

I’ve watched her grow up, mostly from afar.

Where has the time gone? When did she grow up?

She’s off to college in the fall…What?!

She can’t, she’s just a little kid!

…Amazing how time flies…

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poetry, writing

Pelican

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

With heavy wings, he begins to take flight.

Finding his rhythm, the air lifts him out of the water below.

He floats above the crest of a swelling wave.

Watching for his morning meal,

he soars up in the air, circling, circling.

He stretches his neck as he begins to plummet back to the ocean.

Crashing, splashing, and catching his prey.

Breakfast is served.

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writing

Sangria Me!

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

Beautiful wine glass, filled with pretty fruit,

floating in magical liquid before me.

Red, or white, it matters not, as long as the taste is sweet.

Oranges, apples, lemons, limes.

Strawberries, cherries, blueberries, oh my!

It goes down smooth, and distracts my mind.

I’ve always been a lightweight, I guess.

Never too much, a glass or two will do.

Plus, it’s only once in a while.

Well okay, except that one time…

We were celebrating that night, weren’t we…

It made me laugh and happy, but then,

losing my footing and holding on to his belt.

I didn’t have that much, I swear. At least he drove.

Finally, kicking out of my shoes and giggling all the way home.

That memory should make me sad, but instead I laugh.

Many happy times since then, since you.

And, even still, I love drinking my sangria.

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writing

She Persisted

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

She looks for the truth to be heard

by the closed eyes and closed minds around her.

She works to show their duplicity, the inequity of it all.

Minds fight back, positions of power abused.

She’s just a token woman in their mind, after all.

An image so they can pretend they are fair.

Although they are not… nor are they just.

But still, she persisted.

For all the women who find they face uphill battles for what is good, fair, and right. Don’t give up!

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writing

Playful

Posted on by Dawn Renee Miller

“Whatcha’ doin’?” she whispered in his ear. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting them on his chest as he fiddled on his phone.

“Makin’ shipments,” he responded as he continued to play his game.

“Yeah, how’s the mining going. Making us lots of money?”

He laughed. “Yeah, sure.”

She leaned in and kissed him on his cheek.

He laughed again. “Are you trying to distract me?”

“Who me? Noooo. Never!” She smiled through her drawn out reply. She shifted her weight, resting on his shoulders more.

He finally looked her way. Then he saw it. Desire.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. Finally, he set aside the phone and pulled her again, this time, over the back of the sofa.

Her head landed in his lap as her body landed stretched out on the sofa.

He played with her brown curls, wiping them out of her eyes.

“You wanna?” he smiled…

She smiled back.

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