The Reading Room
For a few moments respite, enter the Reading Room. Here you’ll find previously published, unpublished or soon-to-be published short stories, articles, essays or poems covering a variety of subject areas and topics. They change regularly so drop in and spend a few minutes with us relaxing in the Reading Room. These works are posted solely for your enjoyment, interest and entertainment.
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PTA
Dear Parents, As we begin a new school year It’s incumbent from each of you we hear We need your acceptance of our new rules for your sons and daughters attending high school As partners with parents in raising your young it’s important they see us unified as one For that reason from this point forth your home values we will endorse In accordance with the lawsuit filed last year the courts have made it abundantly clear Our job is no longer to be at loggerheads with you in determining what’s appropriate or within who’s view Your home and you are the primary source the biggest influence as to the course their budding lives take and what of themselves they will make You being the foundation of their behaviors and morés we’ve been instructed to assist you in all ways We can’t control their cell phone use anymore than we can your cell phone abuse Therefore, one-half of each classroom will be dedicated space for egress and ingress voice text messaging Half of the remainder, (that would be one quarter) is reserved for clothes and make up disorder Insuring one-up-manship fashion borders with enough pre-pubescent skin showing and high heel heightening to aid at least an appearance of chronological growing Shorts should be no shorter than summer’s micro shorts look Blouses, shirts and tops no more than three buttons or hooks For the boys any new, used or cleanest T-shirt from the pile will do And since they insist on wearing their pants hanging off their asses Out of respect for their classmates (obviously they have none for themselves) we would ask once again they pardon with “excuse me” when passing gases |
With fifty percent of the available space left, that would be one-eighth (as in ‘eight ball’ you know) remedial basics will be addressed for our high school scholars who have yet to pass the third grade competency test With this last section, a final one-sixteenth piece of the pie As charted on our colored bar graph grids representing the other kids It too will be fractionalized yet one more time so we’re able to provide four whole seats, serialized Two and two that is in each classroom’s one-thirty-second space For the two hard core on the felons path, and the last two getting an education in spite of the place In this way our Bell Curve will automatically adjust according to Piaget, Skinner Freud and Bloom Sealing our children’s myopic lives, and we, our doom Like you, we will let them have their way Then irresponsibility can continue to play and wreak further havoc on a society in decay Please sign this release form and return by Friday indicating that you fully understand we are now absolved of doing your job and your children’s future is back in your hands. Branch Isole © 2005 From the book, Turn Of A Phrase |
A Child Knows
“The Truth of Innocence”
The enjoyment of each autumn season for Dave was found in the weekly broadcast of ‘Monday Night Football.’ Just as he had lived for Friday during his bachelor days, now as a married man with a young daughter his seventh day solace was found in front of his big screen TV watching the NFL’s premier ‘Game of the Week.’ It was this Monday evening he had anticipated all month for his favorite gridiron gladiators, the Green Bay Packers were squaring off to face the team Dave loved to hate the most, the Dallas Cowboys.
Completing his own pre-game preparation of collecting all necessary snack and beverage needs, Dave settled into his favorite chair and hit the remote control button. Leaping to life across the high definition screen a camera panned the scantily clad figurines of silicone implanted bodies and cosmetically painted faces of the famous Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. “Ah” Dave thought to himself, “Now this is what Monday night is all about! Hard bodies on and off the field.”
As Dave’s coy smile began to stretch from ear to ear into the living room of their small house walked his wife and daughter. Carol planted her little girl down beside Dave and exclaimed, ” Honey, I need to go to the grocery store and I’m leaving Cassie home with you.”
“Oh No,” groaned Dave. “Green Bay is playing Dallas and I don’t want to be interrupted.”
“Well, you know how difficult it is for me to get through the store with Cassie wanting to grab every toy and candy bar in sight. I don’t want to be gone any longer than necessary and I can complete my list faster if she stays here with you,” Carol stated dryly.
“But Carol” retorted Dave, “You know how long I have waited for this game and Cassie will do nothing except bother me constantly. Just take her with you."
“No Dave” Carol calmly replied, “She is staying here with you. Just give her something to do that will keep her busy and you can watch your precious game. . .and cheerleaders” Carol softly added as she turned toward the door.
“Carol” Dave said raising his voice an octave but by that time his wife of ten years was out the door and gone. “Great” thought Dave, “the most important game of the season and I’m baby sitting.”
At that moment six year old Cassie came to Dave and asked, “Daddy, will you read me a story?”
“Not now Cassie, the game is about to start.”
“But Daddy” Cassie said, “I want you to read me a story.”
“Not right now Cassie” Dave replied adamantly. “Find something else to do.”
“I want to hear a story” Cassie insisted once again.
“Look” replied Dave, getting irritated. “Go get one of your toys or a doll to play with.”
“Mommy said that you would read me a story from my new book if I would stay home with you.”
“What is this?” Dave thought, “A female conspiracy?”
“All I ask is that once a week I get to watch a little football and have some peace and quiet” Dave muttered to himself.
“Daddy” Cassie said breaking into his thoughts. “I want to hear a story!”
“Look here Cassie” Dave said. “Go get one of your toys and play with it.”
“I’ll read you a story in a few minutes, okay?”
“Okay” replied Cassie.
“Now” Dave said to himself, “time for some football” as the kicker on the TV launched the pigskin into the end zone.
Three plays into the game, Cassie was standing in front of Dave once again. “Daddy, will you read me a story now?”
“Cassie,” Dave said raising in voice in exasperation. “The game is just getting under way. Go!”
“But Daddy, you promised.”
Dave glared at his daughter.
“Cassie,” Dave said emphatically, “Go find your new doll and play with her.”
“I will read to you in a little while.”
Looking down dejectedly, Cassie walked away.
Within a few minutes Dave noticed that Cassie was on the floor in the corner twisting the arms of her new "Barbie Doll' up and down as if the two girls were waving at each other in animated conversation. “Finally” Dave thought. “Now if she’ll just stay busy until Carol comes home or until half time, everyone will be happy.”
Early into the start of the second period Cassie appeared in front of Dave once more.
“Okay Daddy, I’m ready for my story now.”
“In a few minutes” Dave told her.
“Daddy, you promised” she said.
“Yes Cassie I know, but the game is just getting interesting.”
“Green Bay is about to score” he said, as if that made a difference or mattered at all to his little girl.
“I want to hear a story!” Cassie exclaimed.
“Good Lord ” thought Dave, “the apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to women wanting to get their way.”
“And to think, if I was still single I could be down at Burt’s pub with the guys, really having fun.”
“Daddy” said Cassie, interrupting Dave’s conversation with himself.
“You said you would read to me.”
“Yes Cassie I said it and I meant it. I’ll read to you when I am ready.”
“Here,” he said, glancing at the open travel magazine on the coffee table, which Carol apparently must have been reading earlier. There before his eyes was a map of the world with all the continents pictured. He reached down grabbing the magazine and tore the page out of the book.
“I’ll make a deal with you Cassie,” Dave told her.
“You take these pieces of paper” as he slowly ripped apart the global image, “and put them back together again in the right order and I will read you your story.”
He handed the now torn puzzle pieces to his daughter thinking, “This will keep her busy the rest of the evening until Carol gets home or she falls asleep.”
Taking the scraps of paper from him, Cassie asked, “You promise me Daddy, when I put the puzzle together you’ll read to me?”
“I promise” Dave said, crossing his heart in a solemn gesture he knew to his daughter meant that his word was now beyond reproach.
“Okay” she cried aloud with a smile on her face and off to the corner of the room she went with the pieces of paper and the magazine, which he had given to her to use as a small stable base.
“Come on 'Pack', break the backs of those stinking Cowboys” Dave yelled in a whisper to himself, while seeing Cassie out of the corner of his eye as she busily worked with the paper puzzle. Soon he was lost in the action of the game unfolding before him. It was if he were in the stadium stands watching players pummel each other. Suddenly he noticed movement to his right and there stood his daughter, magazine in hand.
“Okay Daddy, I’m done” she said smiling up at him. Holding the magazine in front of her between the two of them was a paper world completely reassembled once more. Staring at the picture Dave was mesmerized. There it was. Just as it had been when he first saw the map on the coffee table; every continent in its proper place. “Wow,” thought Dave, “but how did she figure it out?”
“Cassie” Dave asked, “How did you fit the puzzle pieces back together again? How did you know where to put each of the pieces?”
“It was easy Daddy” she replied.
“On the other side of the page was a picture of a man. I just put the man back together again, and when the man was right, the world was right.”
Branch Isole © 2004
“The Truth of Innocence”
The enjoyment of each autumn season for Dave was found in the weekly broadcast of ‘Monday Night Football.’ Just as he had lived for Friday during his bachelor days, now as a married man with a young daughter his seventh day solace was found in front of his big screen TV watching the NFL’s premier ‘Game of the Week.’ It was this Monday evening he had anticipated all month for his favorite gridiron gladiators, the Green Bay Packers were squaring off to face the team Dave loved to hate the most, the Dallas Cowboys.
Completing his own pre-game preparation of collecting all necessary snack and beverage needs, Dave settled into his favorite chair and hit the remote control button. Leaping to life across the high definition screen a camera panned the scantily clad figurines of silicone implanted bodies and cosmetically painted faces of the famous Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. “Ah” Dave thought to himself, “Now this is what Monday night is all about! Hard bodies on and off the field.”
As Dave’s coy smile began to stretch from ear to ear into the living room of their small house walked his wife and daughter. Carol planted her little girl down beside Dave and exclaimed, ” Honey, I need to go to the grocery store and I’m leaving Cassie home with you.”
“Oh No,” groaned Dave. “Green Bay is playing Dallas and I don’t want to be interrupted.”
“Well, you know how difficult it is for me to get through the store with Cassie wanting to grab every toy and candy bar in sight. I don’t want to be gone any longer than necessary and I can complete my list faster if she stays here with you,” Carol stated dryly.
“But Carol” retorted Dave, “You know how long I have waited for this game and Cassie will do nothing except bother me constantly. Just take her with you."
“No Dave” Carol calmly replied, “She is staying here with you. Just give her something to do that will keep her busy and you can watch your precious game. . .and cheerleaders” Carol softly added as she turned toward the door.
“Carol” Dave said raising his voice an octave but by that time his wife of ten years was out the door and gone. “Great” thought Dave, “the most important game of the season and I’m baby sitting.”
At that moment six year old Cassie came to Dave and asked, “Daddy, will you read me a story?”
“Not now Cassie, the game is about to start.”
“But Daddy” Cassie said, “I want you to read me a story.”
“Not right now Cassie” Dave replied adamantly. “Find something else to do.”
“I want to hear a story” Cassie insisted once again.
“Look” replied Dave, getting irritated. “Go get one of your toys or a doll to play with.”
“Mommy said that you would read me a story from my new book if I would stay home with you.”
“What is this?” Dave thought, “A female conspiracy?”
“All I ask is that once a week I get to watch a little football and have some peace and quiet” Dave muttered to himself.
“Daddy” Cassie said breaking into his thoughts. “I want to hear a story!”
“Look here Cassie” Dave said. “Go get one of your toys and play with it.”
“I’ll read you a story in a few minutes, okay?”
“Okay” replied Cassie.
“Now” Dave said to himself, “time for some football” as the kicker on the TV launched the pigskin into the end zone.
Three plays into the game, Cassie was standing in front of Dave once again. “Daddy, will you read me a story now?”
“Cassie,” Dave said raising in voice in exasperation. “The game is just getting under way. Go!”
“But Daddy, you promised.”
Dave glared at his daughter.
“Cassie,” Dave said emphatically, “Go find your new doll and play with her.”
“I will read to you in a little while.”
Looking down dejectedly, Cassie walked away.
Within a few minutes Dave noticed that Cassie was on the floor in the corner twisting the arms of her new "Barbie Doll' up and down as if the two girls were waving at each other in animated conversation. “Finally” Dave thought. “Now if she’ll just stay busy until Carol comes home or until half time, everyone will be happy.”
Early into the start of the second period Cassie appeared in front of Dave once more.
“Okay Daddy, I’m ready for my story now.”
“In a few minutes” Dave told her.
“Daddy, you promised” she said.
“Yes Cassie I know, but the game is just getting interesting.”
“Green Bay is about to score” he said, as if that made a difference or mattered at all to his little girl.
“I want to hear a story!” Cassie exclaimed.
“Good Lord ” thought Dave, “the apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to women wanting to get their way.”
“And to think, if I was still single I could be down at Burt’s pub with the guys, really having fun.”
“Daddy” said Cassie, interrupting Dave’s conversation with himself.
“You said you would read to me.”
“Yes Cassie I said it and I meant it. I’ll read to you when I am ready.”
“Here,” he said, glancing at the open travel magazine on the coffee table, which Carol apparently must have been reading earlier. There before his eyes was a map of the world with all the continents pictured. He reached down grabbing the magazine and tore the page out of the book.
“I’ll make a deal with you Cassie,” Dave told her.
“You take these pieces of paper” as he slowly ripped apart the global image, “and put them back together again in the right order and I will read you your story.”
He handed the now torn puzzle pieces to his daughter thinking, “This will keep her busy the rest of the evening until Carol gets home or she falls asleep.”
Taking the scraps of paper from him, Cassie asked, “You promise me Daddy, when I put the puzzle together you’ll read to me?”
“I promise” Dave said, crossing his heart in a solemn gesture he knew to his daughter meant that his word was now beyond reproach.
“Okay” she cried aloud with a smile on her face and off to the corner of the room she went with the pieces of paper and the magazine, which he had given to her to use as a small stable base.
“Come on 'Pack', break the backs of those stinking Cowboys” Dave yelled in a whisper to himself, while seeing Cassie out of the corner of his eye as she busily worked with the paper puzzle. Soon he was lost in the action of the game unfolding before him. It was if he were in the stadium stands watching players pummel each other. Suddenly he noticed movement to his right and there stood his daughter, magazine in hand.
“Okay Daddy, I’m done” she said smiling up at him. Holding the magazine in front of her between the two of them was a paper world completely reassembled once more. Staring at the picture Dave was mesmerized. There it was. Just as it had been when he first saw the map on the coffee table; every continent in its proper place. “Wow,” thought Dave, “but how did she figure it out?”
“Cassie” Dave asked, “How did you fit the puzzle pieces back together again? How did you know where to put each of the pieces?”
“It was easy Daddy” she replied.
“On the other side of the page was a picture of a man. I just put the man back together again, and when the man was right, the world was right.”
Branch Isole © 2004