Tempest (an acrostic poem)

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The look in his eyes forecast a storm of emotions about to hit

Everything to this point had been smooth sailing on calm seas

Mentioning her name, though, had brought a sudden change for the worse

Pushing himself up out of his chair, he leveled a finger

Everyone was quiet, waiting for the lightning bolt of his anger to strike

So when the finger went back down without a word, well everyone thought the worst had past

That’s when he took one step forward and a rain of fists poured down

Miracle (an acrostic poem)

Misha looked back over the waves

In the distance, she could still see the fires on the shore

Reaching out, she placed a comforting hand on Herb

After everything, the two of them had been through

Cutting ties with their past and sailing into the unknown was the hardest

Last week it looked like they would both be dead in a mass grave

Even unbelievers like Misha could recognize their escape for what it was

 

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Water Works

Looking through sleep glazed eyes, Miranda stumbled from her red satin bed.  She almost fell into the shower head first, but managed to catch herself on the shower curtain, tearing part of it from the curtain rod.  The hot water escaped angrily from the showerhead, slapping more reality into Miranda.  The night before began to materialize in the bathroom fog.  Memories of too much to drink, too much dancing, and way too much Dan played out in front of her like a reality show gone wrong.  How was she going to face Jeramiah after that?

Jeramiah poked his scruffy head past the shower curtain.  “How was last night at work?” he asked.

Miranda smiled a bit self-consciously.  “You know the usual.  Lots of nothing,” she said calling on her acting lessons back in drama club.  Her mother had always thought that drama club was a waste of time.  Now days it seemed like being a thespian was just a way of life.

Jeramiah blew her a kiss.  “Well then, we need to make things more interesting.  I’ve got the perfect thing,” he said.  He closed the curtain and Miranda could hear the sink begin to fill.

“What are you planning?” asked Miranda over the sound of water and guilt pouring down on her.

“How about we go for a cruise on the sailboat?  It will be a great way to just unwind” Jeramiah said.

Miranda smiled to herself.  “That sounds amazing,” she said.  She finished washing and shut off the water.  She pulled the curtain back gently, trying to preserve as much of it as she could.  She began to dry her hair.  “You always come up with the best ideas,” she said.

Jeramiah paused shaving.  “Wasn’t my idea.  Dan texted me that he thought you might need the break.  He figured we should get the crew together for a nice relaxing afternoon.  I thought that would be perfect.”

Miranda put her head down and wrapped her towel slowly around her wet hair, a horrified look in her eyes.  She almost passed out, whether from the blood rushing to her head, or draining away she didn’t know.  She stepped back into her role.  She pasted on her best smile and straightened herself up.  “Sounds like just what the doctor ordered,” she said.  Miranda gave Jeramiah a quick kiss on a clean spot on his left cheek as she left the bathroom.

 

Jeramiah watched Miranda as she disappeared into the bedroom.  All warmth left his eyes and he looked closely at the razor he was holding as if seeing it as a sharp object able to take a life for the first time.  “Yeah, just what the doctor ordered,” he said as his eyes glazed over from a sudden abundance of water.