Together We Write

Bird Brains and Futile Gestures by Pamela Bennett

A male robin’s dusky red breast strikes the bay window repeatedly, gray wings fluttering like prize fighter fists. The hard clackety-clunk against the glass beats into my brain. It’s impossible to concentrate at my desk. Plants sit in front of that window, so I imagine he’s drawn by an indoor forest of ivy, philodendron, jade plants and purple queens. He sits on a branch of the weeping cherry close to the window and cocks his head, staring into the room. Just

How Do You Define Success by Pamela Bennett

I would never call myself a “successful photographer,” and yet this photo I snapped at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary several years ago is one of my absolute favorites. I had no idea that lovely anhinga preening its feathers was sitting on a turtle’s back until I flipped through my photos at the end of the day. I marveled at nature’s miracle and was grateful I could experience it over and over again when I gazed at the photo. As writers, we

Monster Storms or Twins in TWINLESS by Pamela Bennett

A blast of winter wind rattles the window, frigid air seeps in under the door, and the snow keeps falling, falling and falling—piling up to 11 inches or more, effectively trapping many of us in our houses today. Meteorologists in central Ohio warned us yesterday that “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” to borrow from Raymond Bradbury—a monster storm was expected to whoosh in and cover half the population of the country in more than a foot of snow and ice.

Crossing Scary Bridges by Pamela Bennett

Cleaving the water’s flow like shards of stained glass, russet, bronze and scarlet leaves collected in the rippling creek. Caught around rocks and sticks, pointed leaf edges trembled in the current, barely six inches from my hiking boots. So why was I considering stepping into the creek to soak those hiking boots? Because the bridge over that creek raised its cantilever concrete slabs, taunting me as it towered over the creek along the Gorge Trail to Old Man’s Cave. It

Dancing into Quarantine by Pamela Bennett

Inside the gas station store, I do a strange dance with the woman across the aisle. We see each other and duck quickly to the next aisle, hoping to circle back, only to meet each other again, swerve quickly away and dart to the next aisle. Her eyes are laughing when we come nearly face to face again, both stubbornly hoping to own the next space. I smile behind my mask and maybe she does too, but soon she murmurs

Spring in the Low Country by Pamela Bennett

Two great blue herons glide low over the tidal marsh, slicing through late afternoon sunshine with wide, graceful wings. Raucous cries rain down on me as I stop to stare—I’ve ruined their perfect fishing spot, so they head for another. I follow the path and duck beneath the soft, green branches of a live oak, covered in curly resurrection fern. Breathing in the primal, earthy odors of the salt marsh, I disturb a small white egret. Flapping wings erupt

Moving On by Janet Jones

I wake up every morning to the soothing tones of Jimmy Buffett’s song, “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.” I lay there and listen a moment, longing to keep my eyes closed and stay in the oblivion of sleep. And longing, like the song, to be able to move on. I don’t want to get up. I don’t want to glance in the corner of the bedroom where he used to lay his furry head and see the empty space

Fish Out of Water by Pamela Bennett

A hush falls over the back bayou as the sun slides low over green mangroves. A white egret wades slowly in the shallows, long neck curved as it stares downward, then strikes, catching a small, struggling fish, which it swallows in one gulp. Nearby, an anhinga dives with barely a splash, then swims with only its sleek blue-black head and neck above the surface. The birds ignore me as I sit with my quiet laptop on the deck above the

Rocking the Boat by Pamela Bennett

Layers of ice streak my bedroom window as an arctic wind rattles the glass. A late sun struggles in to bless the yucca plant but its looping leaves dream of desert heat as it shudders in the cold draft. Winter in Ohio…again. I am dreaming too, wishing the snow away, but strangely euphoric as I sit at my desk, despite the fact my hands and feet are cold. Strange because the winter has been too memorable, marked by the death

I Can’t Write by Janet Jones

I can’t write about you yet. My grief would melt the page And the ink would run together Until the words mirror my tears. I can’t write. Not yet. So small so long ago. A little ball of fur with big brown eyes And a stump for a tail. No. Not yet. I can’t write about you. They say…who are they again? They say

Island Time by Pamela Bennett

Sunshine streams through floor-to-ceiling windows in our octagon “tree house,” painting a golden sheen on twin keyboards. Outside, live oak branches circle the house, wearing long scarves of Spanish moss. Palm tree fronds dance in the wind, whispering above the soft roar of ocean waves. A few steps away, palmetto fans and prickly pear edge the path to the beach, where stranded jellyfish wriggle on the sand and seagulls squawk and squabble. Sound like the fictional setting for a novel?

Fueling the Fire by Janet Jones

It’s February in Ohio, so I am hibernating. I open the door only to throw a dog biscuit out on the back deck to coax my miniature schnauzer to put his naked little paws in the icy snow. He comes back to the door looking like a tiny abominable snowman with blinking brown eyes. He can barely move his short little legs. The snow sticks to his long fur like Velcro. He is 12 inches high and has to navigate

Magical Thinking by Pamela Bennett

“Begin again…” Do you believe in magic? Forget about “abracadabra.” If magic words exist in this world, then “Begin again” are two magic words that jumpstart my days. When my work days seem never-ending and looming deadlines collide too closely with new deadlines, stress level spikes and life becomes a race against the clock. Too often we think the only way to succeed in life is to work harder and harder until we convince a boss we have earned a

The “Sweet Spot” by Janet Jones

“Dance…wait…stare…” I repeat the mantra in my head as I shuffle my feet, wait until I see the seams in the ball, and then stare through it as I swing the racket in an arc across my body. The tennis ball hits the strings of the racket right on the sweet spot and zings into the sideline corner for a winner. Yes! The sweet spot…it’s not just a sports analogy. Wikipedia defines it as “… a place where a combination

Woes of the Wordless by Pamela Bennett

A wintry wind rattles the window beside my desk and sleet taps at the glass. The draft whistles through the room like a wraith with icy fingers, so I get up again—for the third time in an hour—to make a hot cup of tea. Could sipping hot tea boost my creative process? Couldn’t hurt. Back at my desk, warming my hands on a cup that says, “Reinvent,” I glare out the window. Stupid Ohio. How is it even possible it

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Bird Brains and Futile Gestures by Pamela Bennett

How Do You Define Success by Pamela Bennett

Monster Storms or Twins in TWINLESS by Pamela Bennett

Crossing Scary Bridges by Pamela Bennett

Dancing into Quarantine by Pamela Bennett

Spring in the Low Country by Pamela Bennett

Moving On by Janet Jones

Fish Out of Water by Pamela Bennett

Rocking the Boat by Pamela Bennett

I Can’t Write by Janet Jones

Island Time by Pamela Bennett

Fueling the Fire by Janet Jones

Magical Thinking by Pamela Bennett

The “Sweet Spot” by Janet Jones

Woes of the Wordless by Pamela Bennett