Your world

I am your past and you are looking ahead. Sail, sail away. Reach for the stars. Learn what you can. Gather memories. I am your harbor hit by hurricane. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann 2008

Taxi

When I moved to small town in Texas I applied for telephone connection. The second, or the third day I received phone number for the land line with the offer of all other existing services. The very first evening the phone rang. "I need a transport." I apologized with an explanation, that I just moved to town and received this phone number and this is a private residence. Few days later the phone rang at 11 P.M. Very drank voice asked for a transportation. I again politely apologized and explained to him he has wrong phone number. The same situation repeated several times a week. Then one caller explained to me: he is calling Taxi Service, and it's me who has wrong number, he has the correct one and he advised me to look in the phone book under Taxi Service. I looked, and yes, the customer was right. Another man was so desperate he asked me if I don't know phone number for Taxi Service. I looked into the phone book and offered another phone number. Unsatisfied customer called after five minutes and informed me I gave him phone number for the bus, which transports people, but only during the day, and he needs transport now. I again apologized nicely and that evening I didn't pick up any phone, because I knew what I would do: "Where are you? I don't know my way around, but I will take you where

A dog

A dog, chased away from his food, bites. The dog, still chased away from the food, bites - or he dies from hunger. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann 2008

A preacher

Tennessee is halfway from Texas to Pennsylvania. It is where I stayed overnight on my trips to Pennsylvania. One time I stopped in the little town and the motel was on the top of the hill. They asked for cash. The motel was clean, well maintained, and I was tired. There was a man outside. The receptionist told me: "There is a preacher outside." "I am tired and I want to go to the bed." I went to my room, barricaded myself inside, and went to the bed. The preacher was pacing outside for long time. I left early in the morning, so I don't know if the preacher found somebody. He definitely wasn't holy. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann 2007 Stephenville, Texas

God was absent

I tell you the story, my friend. It is about one preacher who was money and power hungry. The preacher had so much money he could buy whole town, land, mines. He was so rich he could buy a king. He could buy almost everybody, because you can buy everything for the right price. He was paving his way to the power. He had his disciples and they were building more and more churches everywhere. He bribed, he did the favors, he stole, he forged and he trapped people by his favors. He was giving away stolen cars. People took them blinded by his generosity. He enjoyed his power. He was everywhere where he wanted to be, breaking the friendships, destroying family ties, making babies out of the wedlock. He had the power to bring the tears, fear and despair. He didn't like two words: blood and death. He was afraid to die. Was it because he enjoyed the life so much? I don't think so. He enjoyed the power to destroy a goodness in people, to use them and see them cry and suffer. Deep inside he was scared for what he has done. In the dark night on his knees he prayed: Dear God, I am afraid of your punishment. God wasn't there. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann 12/28/09 Copyright (c) Marie Neumann Pottsville, 12/2009

Flounder

Freshly caught out of the sea. Flounder on the pan, battered flounder ready to eat. Dry flounder, smoked flounder, flounder a la herring; roasted flounder is to small. Flounder for lunch, flounder to go. Fresh flounder good to eat. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann Pottsville, 12/27/09

An old cow

What with an old cow? To the butcher, to the butcher. Bones for bones' meal, meat to feed the dogs, innards for the cats. Tanned hide as a carpet in the lodge. What with the old cow? To the butcher, to the butcher. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann Stephenville, 2007

Zoo (beginning of Polar bears)

There is one zoo, and because it is far north, they can have animals who like winter the most. There is a polar bear, a polar fox, a snow leopard, white wolves, snow crabs, snow rabbits, snow shoe hares, Siberian white cranes, almost white squirrels, snow owls, white mice and snow fleas, Siberian huskies, Siberian tigers and Canada geese. Fattened snow birds are coming back from Texas at Spring to nest. Reindeer give children rides on the sled, or on the back around the parameter of the Zoo. Polar bear lives right next to the pool with the seals. The bear wakes up every morning with the idea: today I am going to catch my own seal. In the evening, when he goes to the cave he thinks: it doesn't matter, I will catch one tomorrow. The bear lives by hope. Seals don't care, they know there is a wall between their headquarters and polar bear's. They do what seals do in one cold fall day: they swim, dive, frolic and have fun. The bear tries to sleep in his cave, he is grumpy, because he realizes he probably will not catch his seal not today and not tomorrow either. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann New York, 11/26/09

End of communism

They said: it's the end of communism. Aggressive capitalism is ready for new markets. Russian muzhik can buy jeans and whisky. I am sorry for something. I feel sorry for all dead soldiers when they liberated Europe. They didn't die for communism. They died for their Motherland. There will be enough of everything. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann Pottsville 12/1/09

The war

The horses are pulling a wagon behind the front line. They carry a food supply, or maybe, a machine gun. They left millions of dead behind them, thousands and thousands burned down villages, blown up bridges, murdered families. The horses keep steady pace. They have long way in front of them, and much longer way back... Better do not think about it now. The soldiers are discovering Europe and on the evenings they share the bread. How Europe will accept us? Vlasov's army is marching to the death. How the World will accept us? Father, I didn't have a chance to know you. Copyright (c) 12/1/08 Pottsville Marie Neumann

The snow

It is still deep night. The bird's clock on the wall chirps four o'clock. It runs on summer time. The cold is seeping thorough the windows. It is still and quiet, too quiet. Something changed in the air. The cat is sitting on the window sill watching the first snow of winter. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann Pottsville 12/12/09