August 2019 – The Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff

Blog Break: I Need To Charge My Batteries

I finally hit the wall.

I’ve been posting content every day so far this year. Lately, the results have been poor, by my own standards. It’s obvious I’m approaching burnout.

I’ll return when my muse does. I’m giving myself a week, hoping to be refreshed and recharged. It might take longer than that.

I want to sincerely thank my followers/readers for supporting me this year. You deserve better. The quality of my content has been slipping lately.

While I’m on my journey of healing – part of my problem is focusing, because of the terrible things happening in America today – I’m going to search my inner-self, and see what it’s going to take to grow creatively.

Meanwhile, I have archives on my work since I started this blog two years ago. You’re invited to check them out.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Moonshiner’s Road

(139 words-flash fiction/poetry)

Illegal moonshiners in North Carolina back in the day drove ’40 Ford Coupes to get away from what would have surely been a jail stay…

those Fords took to the country backroads with their highly-flammable loads because they were a smooth ride inside due to their extra stable tension bar, not something seen on every car…

it took guts and skill to drive on a moonlit red-dirt switchback up a hill, but the payoff was worth the thrill…

the idea was just to drive away and live again for another day, so it was a race against a law that the local folk claimed had a flaw…

and some folks say that you can still drive those roads far out of the way, and on a moonlit night you might see a souped-up ’40 Ford Coupe being chased by a stock Chevrolet!

****

The Skywalk’s Story

Two campers huddled by a fire trying to stave off freezing temperatures at the lower rim of the Grand Canyon one night, when they saw quite a sight…

an old Indian was walking on air beneath the bright moonlight, casually strolling alongside the ruby red ridge without making a sound, and not even looking down…

One camper told the other who was his brother that the man they saw was Levi Levi of the Hualapai, the last great chief of the Mountain Tribe who still protects his people and gives them pride…

and who inspired a source of income that is now worldwide…

… called the Skywalk, a trail shaped like a horseshoe with a steel frame and a glass floor, to some tourists delighted horror, with sides that project 70 feet from the rim, it’s an attraction that brings them in

and the two campers let the fire dim, as they slipped into sleep dreaming of walking Skywalk’s scenic rim.

****

Be Still

Focus inward if you will

to that inner voice

that whispers be still

listen

breath

inhale

exhale

be open

to what’s

spoken

from the

heart

murmers

in the mind

listen

breath

inhale

exhale

be still

and learn

to be kind

and expand

your mind

A Dash of Irony

life is a three course meal

of baby food

steak and lobster

and mushed food

sprinkled with

a dash of irony

and a touch of salt

some good whiskey

and wine

while you dine

until it’s time

to pay your final bill

when you’ve had your fill

Apocalypse Road

Everything was reduced to a survival mode

when mankind walked down Apocalypse Road

the journey was slow but sure

after each world war

until there were no more

and civilization broke down

in every city and town

leaving few humans around

and those that did survive

fought every day to stay alive

until the Apocalypse finally did arrive

no surprise

but

there’s still stars in the sky

and planets and meteorites

that still exist in forever nights

solar systems and galaxies

planets with water and trees

and life evolving mysteries

Investigating a Disturbance

He was eating a burrito when the call came in that there was a disturbance at a local Inn…

… the odd thing you see, was the Inn was no longer occupied and hadn’t been for over a half of a century, which poised a mystery to Officer O’Reilly…

the Inn was once a landmark of fame where the wealthy came, but had hit on hard times many years ago, it’s interior splendor disguised by dust and rust, a sad and forgotten tableau…

Officer O’Reilly read the report by a citizen who walked by the Inn that night claiming he heard noises and saw an eerie light…

approaching the front door O’Reilly remembered the local lore that told of a hidden horror lurking there forevermore…

and peeked into the window instead, hoping he wouldn’t see the walking dead, when he suddenly saw a head and let out a moan of dread, because it was moving until it disappeared into the dark interior…

flashlight pointed straight ahead O’Reilly kicked in the front door and plunged into the dark gloom rapidly moving his flashlight around the room…

when he saw a man with an old-fashioned lantern in his hand, barely able to stand, O’Reilly called out and asked why he was there, but all the man did was stare…

deciding he was a harmless old vagrant seeking shelter he let him stay for one more day, and he went on his way when the old man had nothing to say, unaware he disappeared the moment he walked away.

****

Whispers in the Wind

She stood silent and still

listening to the spirits on the hill

a beautiful young wiccan she

standing straight next to a tree

listening to lost souls from eternity

whispers that soon became a plea

begging her to be set free

she listened compassionately

but it wasn’t meant to be

her magic wasn’t strong enough

to set the tortured souls free

so she returned every night

listening to their stories sadly

standing beside an old oak tree

dreaming of the day

when she could set them all free

The Champion

The Roman arena on display with the blood of humans and animals on a scorching August day…

we see a massive iron gate rise and out strides two gladiators in armor with killer eyes, ready to find out which one dies…

the blistering heat from the sandy arena floor shimmers on their swords as they walk through the gore and stand before the emperor, listening to the crowd’s roar…

“We who are about to die…” is drowned out by the crowd’s excited cries from spectators with blood in the eyes…

the emperor gives a slight nod and sat down, and the combatants turned around until they faced each other in the open ground, weapons held high, both hoping the other would die…

metal rang against metal in the raging heat, as each athlete refused to retreat so that blood covered each from head to feet while spectators passed out in the terrible heat…

finally one of the men clove open the other’s head, striking him instantly dead, leaving the victor the champion for the day, a title he’d be forced to defend again and again until his last day

****

The Celestial Diner

Satchmo singing”What a wonderful world” in a corner of the 1950’s themed diner that never closes down

a mythical diner that attracts great musicians and singers from all around

Jelly Roll Morton rubbing elbows with Duke Ellington at the red bar

the two legends watching Buddy Holly perform from afar

Little Richie, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Fats Domino

hanging out but looking for somewhere else to go

Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley

looking over at Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee

Diane Ross and Janis Joplin playing Liar’s Dice

while old Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, tries to be nice

so he can stay in this musical paradise

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