Loud Music! Karen was annoyed and frustrated. Her husband Chad hadn’t arrived from work yet, but boy did she have something to tell him. Loud obnoxious music had been blasting from the neighbor’s house since five o’clock and worst of all it was in a different language! A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE! Well, she wasn’t going to stand for that and hoped her husband would take care of it before the sound grew out of control. She reached for her cell phone and dialed nosey Marge from across the street. In no time at all, Marge was at the front door stomping her feet. Not to the beat of the music of course, b ..read more

Hey it’s Raquel! We all have our take, we all have our opinions so I will share mine tonight. There are many heated debates about protests, and #blacklivesmatter vs. #alllivesmatter. Truth be told, I didn’t give it much thought until recently. Somehow, I saw both points of view. I am of Italian descent, which means I am primarily Caucasian. Of course I know all lives matter. Murder in any form is despicable and evil. One life lost is devestating to a Mom, Dad, brother, sister, father, mother. Etc. We are all victims of a false narrative, the media feeds us on a daily basis. Yes, any news chann ..read more

a Poem by Raquel Swann Am I a joke to you? A jester for your court? I’m not who you think I am… Forcing my retort. I seek escape from you. You’re holding me back. I’m not the clown but, The dog who is on the attack. Prepare yourselves, My life is not a game. A day of reckoning of which, You’ll never be the same. Content in the bed I made, Sleeping without a care, Prodding with your stick, You had to poke mama bear ..read more

IN THE NIGHT WHEN I NEED YOU, I CAN’T FIND YOU. WHERE ARE YOU? IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME I CAN’T FIND YOU WHERE ARE YOU? I CAN’T FIND YOU. THE NIGHTS ARE SO COLD, AND I’M AFRAID OF THE DARK AND LONELINESS. PLEASE DON’T WALK AWAY I’VE SPENT YEARS MAKING IT RIGHT. LOVE IS ALL I NEED, LOVE IS ALL I WANT. IF YOU’VE GOT NO LOVE TO GIVE, STEP ASIDE AND LET ME DIE. I WON’T ASK WHY I WON’T EVEN CRY JUST LET ME DIE. IN THE END WHEN I NEED YOU, WHERE ARE YOU? I CANT FIND YOU ..read more

I lose myself inside a web of lies Longing for something None can offer Will offer Should offer Falling away from the world A shattered dream Spirit destroyed Spinning out of control Wishing solid ground Will destroy me. Me, I? A question I can no longer answer Two names, one soul Divided. Is it possible there is life after death ..read more

[Chapter 1][Chapter 2][Chapter 3][Chapter 4][Chapter 5] We were making progress towards the other side of the lake. It had become so warm I removed my jacket and used it to sop up beads of sweat from my forehead. The smell of fresh-grown grass mixed for a medley of floral scents dazzled my senses. Even though I adore the winter, I welcomed the warm damp air. It had a homely feel about it. The weather reminded me of a spring day in the northeast, which I then remembered was where I grew up… “Are you sure we made the right choice?” Mark asks as he lifts his oar out of the water, rotates it ..read more

A healthy fear rests within your eyes, stifling tears as you told me the news, I would send a thousand angels to you, If I possessed that power, And maybe I do, maybe we all do, Maybe God listens and he or she, Understands there are certain people who should never suffer. People like you, without flaws, beautiful in every way possible. I’ll say a million prayers, and a million more, whatever it takes to wake all of heaven, I’d build bridges, tunnels, roads, to ensure your safe return I’d battle every dark thought within your mind, until sunrises again, and so it shall. My love ..read more

a Poem by Raquel Swann Downward spiral, I can see across the galaxy, With a foot hanging off the edge, Beseech courage to hold, As it crumbles before me. I need only to fall, Perhaps, I’ll float into the Sun, Shine bright for a moment, before I’m scorched. What if I land on Jupiter? Stranded in a gaseous void. I could ignite like a comet, and dance across the sky, For all to see. If I stay here, None of that is possible ..read more

[Chapter 1][Chapter 2][Chapter 3][Chapter 4]   CHAPTER 5 A mysterious smog had fallen over the lake some time ago. Mark and I sat at the bank shivering and wondering where to go from there. Worrying about when the witch would come back to claim our lives. We sat as close together as possible without getting too weird. He is me and I am him, or rather he was me and I was him. Well, at least before that lady gave me that terrible, wonderful drink… I love the way I look but it’s not worth freezing to death. I’m lying – I’d freeze, burn, deep dive into a ravine, just to keep this feeli ..read more

a Poem by Raquel Swann Love is NOT an acquired taste, Nor a fine wine that improves with age. It’s NOT a sunrise over the horizon on a dewy morning in spring. Love is a bullet shot from a smoking gun, it enters your body swift and fast, the wound burns and stings, your adrenal system pumps fluids into your body. You know you’ve been shot but, your mind won’t allow you to believe it. As plasma leaks from the hole, you settle down and accept your fate. Whether dead or alive, the experience stays with you forever. Love is the feeling of helplessness, your fate in the hands of another ..read more