The key Photo by Konstantin Evdokimov on Unsplash It was Abbi’s tenth birthday party when she received the greatest gift of her life. Though she didn’t know it then. After she opened all of her presents she couldn’t help but notice her favorite person in the world did not give her a gift. Her Grandpa Joe. “Abbi. Come…
Author: Joe Merkle
The Office Halloween Party
Never argue with the boss I hate fucking Halloween office parties. Or any office party. I will be just one more employee pretending to be having fun while Susan, the company owner, revels in false praise from her drunken underlings. Just a bunch of adults acting like six-year-olds. I take that back. Worse. At least the kids are…
A Promise Kept
A Promise Cherished There are promises. I promise I will be good today.I promise to pick you up on time.I promise to finish the laundry.I promise to quit smoking.I promise I will always be your best friend. And then there are PROMISES.December 18, 1976. On that cold December day in a suburb of Chicago, a…
Going Back Home
Ripping off the biggest bandaid Ten days from now I am heading to the Chicago area. Home. The place where the vast majority of my most treasured moments occurred. This is it. The BIG BANDAID I need to rip off. I have never been so conflicted in my life. I’m looking forward to seeing many loved ones. I…
The Day Before, The Day After
A sequel This article is a sequel to Going Back Home. The Day Before The day before I left for my trip home to Chicago I had grave reservations. I almost backed away from the trip, afraid to face what was surely going to be tough times. I would be constantly reminded of the person that…
Your Shadow on the Wall
Dancing in the dark I’m just another ghostIn this lonely ghost townSearching for what I’ve lostHoping to avoid a meltdown Streets that once contained substanceNow avenues of by-gone memoriesOozing ethereal persistenceNo longer resembling terrestrial reality I drift among the pictures hungUpon the hallway wallsWhere many songs were sungWhen your touch was my cure-all Now it’s…
You Can Only Be You
That is a good thing As a child, I dreamed I wanted to be Superman, The Flash, Spiderman, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Zeus, Davy Crockett, Tarzan, Zorro, Paul McCartney, and others. It is my firm belief that I was not unusual. There is nothing like a child’s imagination when it comes to creating fantasies. Or…
Come With Me
Sail the cosmic seas Venus ignored the gusting winds that were trying to turn her long dress into a sail. It did not make her descent down the steep, grassy hill to the shoreline any easier. She was consumed by the Siren’s call, “Come with me. Sail the cosmic seas,” which held her in a…
A Lover’s Fairytale
He was in no hurry. On a beautiful day such as this, every moment was one to cherish. The breeze was rustling through the palms ever so gently as the white willow wisps of clouds painted ghostly shadows on the gently rolling hills. It had been a long time, lifetimes to Paul since he strolled…
Loving Her
Just some stranger I met through a friendWho had too much to drinkShe sat on my lap, gave me hugDidn’t know who she was, but I was in love Thought about her for a few days afterDecided to return to look for herFound her sober, had a few laughsShe gave me hug, still in love…