A collection of stories that speak to love gone haywire.
Demons on His Shoulder show the long term effects of Eternal love.
Tyrone Green and the Flame, an excerpt from the novel Make Fast the Bitter End explores the deep love of boyhood best friends whose love crosses the boundries of cultural acceptance.
Jonah is about the void created by the absence of love in a young man, and the effects that void has on him and those even remotely in his circle.
From Jonah:
And then there was the time I, along with two other kids from my neighborhood, wanted to beat the bull. Every spring during vacation from school, the big guys would take a few of the younger boys to Old Man Pitchfork’s farm to outrun his bull, Jonah. It was a huge, strong beast that not just anyone could beat. As boys we believed this was important stuff, almost equal to a studly reputation or virgin notches on our belts. Although, at the time we still awaited becoming notched on some girl’s belt, we could still risk beating Jonah. Instant popularity awaited us upon our victory. Failure, and we would wear a label for life, “Wimp.”
I was 13, Tommy was 14, Crazy was only 11, but he was really cool for his age, so we always let him join us in our adventures. D.D. was the Big Guy. He was the biggest, toughest guy around, and also kind of an ass. D.D. beat the bull when he was just 9 years old. He beat up just about everyone else by the time he was 15. My old man said D.D. was an idiot, but at that time in our lives none of us kids thought that, at least not out loud. He drove an old wreck of a Ford pickup that had a roof over the back and a mattress at the ready. Three fully notched leather belts hung from the plywood roof displayed for everyone to see. D.D. was one of those guys that did everything his way. His old man never made him do a thing. No more school. Beer anytime, even at home. He always seemed to have a cutie too, but if he caught you checking her out he would nail your eyes closed for a while. Crazy got away with checking out one of D.D.’s long-legged flaxen blondes once, because D.D. though it was funny. “Such a young kid with an eye for great legs! Do it again and you’re dead.”
Tales from the Hydelands
The Dark Side of Love
Illustrations from the Dark Side of Love
Click on Kitty to shop for original art!
Contemporary Fine Art
featuringThe Art of Chuck Boucher
Click on image
for larger view
Taylespun.com