I Am Sandman There are strange things done, after setting of sun, To children falling asleep. A strange little man, whenever he can, Brings dreams for them to keep. From the Land of Nod, and creation of God, A creature only few have seen. Except for the night, I captured him right, And he traded places with me. ~Jonathan Westbrook This is a beginning to a short story of mine, which I wished to share with you before it comes out into public view. Any thoughts?

Idle Hands "Idle hands are work for the devil," my grandfather used to say. He was always busy doing something; painting, drawing, wood-carving, photography, and when he tuned in the outer limits on his ham radio. If he were alive today, there would have been so much we would have had in common, except for his ham radio hobby. Perhaps today he would have enjoyed conversing with people in far away places via Twitter, or facebook, or Opuss instead, but then again maybe not, because old fashion is as old fashion does sometimes. He probably would have stuck to the air waves, but who knows? I am a lot like him, so my mother, his daughter, tells me. Creative. Imaginative. Busy with my hands, as evident by my "click-clacking" at this soundless iPad keyboard. It would have been great fun to go on outings with him to paint landscapes. It would have been great fun to whittle some wood and drop shavings at our feet. It would have been great fun to hear him talk to his friends from across the seas and lands. He worked as an engineer on the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. Again, busy with with his hands. But I only really knew him from his retirement days, his hobbies, and his quiet kindness. I wish I had known my grandfather better, but he died when I was nine from a heart attack. His art hangs on my walls. Small wooden animals remind me of his patience and delicate hands. A picture of him and my grandmother are proudly displayed. They are all I have left of him, along with these few memories. ~Jonathan Westbrook

This Fly Must Die When it snows, we shovel. The grass grows and we mow. Every fall we struggle with leaves, bag after bag, only to have them grow back anew. We use chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides, because our lawns and food "have to be" just so. We build and build and build with no end in sight. We strip the lands. We tear down nature by building superfluous things; super highways, bigger malls, larger office buildings, 800 passenger airliners, parking lots that span acres, and gigantic department stores. We've set our sights on defeating Mother Nature. Depleting her. Killing her. We fight each other over land. We fight over differences in our religions, politics, and opinions. Someone looks at us funny and we blow him away. We fight to protect our personal properties. We. Sue and get sued in return. We are killing ourselves. Styrofoam. Plastics. Toxic waste. Botox treatments. Anti-aging creams and hair dyes to make us look younger. Every year we have bigger and faster cars. SUV. HIV. West Nile virus. The Bird flu. The Swine flu. We hunt, and kill the innocent, throw the carcasses aside and call it sport. Deforestation--Global warming--Carbon Footprints--Polar Icecap depletion. Over population and crowded landfills. We've created a throw away society--all under the guise of "necessity is the mother of invention." We spend billions on entertainment, and yet, a mother buries her child. When will it end? After we've already destroyed our planet and ourselves? Will it have been worth it? Why can't we just let it all be? After 90 minutes of gasoline usage I've finished mowing the lawn. And sitting here in my driveway, drinking a cold one out of an aluminum can, I enjoy the late afternoon's summer breeze. It feels good against the sweat of my labor. And I think these things as deer fly bites at my ankles, and I want to kill it. ~Jonathan Westbrook