Joe Swanson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2020

Stories (83)

83 Stories

1252 karma pts

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“Unforgiven” by Joe Swanson

It began years ago. Before life existed. Before I ever thought of being who I became. Before I thought of anyone but myself, a fateful scenario, as we all at one time or another take our own council, when it comes to a future. We are prepared to shed our familial ties, friendships, whatever it takes to achieve a sense of freedom we seek, need. We never manage however to shed all ties, as that wou...

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“What Goes Around” by Joe Swanson

“I’m supposed to write a story about an unusual pet. Any ideas? I just don’t have the creative imagination you have. Or it seems that way to me. But then maybe, it’s just because you are old. If you can think of something, anything, please help me.” I would suggest, should I be asked, that the statement would be uttered by the majority of people given the identical assignment. The majority of peo...

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“Cheese!” by Joe Swanson

“Why do you suppose we collect things?” “I collect things, because they become mine. I can make up stories about them. Love them, hate them, throw them away, or keep them in my heart.” “Do you collect things now?” “Yah, I was going to tell you about that. I could use some help if you’ve got the time. It doesn’t take much. You just have to primarily, keep your eyes open. Then just remember what you se...

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“Cooking Under Pressure” by Joe Swanson

“What you doin?” “What does it look like I’m doin?” “Don’t rightly know, or I wouldn’t be askin.” “Makes some kind of sense. You really wantin to know?” “Like I said, I wouldn’t be askin if I…” “Ok, OK, I’ll tell ya if’n you don’t know.” “Well, alright then!” And that’s the way it seems to go. Been goin on like this for generations, and each one passes and leaves something...

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“Lint” by Joe Swanson

It is an innocuous…don’t really know what to call it. It reminds me of having your soul cleaned by a professional. Your sins are pulled from you by the mere mention of the word salvation. Father Maytag and Mother Westinghouse, delve into the spirit of who you are, and spin the inevitable shedding of life’s lessons into the collection basket for easy disposal. But that is not the reason I chose li...

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“Summertime, and the Living Is Easy” by Joe Swanson

“You should buy it.” “I don’t know. $15.00 dollars, seems like a lot.” “What, you taking it with you? Live a little.” I know when I should listen and when it’s best to pretend. Dennis always has the answers, most times, to the wrong questions. He means well, at least I hope he does, for his sake. Reputation around here means everything. Sometimes I have to wonder though, why our exp...

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“Stuck in the Middle With You” by Joe Swanson

“Do you remember when we used to do this all the time?” “Yeh, don’t remember why we stopped.” “We got old. We started to act the way we believed we were supposed to. Our dreams became a reality, and I think we just got scared.” She’s probably right. We used to do a lot of things we don’t do anymore. I don’t know if its that we got old, or that we got old, because we stopped doin...

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“Stuck in the Middle” by Joe Swanson

I can’t get out. I debated coming to the cabin, the weather forecast looked compromising, but then, it was a weather forecast. It was snowing lightly when I left. When I got to Atlas, the last harbinger of civilization near the cabin, the snow turned to rain. The temperatures have been erratic, and the rain is freezing as it hits the road.  I slid several times, losing temporary control, and then...

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“The Difference a Life Makes” by Joe Swanson

    Raining, not unusual here in this time, not the time I’m used to, in my backlogged memories of January.      Being from a place where you live unwound, spinning, bumping into seasons, their offerings hard to forget. Frozen fingers, icicled eyelids, the crack of the cold smashing into the trees, the shrieking as their blood expands, exploding gun shots in the dark of thirty below.

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“Halls End” by Joe Swanson

Is it supposed to stop? I should have left several hours ago, when I wanted to. But as always, I let the duty, or perhaps my presumption of duty, cause me to disregard by instincts. I make the usual assumption that if the weather was that bad, they’d let us know. Tell us, me, to go home. Looking out the window, I can see the snow piling up on the roof of the car, swirling around the parking lot...

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“Room Temperature” by Joe Swanson

“Lies are best told at room temperature.” “Who said that?” “Does it matter?” I saw the film, Liar Liar.  Jim Carey played a character who could not tell a lie. The film develops along predictable lines of exploration, and although predictable, it was informative, and insightful. Not being able to tell a lie of course is different than not wanting to tell a lie. There is no li...

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“Is Delusion the Solution?” by Joe Swanson

“We’ve just had an assault on our capitol building, but more importantly some say, on our democracy. I’ve heard many people speaking of, what it was, how it came to be, and what was intended by those who visited the capitol. What do you think about that?” “You know I try not to think…about things like that. I understand the purpose, and realize as Che Guevara said, “A revolution without guns,...

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“The Next Time” by Joe Swanson

“The next time she says that, I’m going to…” How many times have I said that? And then what? Usually nothing. I’m a coward, not because I want to be, but because I have been taught to be. Not just by my parents, but teachers, telephone solicitors, nearly anyone in authority. I am afraid of being embarrassed, humiliated, made to feel as though being ineffectual, is what I should emulate. I was enc...

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“You Don't Say” by Joe Swanson

“What I am attempting to tell you, is that when it comes to right and wrong, you are wrong. You can be both right, and wrong. That is the measure of any word, its meaning. And who gives it meaning?” “Oh contraire, my friend. Right and wrong, although opposites, are the same in one respect. One can’t exist without the other. It is the same principle as good and evil. The words and therefore the co...

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“Depictionary” by Joe Swanson

“They call that, unprecedented?”     “I don’t know what you’d call it. I’m not sure what the word even means anymore. It’s one of those words that will go down in infamy. You know there is a problem with using a word too many times for too many different reasons. It begins to resemble those comedians who do nothing but swear. After a while it gets to be less effective. Your ears rebel against the lack of imaginati...

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