Murray Burns

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022

Stories (89)

89 Stories

2640 karma pts

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“Where Have You Gone, Peter Pan?” by Murray Burns

Where Have You Gone, Peter Pan?“When I was child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reasonas a child; when I became a man, I put away the things of a child.” 1 Corinthians: 11-13I shave in the shower now. There’s no mirror in there. I don’t even want to see who I’ve become. Too many wrinkles, too many lines, not enough hair, no color. So...

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“The Holy Grail of Christmas Presents: The Easy-Bake Oven” by Murray Burns

The Holy Grail of Christmas Presents: The Easy-Bake OvenNot all dads are made alike.- Some are organized, plan ahead, and get their Christmas shopping done in November. Some are disorganized, procrastinate, and battle the crowds on December 24th to secure the desired gifts.-Some spoil and dote on their children. Some spoil and dote on their children to the extreme.-Some give up, make adjustments, and seek alternatives. Some never give up, steadfastly...

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“Hurry Midnight” by Murray Burns

Hurry Midnight“I agree, sir. It’s time for you to settle down. Get yourself a wife. Kids are great to have around. You’d like it.”“But believe it or not, Reggie, I’m having a little trouble landing a good wife. I don’t get it, I mean she’d get to live in the castle, never have to work a day in her life, she’d have tons of cool jewelry, and most of all, she’d get to be with me! You’d think chicks would love the idea. I have to be the best catch in the kingdom. Babes should ...

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“Footsteps in the Snow” by Murray Burns

Footsteps in the SnowIt snowed that day. I remember walking in footsteps made by others while my thoughts still followed her away, for that was the last time I saw her. I remember hair mingled with snow, and a smile that wasn’t a smile. Every time it snows I remember walking in those footsteps.Regret is a fearsome adversary. How is it possible that one cannot outlive a mistake, bury it, escape it if even for a day? Would that God had instead taken a...

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“The Rosary” by Murray Burns

The Rosary It is a wondrous thing when two lives intersect at exactly the right time and place to create a meaningful, fulfilling future, or perhaps at least a wonderful memory. It borders on the miraculous when three lives meet at the same time and place to create that one special moment in time. But one crisp fall evening in this small town, they did. Tommy was a 6th<...

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“Revenge of the Black Cat” by Murray Burns

Revenge of the Black CatMaybe it was the season. Halloween is known to mess with the minds of men. But this wasn’t the first time. Cold, crisp air, the still quiet of the night interrupted only by the sounds of crunching leaves with every footstep. The old fashion streetlamp at the corner gave the moon a nice assist as a cloud lazily drifted by, making sure Carl would get a good look at it…again. The cat was small in size and nev...

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“Wrong Track - Right Track” by Murray Burns

Wrong Track – Right TrackI’m not sure this is what Mr. Zamzow had in mind when he told the class, “For very action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”; I got on the train- she didn’t.The pressure to excel, to succeed, to someday arrive at the Promised Land of wealth, power and position. Surely this could not be vanquished by a high school romance. It seemed like love, but my Dad warned me all about “puppy love”. In this day and age, the odds of a teenage romance maki...

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“Herb's Brain Scam” by Murray Burns

Herb’s Brain ScamDeep in the recesses of Herb’s brain, an emergency meeting of unparalleled import was just underway. "CC", representing the largest portion of the brain, the Cerebral Cortex, chaired the meeting as usual. The other powerful Union Bosses, each representing billions of members, in attendance were:-“Fronz”, representing the Frontal Lobe responsible for reasoning and motor skills.-“Perry”, representing the Parietal Lobe responsible for tactil...

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“Herb Goes Out In A Huff” by Murray Burns

Herb Goes Out In A HuffThey should have seen it coming. It had been building for a long time. Still, the event shocked all who witnessed it and is still talked about in the cafeteria, around water coolers, even in the parking lot as the workforce arrives in the morning and leaves at the end of the day. In this mega-company with facilities throughout the world, “Going Postal” has been replaced with “Going Herb.” The highlight of the annual Christmas Party is “Who Gets...

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“Arachnophobia Comes To Cleveland” by Murray Burns

Arachnophobia Comes to ClevelandThey promised Billy a pet when they dragged him away from his friends in Omaha.“You are going to love it in Cleveland. They’ve got the Browns, the Indians and a Great Lake. And we’ll have our own house. You’ll have your own room, and you can have that pet you’ve always wanted.”“What’s so great about the lake?”Moving is tough on an eight year old kid. The pet idea was just one of the many carrots Fred came ...

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“What For?” by Murray Burns

What For?“I always like walking in the rain, so no one can see me cry.”-Charlie Chaplin1963. Freshman year in high school. Spanish class. I never met him, but I will remember him forever.A foreign language seemed like a good idea. Besides that, my mother insisted on it. Spanish sounded easier than Latin, so I was dazzling my friends with “cómo estás” before day’s end.

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“Herb and Mr. Reaper” by Murray Burns

Herb and Mr. Reaper“Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.”-Muhammed AliHerb wished the end had come during the football season. He had little interest in the baseball games on TV, the news was always bad, he found little merit in today’s sitcoms, and he had seen his old favorites so many times he could predict nearly every line. H...

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“Herb's Big Dinner Date” by Murray Burns

Herb’s Big Dinner Date“Anyone who can only think of one way to spell a word obviously lacks imagination.”-Mark TwainWhat’s in a word? Herb was about to find out.                                   &nb...

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“The Gift” by Murray Burns

The Gift“Remember, Tommy, thumbs together. You catch with your hands, not your body.”Legacy. It’s only natural. Kids often follow in the footsteps of their parents, from Bushes in the White House to Sanford and Son in the junk yard. Maybe it’s the planting of seeds of interest, or readily available instruction, or perhaps a desire to please. Sometimes it might just be a good shove.“You should probably get yourself up to the field t...

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“Oasis in the Sky” by Murray Burns

Oasis in the Sky(Perhaps a bit crude in places.) Two-a-days. The dreaded curse of any young man who ever squeezed a football helmet down over his ears, high school through the pros. It’s hard work, the bone shaking “hamburger” drills, the mind-numbing repetition, the harsh scoldings for a misplaced footstep, and …the heat.It’s like trying to explain parenthood to someone who never had children. If you haven’t spent two hours in the hot sun in full f...

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Author bio

Dartmouth, then Law School followed by years in mind-numbing law practice; now have more time to write. "Brevity is the soul of wit."

Shortlisted 2 stories ⭐️

Contest #195
A Simple Act of Kindness – read story
Contest #170
The Rosary – read story