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Murray Burns

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022

Stories (139)

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Library

259 Followers

29 Following

139 Stories

4439 karma pts

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What For?

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #164

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.It was the very first day. Señora Guzman said that all students would be known by the Spanish version of their name. It was easy to come up with the Spanish counterpart for...

13 likes

Herb and Mr. Reaper

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #163

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. He was no longer receptive to visits, having grown tired of the gushing, overly dramatic, even tearful visits from family and friends. Herb was in a sorry state.At least he w...

10 likes

Herb's Big Dinner Date

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #162

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. Henry: hĕn’-rē; Henri’: hĕ-nrē’.Herb forgot the lessons of Sister Mary Margaret. It matters wh...

8 likes

The Gift

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #161

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 to run some stairs in the bleachers this afternoon. Building up your calves will help with that first step off th...

12 likes

Oasis in the Sky

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #160

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 football garb, you may have trouble relating to this snapshot in time. Try thinking of spending...

12 likes

Stamps

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #159

StampsThe sight was disturbing, overwhelming. Matt froze in his tracks, shaken by the scene before him. His first thought was that he would somehow die in this awful place. He didn’t know how he would die, but he knew he couldn’t survive it. The moment foretold an inglorious end to what had once been a pretty good life.Sixty-five grown men stuffed into one large room, two to a 7’ x 10’ cubicle, bordered on one side by bunkbeds, desks and lockers on the other, and open at the end. Sketchy looking neighbors in full view just 4’ across the ai...

8 likes

Herb's Plan to Become a Better Person

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #158

Herb’s Plan to Become a Better Person“If you’re trying to find yourself , a good place to start is where you were yesterday.” &n...

10 likes

1-3-5-17-23-8

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #157

1-3-5-17-23-8 "For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more. And this is said in disparagement, whereas it is one of the greatest talents the species has and one that has made it superior to animals that are satisfied with what they have.”-John Steinbeck, The PearlWally was a simple man, not stupid but not too bright, not ugly but not handsome, not sickly but far f...

8 likes

Dumb Ass and Shit-for-Brains

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #156

Dumb Ass and Shit-for-Brains “How much love is in a friend? It depends on how much you give them.” &...

12 likes

1.72 Seconds

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #155

1.72 Seconds “Youth is easily deceived, because it is quick to hope.” ...

15 likes

Hey! What About Me?!

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #154

Hey! What About Me?! “I don’t get no respect.” – Rodney DangerfieldThis is nuts. Dark, crowded and wet. I about can’t take it anymore. Day after day, week after week, month after month. Dogs are two months. I could live with that. Or how about mice? Twenty-five days tops! And I have to put up with this for nine months? Life ain’t ...

13 likes

It Was a Snickers

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #153

It Was a Snickers “Every man’s conscience is a thousand swords." &nbs...

10 likes

It Takes a Child

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #152

It Takes A Child(Reference to domestic violence) It was indeed an unusual sight, a small child walking alone on the side of a dusty county road. He appeared to have proper upbringing as he was well dressed and walked on the correct side of the road, well off onto the shoulder. The sun was still sitting low in the sky, but he was observed by many as they retrieved their morning paper, let their dog out, or watered the perennials’ spring shoots. For some, curtains were pulled aside to get a better look.The blue cap, corduroy with a small beak,...

26 likes

Gobbler

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #151

Gobbler “What we’ve got here is&...

17 likes

The Furtive Adventures of Don Q. Hoty

Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #150

The Furtive Adventures of Don Q. Hoty “The danger of the past was that menbecame slaves. The danger of the futureis that men may become robots." &n...

19 likes