Rene Volpi

“The Doll in the Trunk” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #239

"A Doll Comes to Life." The youngest child of the Howard family, Kaylee, got a present: Me.I was a doll who would make your dreams come true, regardless 0f how strange they might be. Like a magic wand. Unfortunately, her brothers made fun of her, and out of frustration, she threw me inside the trunk with all the other broken or discarded toys. I was forgotten and shut off. I felt lonely and heartbroken.I could've made her life and her world better, but she didn’t even give me a chance. Incredibly, that was also her wish. To change life for t...

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“Goodbye, '23” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #231

Bye, ‘23. You left us with a lot of surprises, not all of them good ones. You left us with the sour taste of war. You left us half blindfolded and with the scary darkness of many unknowns. And we are still looking for answers. We are enormously divided on any issue we can think of. Especially in the USA. Politically, a new episode of the Trump saga is upon us. That, in and of itself, is scary, but not for the obvious reasons; it's more for the fact that either way we go, electorally speaking, the old wounds of our recent past will resurface....

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“On Life and Embracing Every Precious Moment” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #231

“Every Breath You Take.” It’s the name of a song, but it could be a poem, a recitation, or the beginning of a letter. Either way, most would agree that it’s a beautiful title, which begs the question: Where does creativity come from? Some people say it’s a gift from God, but nobody knows, not even science. Why? Is it because there is no proof of beyond-reality consciousness? There is no evidence of it one way or another. But we know such virtue exists. The most fantastic things that have happened or are happening on this planet cannot be...

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“A Ghost Story” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #228

Lolita enjoys nootropics, especially mushrooms. Everytime she takes a dose, not only she daydreams but goes back in time. This is how today's instance occurred... Lolita walked in like she always does, owning the place. She knew the essence of her presence filled the air and got everybody’s attention. She was bigger than life.  After all, she was just made full partner and CEO of the company that employed her a short three months ago. How did that happen? Of course the rumours were that she slept herself to the top. That is usua...

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“Visiting the Past ” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #196

How wonderful would it be to hop around to a different point in time from our past? I always wanted to visit the 6th C. BCE, have a chance to meet the Buddha in person or....Rumi, later on. Visiting the French Revolution to watch Danton going at it with Robespierre.  Or to watch my parents meet for the first time and see my father enchanting Mom with his ever present, irresistible charm. He must have been a fascinating young man if the letters I found in the attic revealed the true sentiment of these women whom he enthralled. Mom ...

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“Too Loud” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #193

Uri said he wanted my help with his project. Since I'm okay with computers and tech gadgets, I thought, why not?We worked out of his Manhattan studio apartment, which he shared with his sweet, demure girlfriend Miko. It wasn't long before even Miko's quiet countenance was rattled and she started up with an insistent whine--first about the sound and then about THE SOUND. See, he was trying to get a patent for this system which combined electronics, holographic science, virtual optical experience and sound volume through analogue and...

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“I Love You” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #190

"Speak now," she said in a barely audible voice--"tell them the truth." ....From Argentina with Love."Terciopelo" stands for velvet in Spanish. Percie for short, that became her nickname and I believe she's still using it to this day. No one ever inspired me to write poetry the way this girl did. It was magical, almost as if everything was encompassed inside a dream. I was floating around with my senses spinning in all different kinds of ways. Science today would qualify that as an experience dictated by one's own endocrine system. In t...

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“It's hot in the savannah.” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #187

It's terribly hot on the savannah. Lions like me are having a rough time. I should lose weight as it's getting harder than ever to carry those antelope up the tree. I remember the days where it used to be a walk on the park (no pun intended). And these flies! I don't want to get in a bad mood but where the heck is the wind? My tail hurts since Zoopie, the baboon bit it. It used to work well against the flies on my back. I think i got a tooth abscess, more to contend with. Last time it took three weeks to go away and i had to eat sn...

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“A Cat named Houdini ” by Rene Volpi

My name is Thomas. As a neurotic writer, I must write when the brain tells me to, like therapy. Self-therapy with reluctancy.For that, I need a certain amount of calm, a space that isn't easy to find. After many moons of trial and error, someone suggested I adopt a cat. That I'll be doing myself a favor, I'll be doing the cat definitely a favor and I'll be making the world a better place. What could go wrong, right? "Hmm"...i thought to myself..., " that might not be a bad idea!". Actually, it might turn out the be a great idea.&nb...

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