THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XXII
I stood in shock, unable to say a word, my unblinking eyes staring up into glittering dark pupils in eyes that had never glittered before. He was too tall, and he was vaguely smiling as he held the door half open. People passed on both sides of us, using the other...
From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Twenty-Six
From The Wilderness THE BULLET THAT WASN’T THERE “If I listened long enough to you, I’d find a reason to believe that it’s all true.” Rod Stewart’s lyrics are so applicable to what we experience in life today. We make our way through the mundane chores, one...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XXI
The Sheraton Hotel was located a little more than half a mile from the airport. It was a huge building about twenty stories tall with a great, although empty lobby at our late hour of arrival. Before departure while still near the gate awaiting the call for economy...
From The Wilderness Article One Hundred Twenty-Five
From The Wilderness TO HAVE AND TO HAVE NOT There have been a series of recent articles and television shows about the president failing to establish spoken or mental ability when he was making his presentations during the debate ten days ago, as this is written....
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XX
The seat in the Lear Jet was hypnotically comfortable and, as the pilot or pilots, since I could not see forward of the canvas between us, pushed the engine controls to maximum, I breathed deeply and went to sleep. The level of exhaustion I felt could not be held off...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XIX
Matt pulled a folded-up package from one of the overly large breast pockets of his vest. The special photographer’s vest he’d gone on and on about earlier because of the new store on Del Mar in San Clemente called the Banana Republic. The place catered to men in what...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XVIII
I drove with abandon on the semi-broken sometimes dirt road called Route 66, as the dream smooth hurtling along, even at only fifty miles per hour or so, disappeared behind us. We were finally headed in the right direction, east, instead of the circuitous selections...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XVII
I didn’t answer Mary’s question as I took a few seconds to consider its significance. Rick was a policyholder. Rick was the owner of the second-largest life insurance policy I’d ever sold. Three hundred thousand dollars was a lot of money, and the policy, being whole...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XVI
When I got to the station and parked in the lot, I first noticed that Lieutenant Gate’s Marauder was parked in its special spot near the back door. The second thing I noticed, as I walked into the facility, was that Pat Bowman wasn’t at her desk. Gates was there when...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XV
The office inside the wooden ‘bank vault’ style door was more plush than Tom Thorkelson’s office in the Massachusetts Mutual Fashion Island location. The baby blue rug under my feet made it feel like I was standing in a couple of inches of mud while four towering...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XIV
I’d met Matt aboard the C-130 on the way back from Albuquerque. We’d not truly bonded in any way except after sizing me up he uncharacteristically and very surprisingly threw himself in with me for whatever adventure he might be a part of. My being armed and speaking...
Musical Chairs, a Poem by James Strauss
MUSICAL CHAIRS By James Strauss I would be seen as running hard and fast, If I wasn’t running last. They tell me the key is to slow down, Holding out a bag of sand to pound. If you want help go somewhere far, To some small town with a bar. You’re here...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XIII
It was too early to do much of anything but head over to Galloways, the place that was growing to become the one thing I might miss the most when we finally made our geographic move. Despite my high regard for the man, my conversation with Herbert had been...
The Sounds of Silence, a Poem by James Strauss
THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE A Poem By James Strauss I’m not the angel of my morning, And I don’t shave to the beat of any lyrics I ever think of, But I’m among those angels, Not to be helped nor to be harmed. At least not without some warning. I’m no...
Feeding the Trees, a Poem by James Strauss
FEEDING THE TREES A Poem By James Strauss A little bitty piece of me Not that part with education, Just the part you can’t see, Of interest fun and erudition. They don’t really want it, So I’m forced to turn away To wait and quietly sit, Floating in silence to another...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XII
I opened the velvet-covered blue box and looked at the medal. There’d been no ‘pinning’ the medals to anyone’s chest, as I’d experienced in the Marine Corps. The medals and an eight-and-a-half by eleven blue plastic-covered certificates were handed out. The medal was...
CRICKET, The Dog Who Died of Trust
CRICKET, THE DOG WHO DIED OF TRUST by James Strauss Kristie Noem does not live in Wisconsin. In fact, she doesn’t live anywhere near this state. She lives in a state of mentally troubled, morally broken, and mean-spirited existence. The geographic state is South...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter XI
Little Mardian stared over the top lip of his coffee cup, drawn most of the way up to take a sip. My tone and the “you’re not in Kansas anymore,” comment stopped his hand movement as well as widened his eyes. I was surprised that he was reacting at all, since the...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter X
Regret for my conscious decision to let the artifact lie in the shattered mess of the overhead heater on the garage floor grew, as I headed for home. Down deep I realized the motivation for such a potentially idiotic decision. I didn’t need any more complications or...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter IX
Unlike the Jeep that’d been waiting for me when I flew in on the C-130 the security people would not let Tom’s Blazer out onto the tarmac. I got out, thanked him for helping me with my plan, and grabbed my bag and new briefcase. Tom had found a used Hartmann case of...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter VIII
I left Butch’s trailer and headed back toward San Clemente, but not before stopping back at Straight Ahead just to see if Paul might have showed up since I’d been spending time with Butch. The place was open like it always was, but Paul was nowhere to be seen. I’d...
The Badly Needed Emetic, From the Wilderness
The Badly Needed Emetic By James Strauss Most people don’t know that Ipecac can’t be purchased over the counter in the United States anymore. That syrup was plentiful for most of my life, as it was used as something that was ingested, usually by a child, that...
From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Twenty-Four
FROM THE WILDERNESS The Badly Needed Emetic By James Strauss Most people don’t know that Ipecac can’t be purchased over the counter in the United States anymore. That syrup was plentiful for most of my life, as it was used as something that was ingested, usually by...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter VII
Saturday morning came early, as I gently climbed out of bed, knowing Mary would awaken but not stir enough to let me know she was. I didn’t require nearly as much sleep after the Nam as I had in my younger years and also had some form of sleep apnea my wife took full...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter VI
I walked to the front door of the modernistic throwback of some ranch-style, but not, home, noting that it had a screen door. The sweep of central air conditioning being installed around the country had just about put an end to such doors, at least as part of the...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter V
When I arrived at Galloways, it not being my usual pre-seven a.m. visiting time, the place was half full. Mike Manning sat at my table, so I walked right over and took the seat next to him, which was also usually the chair I occupied. “Want your chair?” he asked,...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter IV
I drove the Volks down to the Dana Point Marina entrance and, after working my way through the ruts of dried mud, up to Butch’s front door. It was closed, with a note taped to the handle: “If you sell vacuum cleaners or Encyclopedia Britannica’s then come right in.”...
THE GAME, poem by James Strauss
The Game That I’m not really here at all,It’s not spring springing into fall,Forsaken they can’t do anything,No prayer not on this kind of wing.I would be afraid if I could,Can’t fear what I think’s too good,My judgment tied circling my soul,It’s me but I don’t...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter III
I didn’t remember whether any mention had been made by Richard about the Chevy having positraction. I learned that it did when Mary took off to head for the store. I watched the back end of the car disappear up Lobos Marinos until she took the corner heading north on...
THE BEAT OF THE DRUM, Poetry of James Strauss
THE BEAT OF THE DRUM By James Strauss The beat of the drum,Not just any drum.The drum of life’s backdropWhere the music of some,Brings us all to full stop,While listening near stunned.Whispering life’s hum,Not just any hum,The hum of awareness,Where the sound remains...
Into the Darkness, From The Wilderness
From The Wilderness INTO THE DARKNESS The Pandemic came and went, and of course, has lingered a bit over time. It brought with it a response that caused a severe cloud to be dropped over all of social behavior, at least in the developed ‘first world’ countries like...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter II
I opened my eyes to see Mary sitting next to the bed I was lying in, leaning forward, her face only inches from my own. The bed was tilted so I looked a bit down at her worried expression. “Do you know where you are?” she asked, her expression serious and verbal...
From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Twenty-Three
From the Wilderness WHY THEY’RE AFRAID By James Strauss They’re not afraid of his bluster, they know he’s not real or tough. They’re not afraid of his looks as he’s built like a pillow made of fluff. His hair’s as fake as his story and his business is anything...
Just Below Fright, a Poem by James Strauss
JUST BELOW FRIGHT By James Strauss I fought in sadly two wars, Shot twice one for each entry, Medals awarded for valor, Pinned on a wall like a sentry. Fought with honor’s distinction, Back home they said I was brave, But the brave went on to extinction,...
Suitcase and a Trunk, a Poem by James Strauss
SUITCASE AND A TRUNK By James Strauss There was no house, Not of the rising sun, There was a bloody blouse, With the proof of a gun, As the light from down south Lit up where there’d been none. Don’t stop believing, That there’s any place to go, Life’s not relieving,...
Praying in the Closet, a Poem by James Strauss
PRAYING IN THE CLOSET By James Strauss The preachers say pay and I’ll be saved, By the time they’re done, it’s my soul that’s been paved How can I get it right with this God, Failing time after time to give me His nod. Yeah though I walk yet all I get is talk,...
THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter I
The sun’s early light emerged from behind me as I faced out toward the large rolling Pacific swells that came in so innocently and inexorably to rise, form curls with white frothy water, and then smash themselves down on the sand as they approached the beach a quarter...
Field Stripping, a Poem by James Strauss
FIELD STRIPPING By James Strauss What does it take to try to stay sane, Living a culture where life’s a pain, I work at assembly of my trip, Like the Colt I often field strip. Only eight pieces counting the clip, Taking apart my heart does a blip, Boxes of ammo never...
From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Twenty-Two
FROM THE WILDERNESS The Third Answer by James Strauss Recently, Joe Biden, the President of the United States, was questioned about his possession of classified documents dating back years. Regardless of the obvious fact that the leadership of the USA, over the...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LXVII
My time at night, before sleep and thankfully not during sleep, I thought about things that were occurring, and the less sense they made the more I couldn’t stop lying awake trying not to think about them. “I’m not that special,” I thought, lying there, not realizing...
From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Twenty-One
From The Wilderness HOT AIR Today’s era of big money being thrown into the communications complex to induce action and the course of present and future human events isn’t over, but the elevation of Trump to a near God-like figure is forcing it to be near the top of...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LXVI
I woke up the morning after Christmas and eased out of bed. My wife made me believe she was still asleep, like she always did although any move on my part to depart the bed never failed to bring her back to life. I moved as silently as possible to get ready for the...
One More Chance, a Poem by James Strauss
ONE MORE CHANCE By James Strauss The harshness of life incarnate, Beaten dogs have more to say, But I remain unborn to wait, My thoughts here will go away. Unreborn at the master’s gate, I wait for my worth’s assay, Thinking and feeling insensate, But knowing...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LXV
It was Christmas Eve, although it wasn’t the eve of anything and I wondered, as usual, why the day, from early morning until the sun went down, was still referred to as the eve of Christmas when it was simply the day before. My thoughts turned to the single subject...
Old Beaten Leather, a Poem by James Strauss
OLD BEATEN LEATHER By James Strauss I’ve never been there, But that’s just a lie, As I’ve been everywhere, Moving so not to die. The power of love, Song’s lyrics from hell, Clutching tight as a glove, Ringing pain like a bell. Winds are all laughing, Standing to meet...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LXIV
Joe Beard sat at Gularte’s kitchen/dining room/living room table, its top cleared and cleaned off as I’d never seen it before. He sat behind a gray plastic box that looked like a small suitcase except for its sharp edges and pointed corners. Joe looked across the top...
My Rising Sun, a poem by James Strauss
MY RISING SUN By James Strauss A depression it’s called, The size of Grand Canyon. Climbing a face on its wall, Fights lost to those I’ve won. The sun also rises, The name of some movie. My life dangling in sizes, Unseen down below me. I surge toward the top, My mind...
The Mandarin, a poem by James Strauss
MANDARIN By James Strauss Chinatown speaks if you pay close attention In the heart of an island filled with contention The haoles are white but black by nickname, Tourists included but locals fair game. An island of flowers and music idyllic, English that’s spoken...
The Odds and Ends, a poem by James Strauss
THE ODDS AND ENDS By James Strauss Beat for the contretemps, Make it your quarry, For living good sense, Is for the bored and the sorry. Play to the stands, Your bat’s only good, For hitting at fans, Cause time is like wood. We’re sailing bad weather, Our lives all a...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LXIII
The morning came too soon, although ‘sleeping in’ like I’d loved to do when not at one of my jobs in college, had gone the way of the dinosaurs, lost somewhere down at the bottom of the A Shau Valley. That the valley’s name was known by no one, so never brought up by...
Beggars of God, poetry by James Strauss
BEGGERS OF GOD By James Strauss It’s not that He doesn’t come, It’s that He doesn’t come as requested. The Lord’s therapy is one of action, Come down to a world of muted reaction. I ask him for things and resolutions, But often forget about decent definition....
Over the Falls, by James Strauss
OVER THE FALLS By James Strauss A surfer through life waits and seeks, Something afar for anything better, Through the flowing troughs and peaks, Tired of living this life not to the letter. Maybe the wind, surf and the sea, Will break with a crest of true meaning,...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LXII
The ‘unseeable’ was coming home to roost, I now understood. The artifact that was entrusted to me had something to do with San Onofre, the one ‘pod’ that had been taken out of service to become some sort of hyper-secret nearly impenetrable laboratory or meeting place...From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Twenty
From the Wilderness Torture THE ISLAMIC/JEWISH/CHRISTIAN dilemma. There’s another war going on, or rather continuing. Go back to the end of WWII, when Israel fought for and was conceded land on the Sinai Peninsula to build a country. Palestinians, living in the...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LXI
The reels moved slowly, as I knelt by the bedside, transfixed by the words of the country’s sitting president. “My friend,” Nixon began, after another pause, saying the words in his strange way that nobody on earth I’d ever heard talked like, “will you guide me...Subscribe to FROM THE WILDERNESS
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