Poem: We Love Our Pens - Two Men, submission to Into the Void

WE LOVE OUR PENS

I've stolen more pens
from my credit union
than any other. If it
goes into Chapter Eleven
blame it on me.

A writer needs all the pens
she can get. Why? Because when
you need a pen, there's none
to be found.

Finally I had a couple of
George Washington singles
to buy two pens from my library.

I wish I had a grandchild to sit
on my lap. Her name would be
Laurie Ann. I'd show her the pen
and how it works. She'd laugh
and make the buttons go up and down.

Then she'd lie down on the living room floor
and draw stick figures - a huge house filled
with windows - and I'd tape it up on my
dishwasher, part of my Barnes collection
in the kitchen.

***

My sister Lynn okayed my submission of TWO MEN to Into the Void.

The editor, Philip, said submissions were free.

I would NEVER spend money to submit, but in order for them to accept my story I was required to spend $5.

***
Would love to write more, but am going upstairs to watch a special on Dick Van Dyke, who's in his 90s.

My short story, and you know how seriously I take my stories, was influenced by Netflix's Paddington, where two men loved each other to death. And, yes, one of them was dying and took the death elixir.

Note to myself: Don't berate yourself for spending the $5.

Library book: THE MARTHA MANUAL, How to Do (Almost) Everything.

Missed our Library Book Group as I was at Mom's. We had a great time, remembering the past.

In the kitchen, I'm listening to a terrific Danielle Steel book called In the Footsteps of Our Fathers. Emailed it to Aunt Selma via Cousin Linda.

In the car, it's FEAR by Bob Woodward. Trump thinks he's gonna lose the election and after he wins - Lock up Hilary Lock Up Hilary - he asks various people to be on his team.

Most reject his offers.

Would you if he gave you a million dollars?

I'd move to DC faster than you can say, anti-dis-establish-ment-arianism, a big word Dad taught me when I was a kid.