https://soundcloud.com/sierra-tom-darby/afm-9 He sat quietly next to the hospital bed, holding the hand of his dying mother. The thump-hiss of the ventilator and steady high pitch beep of the heart monitor, with its neon green peaks, plateaus and valleys, slowly hypnotized his emotionally-fatigued mind and he lightly closed his eyes. “Do you hear the sleigh bells,…

I looked up my family tree…a dog was using it.

“Hi Tom, Kathi passed away tonight.” The words hit me hard as I sat in my truck and I felt my heart start to ache and eyes begin to sting. Kathi had been in the hospital for at least a week before being transferred to ICU. She was on life-support as her liver failed and…

A reminder From me To me Step back Close my eyes Find my quiet place Breathe slowly In and out Repeat Take it slow Control what I can It will be okay Everything is And As it should be

The car, high centered on the embankment, was the first thing seen as I rounded the downhill corner. Nearby were two thin males waving wildly for me to stop. As I halted and rolled down my window, both separate of the other, cried, “Let me in.” It was this short, three word phrase that caused…

At age 94, my Uncle Ozzie was the last man standing of his childhood family. He was born March 1, 1925 in Pepperwood, California to Iva (Amen) and Harry Smith, who had a total seven children, though I never knew exactly where he fit into that total. The last time I saw him was at…

https://soundcloud.com/sierra-tom-darby/afm-8

“Destroy this,” Dr. Butler Wyman directed, as he handed Rodney Bekker the tray containing the liver-sized organism, “And be careful, it’s a genetic cross between an amoeba and a micrococcus, and if it gets any larger, it could become hard to control.” Without a word, Rodney took the tray and left the laboratory and walked…

Santa gave Lawrence a lump of coal one Christmas.  The next year, as revenge, Lawrence poisoned Santa’s cookies.  As Lawrence sat in juvenile detention awaiting an arraignment hearing, he was overheard telling a group of other boys, “Somehow the fat bastard found out, killed my dad and framed me.”

A friend asked if I’d seen the film, “Tractor.” “No,” I said, “but I’ve seen the trailer.”