HousekeeperPeople of all types Come and go to my hotelThe same room will house Many different livesSome stay for less than eight hoursOthers for daysEach time I reset the roomRemoving the evidence of a lifeI know them now when they walk inNot by name or by hometownI know them by their stainsThe marks left behind,ContinueContinue reading “Poetry: Housekeeper”
Author Archives: Shannon Laws
Abigail, the Short Story
In honor of my dad’s birthday I submitted a 72 page short story, “Abigail”, to the magazine Asimov’s Science Fiction. Isaac Asimov was one of his favorite sci-fi writers. A small segment of the story is posted below. Love you dad, rest in peace-“One of the monitors detecting brain activity jumps up and down, settingContinueContinue reading “Abigail, the Short Story”
Frizz Control
The other day there was a rare moment at the local grocery store; both my teen-aged daughter and I were choosing a shampoo at the same time. My daughter has short, wavy, hair that she can wear straight or natural. I on the other hand have longer, naturally curly, thick hair that tends to beContinueContinue reading “Frizz Control”
Poetry: Blue Orange Green
Groves of madrona treesSet up against the blue skyAmongst other northwest evergreensMoss dripping from your branchesSways in the breezeThe orange bark peeling down your armsShinning green leavesOpen, basking in the sunBlue, orange, greenPalo Verde tree giving shadePlaced in this orange desert by giantsBlue sky means no rain today in the southwestBranches reach out like anContinueContinue reading “Poetry: Blue Orange Green”
Bird Brain
There is a celebrated free concert available to anyone who lives near trees. Songbirds create a relaxing atmosphere, a symphony of background noise that only nature itself could conduct. The soothing effects are almost immediate; a lower heart beat, a happier disposition, and a smile on your face. In the winter my yard is quiet,ContinueContinue reading “Bird Brain”
The 48th Parallel
Living on the 48th parallel has some good attributes. You experience four seasons. However winter on the West coast involves more rain, the Midwest and East coast receives more snow. I believe it is one of the most beautiful stretches of the United States.The 45th Parallel is a line which designates the longitudinal halfway pointContinueContinue reading “The 48th Parallel”
It’s the Little Things
A couple of months ago my young-adult son asked us if he could stay with us for a few months during a transition. He was going from “A” to “B” and needed a place to live just for a few months; of course we said “Yes”. He is our oldest and the first to leaveContinueContinue reading “It’s the Little Things”
Poetry: Lookout
Fields of flowersRolling green hillsSitting, wind at my backIn the distance ships sailSnow capped OlympicsNeedle tipped treesMoss covered rocksI spy a brown fox In the a field of brown grassZig Zagging in sync with a rabbitThe other side deerEmerge from the forestOut in the open nowGathering together for dinerThe sun, the warm setting sunSoon yourContinueContinue reading “Poetry: Lookout”
Mom’s Holiday Ham
OK, true story:One holiday four generations of family are all gathered together in the youngest daughter’s new home for a rare time together. This is her first time hosting a family dinner. Her mom is helping her with the ham. The daughter plops the large ham into its pan and asks the mom, “OK whatContinueContinue reading “Mom’s Holiday Ham”
The Gift
About eight years ago someone gifted me a bottle of eau de parfum Chanel No. 5. I purchased a small bottle of it in my early twenties and quickly burned through it; it was my favorite fragrance. How wonderful to find this old friend again or perhaps it found me? With kids, a job, andContinueContinue reading “The Gift”
shannon p. laws 