The Revolutionary, Eddie Basil No.13 (Part 1)

            The fire changed his life.  If it had not occurred Eddie Basil No.13 would still be sitting in his cube watching the government sponsored lesson, “How to Concentrate On and Obey Instructions”.  For some unknown reason the video screen, which covered the entire wall of his cubicle, began emitting blue and yellow sparks.

“Interesting,” he thought as he gave two tugs on his marijuana cigarette.  Dark smoke was already curling around the sides of the screen but Eddie nonchalantly crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.  Orange flames licked hungrily at the wall but since fire was rarely seen Eddie was not prepared to take action.  “Looks almost real,” he mumbled slowly to himself.  When the flames reached the cabinet beside the screen, he became concerned.  The heat and acrid smell of burning plastics made him step backwards but in his mind it still was not an emergency. 

Sluggishly he withdrew a packet from his pocket and inhaled a delicate white powder.  His heart beat faster, his pulse grew stronger.  Glancing at a cabinet in the path of the advancing flames, he had the sudden impulse to dash through the flames and pull out the brown bundles of government issued drugs.  He grabbed one of drawer handles but the hot metal burned his fingers and he jerked away.  The searing pain jarred him and he thought of his own safety for once. Blinded by the choking dark smoke, he stumbled out of his cubicle.  He fumbled for the button which released the door leading to the hallway.  He pushed it and fell outside.  Smoke filled the room behind him and he could hear screams as others became trapped by the voracious flames.

The flames danced eerily as one wall caved in and another wall toppled.  The adjoining rooms were beginning to glow.  Sirens screamed in the distance and he wondered how long it would take for the fire machines to get there.  As the flames spread, Eddie crawled along the floor, hoping to escape.  He pitched himself forward into the crisp night and lay on the lawn gasping for air just as the first engines rolled up. 

The robot firemen methodically began cordoning off the area.  When that task was finished they sprayed foam on the surrounding buildings but let his section burn. The fire became a raging inferno and turned blue-white in intensity.  The firemen waited until the entire section collapsed inward.  They sprayed the adjacent buildings once more. Then they backed away from the fire and climbed back on the fire engine.  With all aboard, the fire engines left with red lights flashing and siren blaring.

Out of sight, out of mind, the fire engine was barely gone when a new sound caught his attention.  Eddie retreated into darkness but still where he could see the excitement.  In a short time heavy-footed robot troops marched into view.  Efficiently they began pushing the remaining rubble into a large pile.  The debris was still smoldering when the leader gave a command.  Immediately their lasers blasted the remainder into nothingness.

“It is done,” the leader intoned as he faced the curious onlookers.  “All the Eddie Basils, No. 1-15, are finished.  Tomorrow the construction crews will be here to rebuild.  We will see that everything goes orderly and before tomorrow night the next fifteen on the residential waiting list will be installed in the new compartments.”

 

I Didn't Want To Be With You

I did not want to be with you,

Simply because you’re beautiful,

I did not want to hold you tight,

Just because I thought you were wonderful,

I did not want to talk all through the night,

Although you were interesting and I lost track of time,

I did not want to kiss your luscious lips,

Or caress your skin with my fingertips,

I didn’t want you to think I was the lying kind,

Just because you drove me out of my mind,

I didn’t want your body pressed against mine,

Although I liked it all of the time,

 I didn’t want you to know what you did to me,

Especially when you did it so easily,

I didn’t want to come on too strong,

Without holding you all night long,

I didn’t want to be with you,

Unless you were willing to love me too,

I didn’t want to marry you,

Unless you were ready for commitment

And a love that was true,

I really did want to be with you,

And I’m glad you love me too.

You Are A Well-Built House

Solid with strong timber,

(Yet you are supple and limber,)

Tiled roof carefully laid,

(Hair glistening in a braid,)

Windows that peer out over the street,

(Eyes that sparkle when we meet,)

A welcoming door that invites me in,

(I’m still enthralled with your grin,)

Carpets plush and all in style,

(Makes me want to stay awhile,)

A dining room with foods to please,

(A playful spirit that loves to tease,)

A basement to run to when a storm is about,

(You’re fun to cuddle when the lights go out,)

A property that’s well worth every dime,

(Your love is appreciated more over time,)

There are no for sale signs on the lawn,

(I want you to wake beside me every dawn,)

A house that stands faithfully through the years,

(Weathers the storms and sheds the tears,)

A house that’s warm and full of charm,

(A shelter against the world and a haven from harm,)

A manifestation of love, a home full of bliss,

(You’re loving and desirable, now give me a kiss.)

That's All I Need To Know

Once you captured my imagination,

You had such flair and style,

Words weren’t necessary then,

My heart fell with your smile,

Your liquid eyes held me

Suspended in time and space,

I was happy to be with you,

Anytime, anywhere, anyplace,

But now it’s time to go,

Your tantalizing body,

Still holds its appeal,

 But it has lost its softness,

And your love seems so unreal,

Your arms don’t reach for me,

Your thoughts have gone astray,

Your kisses don’t have passion,

There’s less and less each day,

That’s all I need to know,

I can feel the cold vibrations,

Though I can’t see your heart,

But within your expression

I see our world falling apart,

When I say, “I’ll love you forever,

They’d be no other but you,”

You sigh and look away,

 You don’t say, “I love you too,”

 My picture is gone from its frame,

Another has taken my place,

You cry when you see my pain,

Love has left a trace,

That’s all I need to know.

Dangerous Questions

She said she was not satisfied,

With the way she looked,

Her hair was too straight,

Too curly or something like that,

Then she asked me, “Am I too fat?”

Now I like to tell it straight,

But no way did I want to tempt fate,

 Any answer I gave might be suicide,

Since there was no place to hide,

I couldn’t avoid her question but I tried,                                                                    

“If straight hair makes you happy,

Or if you wanted to wear a hat,

I could go for that,”

I didn’t give her eye contact,

I even tried to sing a song,

To keep from answering wrong,

Normally I’m straightforward and bold,

But her eyes narrowed and her voice grew cold,

She asked once again, “Am I too fat?”

“Honey, if you think we both need to trim,

We could get a membership at the gym,”

At this point I should have just said no,

But I looked out the window,

For somewhere I could go,

“Uh, what was the question, dear?

I really couldn’t hear,”

Tears were dripping from her eyes,

She heaved a great sigh,

“Tell me why you won’t say”,

My answer didn’t take all day,

“Why, honey, I like you any way,

I think you’re crazy for asking that,

Of course you’re not fat,

I didn’t choose you for your hair,

Though I like it being there,

I love the heart you have within,

I’d love you thick or thin,

There’s nothing I can say or do,

To make this any less true,

I love you simply for being you,”

I think my answer was good for now,

But tomorrow she’ll question me somehow,

“Do these shoes go with this blouse?”

It will be time to leave the house,

“Would you like me better blond?”

I won’t know how to respond,

It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind,

And tomorrow I’ll look at her with dread,

Her hair might be blond, brown or red,

There might be someplace I can find,

Where I can leave dangerous questions behind.

Never Her Heart

She accepted Mark’s invitation to dinner,

She had been alone far too long,

He had gentle ways and a broad smile,

She thought, “What could be so wrong?”

He treated her like a lady,

Showing courtesy in every way,

She was inwardly pleased,

She thought it rare in this modern day,

Conversation was light and witty,

He was open about his life,

He talked about his children,

And even discussed his ex-wife,

Catherine, too, appeared open,

With no secrets left to hide,

She explained she was a widow,

But not all did she confide,

When her husband died tragically,

Her world came crashing down,

She had pledged her love to him forever,

And she still felt honor bound,

She enjoyed Mark’s company,

And learned to enjoy his touch,

But as for her past and her heart,

She wouldn’t share with him much,

If Mark was truthful about his past,

He thought she might simply faint,

Mark had once been a real bad boy,

While her husband had been deemed a saint,

Mark still had some baggage,

Left from when he was wed,

Yet Catherine knew she had some too,

Her first love lived within her head,

She gave Mark all she could give,

She was compassionate and kind,

She was willing to give her body,

But she couldn’t ever share her mind,

He wanted to love her completely,

But her coolness ate at his heart,

How could they share life together,

When they remained a world apart,

When she talked about her first love,

Mark knew he could never compare,

When they made love it seemed as if,

She was but wasn’t there,

Notes without any words,

She was the melody of a song,

Her mind was on another,

For her husband she still longed,

She talked about her first love,

Often with friends and family,

But Mark felt shut out of her life,

He wanted to belong desperately,

An empty life was not for him,

He needed someone who shared,

Catherine clung to memories of her true love,

And Mark thought she never cared,

He left one early morning,

He had nothing left to give,

His love had never been accepted,

And he still had life to live,

He wanted her hand in marriage,

But he felt rejected instead,

And now she wonders why he left,

As she sleeps alone on her bed,

Mark still searches for someone,

Although now his chances are slim,

He’ll wonder the rest of his life,

Why Catherine could never love him.

In the Dead of Winter Springs Hope

The cold winter winds came in gusts,

 Each seemingly stronger than the one before,

Eric’s thin coat was pulled as tight as it could be,

But it was no match for the icy fingers that tore,

Yes, simply tore into him the moment he left,

The wind showed no mercy, just like the judge,

Who kicked Eric out of his house, his protection,

Eric could have refused to budge,

It was a financial winter but his funds had been invested,

Eric was prepared but it was worse than he feared,

Investors and scammers slipped away with his funds,

His assets were frozen and then disappeared,

The rich were getting richer, the poor begged for food,

Why should Eric fight anymore for his rights,

While lawyers working for rich men tore into him,

With their icy words they gave him sleepless nights,

Through the winter wonderland he now trudged,

Leaving a trail through the gathering snow,

Wondering how he had lost control of his life,

What would become of him, he did not know,

There was nothing Eric could do in times like these,

When his world was turned upside down,

His job was gone, his family had departed,

Foreclosures and hardships were everywhere in town,

The wind laughed derisively knowing Eric would not last,

Pushing him this way and that until in a heap,

He collapsed, making a thump against a door,

Rousing a widow who was trying to sleep,

She overcame her fright and opened the door,

Discovered a man and she was filled with dread,

She pulled him into the warmth of her home,

Overjoyed when she found he was not dead,

The next few days as his life hung in the balance,

The widow was determined that he would not die,

Through feverish dreams she stayed with him,

While he fought the demons he wanted to defy,

He was sliding down into winter’s cold sleep,

When she lay upon him her full body length,

A warmth he remembered that made life worthwhile,

The warmth of her body brought him strength,

In those moments his life began to change,

From silent depths, from despair to desire,

She brought him through an emotional range,

And within the ice started a raging fire,

She wanted him to love and live again,

And to awaken to a fresh new start,

Winter’s cold wind gave way to spring,

As flowers bloomed so did his heart,

The world around still needed repairs,

But Wall Street was recovering and going strong,

The widow’s house became a refuge,

For others were escaping from a world gone wrong,

They helped all that were driven their way,

Began a new society built on love, not wealth,

Where people found new happiness,

And recovered their mental health,

Even when the world and winter’s cold icy blasts,

Tried to destroy all within their respective scopes,

 The power of love was so much stronger still,

Able to conquer all fears and bring new hopes,

The power of one made a difference,

Just one woman taking a chance,

Who opened her door to a stranger,

And opened her heart to change and romance.