I awoke in a cold sweat. Dream or portent, I asked myself. Was it a solution, an answer?
In the desert, battle line drawn in the sand. One side,the amassed army of ISIS. On the other, our "secret weapons." 5,000 personal injury attorneys, in battle garb, brown suit and tie, armed with leather briefcases, legal briefs filed, papers to be served. The charge began, ISIS,  terror stricken, retreats. I woke up. (Well, nothing else seems to be working.)

copyright: richard riddle-December 07, 2015

It's an old, run-down, brick building-
with some pickup trucks, and a John Deere tractor-parked in front-
It has been there for many years-
with many memories in its 'font.

Why, that building knew your folks, children,
watched generations come thru the door-
It waved good-bye to new recruits
as they left to go to war.

It became a sort of, "meet and greet"
Where folks would come , take a seat-
the coffee urn, filled to the brim
for those waiting to get a trim.
(and for anyone else who wandered in)

And the stories! Oh Lord, the stories!
One would start with an anecdote-
another followed with a joke-
then another, each trying to top the other.

Folks would laugh so hard, you'd think they were die'n-
for there was no way to know
Who was telling a truth,
and who was lie'n-
(a determination that never could be made)

A great way to end the week!

The building had no signs, because everyone knew what it was,
so why spend the money to tell folks something they already knew.
Then, one day, this appeared on the door:

"Welcome Stranger! Come in and see!"
"The One and Only Barbershop"
"Where the BS flows like the River Nile, and the coffee's always free!"
(Open on Saturdays 7-3)
Closed Mon-Fri

copyright: richard riddle January 27, 2015

My father, for 20 years, was a game warden for the State of Texas. I  would often ride with him on weekends throughout his 6 county district, stopping at many of these small, rural, unincorporated communities. It was, as we say, "a real hoot!"

"You have to like yourself before you can like anything, or anyone else!


richard riddle: 12-14-2015

May 05, 2016: I am reposting this in honor of my wife, Karen, who left this mortal earth eight 1/2 years ago. Originally written and posted on September 17, 2014)*

This tree-
Is not just any 'ol tree'-

It's "The Grandmother Tree"

Having grown from a broken, eighteen inch high twig,
taken from its mother by the Texas wind.
Now, in just over six years, it rises nearly fifteen feet, for it was planted, and fed, with the love from two grandchildren, who planted it in memory of their grandmother, my wife, Karen, of 40 years, and their surviving grandmother, Linda.
Karen found it on our patio and placed it in a clay ***; watered it, and made a support for it to keep it upright. She wanted to plant it where it stands today. She had named it "The Evan and Emily Tree." When she left us, Emily and Evan planted it in the back yard of their home. They named it, "The Grandmother Tree."
The tree is home to the "Guardians", the "Keepers", the "Watchers", sent to protect their memories, then, now, and future. Enlarge it, and you might see them, if you look closely. There are monkeys sitting in the tree, and the silhouettes. To the left, is cast the shadow of a "little man", with arm extended, pointing upward. To the right of the tree, perhaps an ape like creature, or two, and the face of a "mystery man." Set your imagination "free",

For there could be others-
Look, and see.
You could be surprised!
copyright: richard riddle September 17, 2014 12:32pm