One day I was visiting Bobby in the city. It was a real treat to go to Aunt Annie’s. Everything was so clean and fresh. She also had five kids to care for and clothe. Bobby’s Pop had a government job and they had few financial worries. He would never let more than two of us stay at their place at the same time. It was heaven, an inside toilet, a bathtub and running water. They had paved streets which made bike rides a whiz and as I mentioned before, ‘ICE CREAM CONES,’ only five minutes away from their house. This time, Sam decided it would be easy for Bobby and me to get up real early in the morning and steal the money out of the neighbour’s milk bottles for him. When we refused, ten arm punches. We didn’t have much choice, so with numb, black and blue right arms, we did what we were told. The first morning we hit about ten homes, sneaking through the bushes, rushing up to the front steps, pouring the coins into our pockets from the milk bottles, then on to the next house. We got what we thought was a great haul. Sam took the money and told us if we didn’t double the amount tomorrow, it would be the unheard of-twenty punches each. So early the next morning he got us got up before dawn and rubbing our eyes we headed for the first house. Well, the second house we hit, two big policemen hit us in turn. As usual we had no shirts on so one policeman grabbed the two of us by the waist of our pants and carted us off like suitcases to the police station. We found ourselves in a jail cell, bawling like hungry calves, sobbing our hearts out, loud enough that the men in the
other cells were yelling at us to shut up. Aunt Annie came and bailed us out. When we got home, Bobby got the spanking of his life. Aunt Annie had to pay back the neighbours, which she could ill afford. She walked us to each and every neighbour and made us get on our knees, apologising and promising never to steal again. Of course the big shot, Sam had spent all the money on his buddies, even taking them to a movie. He was sitting at home all this time waiting for the big haul we would bring to him. In much fear of the police and the jail, we squealed on him as the ringleader. Also, they said if we told them who set us up to this they would buy us an ice cream cone. ‘MINE WAS CHOCOLATE!’ We always hoped Mom would have forgotten all the things we did. She must have had a diary to remember them because when Pop got home, he knew. No one could remember things that well! Aunt Annie didn’t spank me but I wished she had; I knew what I’d get from Mom and again from Pop when he got home. Aunt Annie had to go to court with us and the judge let us off after telling her to keep Bobby away from us animals. Aunt Annie replied, “That is hard to do; they are cousins and love each other very much.” By good luck only, we never saw a courthouse again. Wayne Russell, The Vagabond Writer slyolfart@gmail.com ♣
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Why Unicorns? By Lyn Carlson, Owen Sound, Ontario
They took her fancy early on It was an image fairly shone! The mythical, mystical Unicorn with its magical spiral horn. Beloved for his purity, his strength and his fidelity. With all his majesty and power, yet bowing in his lady’s bower! Elusive in the misty dawn … be honoured with one glimpse, and gone. For some, a pretty bit of whimsy; 48 dialogue
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To others, the symbol of fantasy; Always a token of high ideals which stir the heart and hope one feels. You may see dusty figurines but look beyond to what it means… Not just the ornaments they seem - icons to gaze upon and dream. In imagination dreams are born just as the noble Unicorn. This poem was written as an explanation for why unicorns appear on the cover and back of my self-published book of poetry which is entitled "I had in mind...". It appears on the last page as a conclusion of the collection. Lyn Carlson, lyncslink@hotmail.com ♣ www.dialogue.ca