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Melissa Cross
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There are some who are married to the Muse, and they know how to treat Her right. They come home faithfully to Her night after night, and She rewards their commitment with boundlessly rich vistas of creation. And then, there's me, who gambles on Her good faith in the hope that She won't abandon me completely, as I careen through life with my hair on fire. I visit Her from time to time in fits of passion, box of chocolates and sheepish smile at the ready to do Her bidding. So, I don't post as often as I'd like, but I hope you'll join me for those stolen moments when I do. They are precious to me... as are the thoughts and the time of my visitors.
Rather than regale you with my literary opinions and influences, I'll just say this... some writers have stories to tell, and they sculpt them painstakingly, with loving dedication. Some writers have magnificent genres to explore, and they stride forth fearlessly into great wordly adventures, beckoning you seductively to follow them. Alas, I can't claim any such lofty aspirations. I simply write when my heart goes wild on some kind of life bender and feels like it just might explode from the wonder, the joy, the pain, the dread, the game, the magic of it all.
Out of all of the work you will find on my site, these lines from "Cosmic Double" are my favorites...
Come and meet me around the corner of forever
We’ll tip our chairs back and rest our boots
lightly on some comet
and raise a toast of karma wine
(vintage, well beyond its time)
to our grumpy stars.
By the way, the only person who really ever calls me "Melissa" is my mother, and then only when she's angry. (The last time she did it was when she started reading the story "To My R.". When she got to the end, though, she took it back... you'll have to read the story to see what I'm talking about.) Everyone else calls me Missy. I hope you will too. Grab your cowboy boots and your wine, and come on in.
Accomplishments: I am widely recognized as the most promising author in my house, narrowly beating out a girlfriend who would rather go to the dentist than write ANYTHING, an eloquent and opinionated cat, two long-winded dogs, and an assortment of outdoor creatures who trespass on occasion.
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Short Stories
Roses for Runaways by Melissa Cross
I actually wrote this piece several years ago, and just found it yesterday. Yikes! I''m even older now; twenty five years has grown to thirty.
I originally wrote this story for two people: ...
Max's Redemption - Part 1 by Melissa Cross
Meet Max Lightfoot, inveterate teen shoplifter, whose latest heist sets her up for more than she bargained for......
Tony's Diner by Melissa Cross
This story was inspired by a Suzanne Vega song, "Tom''s Diner". It''s one of those songs that just won''t go away when it gets caught in your head. It''s been stylized by many musicians as a cover tun...
Paper Girl by Melissa Cross
A trip down memory lane, coutesy of the newspaper...
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The Final Intimacy by Melissa Cross
Rest in Peace...?...
The Reversal by Melissa Cross
This story is loosely based on my experiences working with a self-defense training program. While the narrator definitely reflects my own voice and perceptions, the rest of the characters and situatio...
To My R. by Melissa Cross
Six years after he took her into his home, I took her out. Some might have called the arrangement callous......
Special Delivery by Melissa Cross
This is the first "Around the Bonfire" tale.
"Around the Bonfire" is an online community for collaborative ventures in storytelling. Where this story goes from here is up to you! Visit the l...
The Muse's New Drill by Melissa Cross
Frustrated with the negligible results of traditional methods, the Muse tries a new approach....
Elizabeth's Treason by Melissa Cross
"Do I have to remind you? She''s a liar, and she''s cheating," Mike snapped. "And I''m going to prove it."...
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Poetry
Dessert by Melissa Cross
A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thee... ah, but if only thou knewest......
Haggle by Melissa Cross
Another poet once told me that the secret to writing poetry is asking questions. I woke up with this one on my mind....
The Scales of My Defiance by Melissa Cross
This image from a meditation has been brewing for a while. It doesn't feel finished yet (isn't *that* ironic, given the subject), but I wanted to post it anyway. Would love your feedback....
De Moi... by Melissa Cross
I am recovering from a malady that has robbed me of sleep for a few weeks. Mornings are still a bit rough, kinda like this......
If I Could Be by Melissa Cross
Fellow Den member Felix Perry has penned a lovely poem, "You Are", in response to the questions I played with here. I''ve posted a link to his site below. Please give it a read; I hope you are as tou...
Cosmic Double by Melissa Cross
Sheer midnight whimsy, formless save for a 6-line skeleton....
September First by Melissa Cross
Strictly my impressions today from remembering this date in history, when Hitler invaded Poland. It''s so quiet out today......
The Wardrobe by Melissa Cross
"What to wear today?" Ah, the possibilities are endless.
This was another recent late night whimsy... which, like "Cosmic Double", also ended up in 6-line stanzas....
Catastrophe by Melissa Cross
A friend who is very close to my heart got hurt today. My heart''s in pieces for her....
Hearts by Melissa Cross
Ironically, the last image in this poem is the one that came to me first... go figure. I guess that''s my work experiene talking.
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Tales for Our Times by Melissa Cross
As If by Melissa Cross
An ode to my years in a Methodist congregation. These images came to me with the voice of a valley girl in my ear. Sublime... blasphemous... or just plain ridiculous?
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What Would Fezziwig Do? by Melissa Cross
In this holiday of light in the darkness, when people are stressed to the breaking point, I stop and ask myself this question quite often. Happy holidays!...
Flirt by Melissa Cross
A simple reflection on why I write. How about you?
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Downpour (haiku) by Melissa Cross
Thoughts for a gray, soggy day......
The Gossip Monger by Melissa Cross
I don''t try my hand at haikus very often, but... ...
Patriotism (haikus) by Melissa Cross
Whatever your views... the political name calling is getting exhausting out there....
Pests by Melissa Cross
We recently discovered, to our astonishment, a family of rats living in the wood pile behind our yard. There are no sources of food back there whatsoever, so we figure the only thing they could possi...
Hate Poker by Melissa Cross
This one overtook me from nowhere. Thanks, Muse.
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Longing by Melissa Cross
It''s another late night here on the homestead. I blame the margaritas... this is a very particular mood tinged tequila, swirling around a distant memory.
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Words I'm Selling by Melissa Cross
I find that freelance writing can be the most delicious torture. On the one hand, it brings the huge gratification of getting paid for one’s very own prose. On the other hand, trying to tell someone e...
SUPERLATIVES by Melissa Cross
More "musings" about the mystifying vocabulary of relationships....
Float by Melissa Cross
The weirdest mental journey overtook me in my car as I was returning from vacation. This is my attempt to capture it....
Once Upon a Life by Melissa Cross
Working on a fairy tale today (coming soon), I couldn''t help but be amused by the differences between the world I imagine on paper and the world I imagine around me.
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Chariots by Melissa Cross
Musings from the highway......
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Articles
Seeing Red by Melissa Cross
Would you tell the Reverend Al Sharpton that he looks really brown today?...
Rescue Me! by Melissa Cross
Meet our new girl, Cori, and the fabulous rescue team that made it possible for her to come home witth us.
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My Rekindled Fetish by Melissa Cross
Whips and chains be damned... I''ve got a more thrilling perversion....
Partisan Summer by Melissa Cross
This is intended to be a lighthearted commentary on life around our nation’s capital, with a stray fact thrown in here and there.
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Walking Wisely in the World: A Guide to Practical Self-Defense Strategies by Melissa Cross
This article describes a simple framework for enhancing personal safety in everything you do....
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Links
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| PREDICATE: a literary magazine
My story "Paper Girl" was recently published here.
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Contact
Information
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