Dark Dream

There is a storm coming. The sky is dark with clouds. We are running for shelter – some haven I cannot see. I stretch out my hand to you. You take it – hesitantly at first – but then you squeeze tightly.

We run – breathless in the gathering gloom – through tall grass, as the wind rises in our faces.

I turn and try to say your name, but no words emerge. Something in the grass catches my eye. I stop to see and it's already behind me. I release your hand and walk back to find pens on the ground…my pens. I sense you calling out to me. I look at your face, your mouth is moving, but I hear nothing.

I retrieve my pens and see papers spread out on the ground. They are not blowing in the wind, but entangled in the grass.

They are my papers…my words written for you. I feel panic grow within me as I try to grab them, collecting them before they disappear. Schoolboys in gray uniforms stand nearby, laughing at my efforts. They aren't running – only pointing and calling me a fool.

A cold, hard rain begins to fall. I turn to look for you, and you're gone…

yPad - the Latest Technological Innovation

Recently, a friend of mine suggested that if a patron of the arts were to bestow upon her an Apple iPad, it would help to "enhance her writing." My initial thought was, "If you need technology to 'enhance' your writing, perhaps there is a deeper issue with your work."

Cruel? Perhaps; but not intentionally so. My only meaning is: if the words, the rhythm, the rhyme, etc., aren't there to begin with, all the high-priced, cutting-edge technology in the world isn't going to truly help your work.

Despite my doubts, I set out upon a quest for a tool to help my friend. I have, Gentle Readers, succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. Below are images of the latest technological innovation for writers of every age and ability.