Raphael's Village

Another contributor with exciting news to share! Editors

Regular contributor Bruce J. Berger announces the publication of the third in a series of linked story collections, TO HIDE IN ATHENS,  in which the short story "Therapy" -- first published here at Raphael's Village -- appears. The three stories preceding "Therapy" are set in World War II Greece and track the life of a young Jewish boy -- Nikki Covo -- whose family must send him into hiding with an Orthodox Christian priest to save him from the Nazis.

Get your copy of TO HIDE IN ATHENS from Amazon.com!

A very moving story from a new contributor about one aspect of every parent's worst nightmare. Fiction Editor

How to Kill Time in a Waiting Room, by Amanda Heffernan

First, you pray.

Lean forward a little in the plastic seat, eyes closed, hands clasped. Pray to Jesus or Allah or Brahma or whoever, and just beg that higher power to help your five year old kid through this. You worry about his brain and heart and spine and lungs and everything that’s keeping him alive, worry about his toes and freckles and eyelashes. You feel lost inside your own head, inside your own body, and for a minute you forget who or where you are, because all you focus on is the image of your son, lying crumpled in the street. And then, you feel guilty, and you stop praying, because you know that no God would answer the prayers of someone as thoughtless and stupid and fundamentally horrible as you.

A cute children's story from a new contributor with a funny, but still important, lesson for all -- don't judge a bug by it's manners. Humor Editor

The No So Ladylike Ladybug, by Allyn Stotz

“Look at me. I reached the top of the fence,” yelled Grasshopper.

“Burrr—ppp.” Ladybug belched.

A cute poem about special little things from one of our newer contributors. Poetry Editor

Mother and Thee, by Stuart Leventhal

A lovely children's story about Purim. No, you don't see this every day, but that's one of the reasons we like it. Fiction Editor (For those not in the know, Purim is the holiday that celebrates the Jewish peoples' escape from annihilation.)

Benji's Mask, by KJ Hannah Greenberg

Benji Brown was very excited. His family was excited, too.

A thoughtful piece about choices from a new contributor. We think you'll enjoy this as much as we did. Fiction Editor

The Substance of Things Hoped For, by Salvatore T. Falco

Twenty five men crowded the model house’s unfinished living room, peering at a tiny black-and-white television. The tarp someone had rigged over the big front window to cut the glare from the Florida sun kept falling, and lousy reception filled the screen with static. Eric squinted to find the Apollo 11 command module bobbing in the Pacific Ocean. When the picture started to roll, Eric scowled. Someone slapped him on the shoulder hard enough to make him stumble sideways.

A solemn meditation on life and the meaning of death by one of our regular contributors. Poetry Editor

Child Descending, by Richard Hartwell

At the front of the church sleeps a child,
Estranged from any sin,
Sepulchered in a tiny white coffin,
Unaware of the masses of mourners.

A new story from one of our favorite contributors. We guarantee you'll never look at clouds and rain the same way. Fiction Editor

The Weatherman, by Marianne Celano

For the other boys in my class, he was a target for teasing and humiliation: a simpleton who spouted foolishness and couldn’t keep up, a reminder of their towering superiority. For me, he was a curiosity, a gentle soul with mysterious words of wisdom. Ultimately, however, I rejected him like the others did, but for a very different reason.

A moving story that reminds us -- sometimes it's not only the patient who heals, and all people come into our lives for a reason. Fiction Editor

Therapy, by Bruce J. Berger

He waits for her nervously, yearning for a cigarette, but has stopped and so must be content drumming his fingers on the desk. He wonders at this nervousness. Even as a medical student, he approached each crisis calmly. As a psychiatry resident, he was known for steadiness under pressure. But for some reason, Adel’s imminent arrival has shot adrenalin into his veins. He does not understand why his colleague suggested that he take over Adel’s one-on-one therapy.

Another reflective little ditty from one of our regular contributors. Poetry Editor

The Hall of My Life, by Richard Hartwell

Another delightful fable from one of our newer contributors about doing for and giving credit, and a reminder that kindness and generosity benefit the giver as well as the given. Fiction Editor

Old Man with a Broken Walking Stick, by Tom Sheehan

It was where the Dark Forest runs out of breath, not far from Xi Shuang Ban Na, and the Lan Cang River, pretending to be a thief, steals much of daylight’s silver. Here one morning, an elderly man with a broken walking stick came out of the forest and went along the river gathering its coin. He wore a cap for the weather and a jacket Time had touched roughly. And he limped.

A powerful story about renewal, redemption, and the power of patient love and belief from a new contributor. Fiction Editor

The Initiation, by Tod Connor

After leaving El Paso, Anthony was hoping to find a tribe of kindred souls out there in the wide wide world. But he came up empty handed. Most of the homeless kids he ran into, from the Boston harbor all the way to San Francisco’s Golden Gate, were pretty screwed up. So he decided to give up on the cities. It was early summer when he found himself propped up against a huge piece of driftwood somewhere on the wild, windswept coast of Mendocino. And it was there that he met Calvin.

A poem about life's choices by a new contributor. Poetry Editor

Three's a Crowd, by Stuart Leventhal

A clever and charming set of A-B-Cs for young and old alike from one of our regular contributors. Poetry Editor

ABC's of Grandparents, by Richard Hartwell

A heartfelt piece about love and forgiveness from a new contributor. We guarantee a lump in your throat by the time you're done. Fiction Editor

A Rose for Karen, by Ethel Lee-Miller

ST. PATRICK’S DAY
I tapped on the door and entered the quiet room. Karen looked up from her journal. Smiling, she slipped the notebook into the bedside dresser drawer. My heart gave a small thump at the smile she gave me. I still can’t get over this. My daughter smiling, lifting her head for my kiss on her forehead. How many kisses had gone ungiven? How many times was she waiting for that kiss and I wasn’t there?

A fable with a good message for all, from a new contributor we think you'll enjoy as much as we do. Fiction Editor

The Boy with a Crooked Mouth, by Tom Sheehan

It was never what he said, The Boy with a Crooked Mouth, but how he said it, the way he sneered and looked down at people, at people who did menial tasks. He looked down at maids, drivers, sheep ranchers and even firemen when there was no fire. He had little use for landscapers and log splitters, men who froze ice cream, men who climbed poles to put up wires or women who spent long hours making clothes for other people.

Another contributor with exciting news to share! Editors

Richard (Rick) Hartwell would like to announce the publication of his novella, "Flashbacks," as the featured piece in Burnt Bridge's D-Day issue, "Those Who Served."  This issue is in honor of the allied forces of World War II and features work regarding different experiences and perspectives on military service from several different periods in recent history.  This issue may be purchased through Burnt Bridge, http://burntbridge.net/.

A charming poem from one of our regular contributors. Poetry Editor

Grandma's Glasses, by Richard Hartwell

A thoughtful, dreamy poem about nature, choice, and inevitability from one of our regular contributors. Poetry Editor 

Conscious Volition, by Richard Hartwell

Slow drips of water fall from moss-covered eaves,
Saturating earth resplendent with luxuriant growth.
New grasses struggle, shouldering aside older,
Taller, stronger, more robust, but less supple blades;
Give and take of young mirrored everywhere in nature.

A cute tale from one of our younger contributors, and a reminder to all to use the dictionary whenever possible. Editors

The Lexiconical Tale of Index Jones, by Kayla Bashe

Once upon a time, a little bald man named Index Jones lived in a dictionary. He felt quite content with his life, for he loved to sort and categorize words. Whenever children opened the dictionary -- a schoolroom contained Index’s home -- he’d pop up like a jack-in-the-box and help them find the right entry or definition. But then, sometime during the 1990s, with the rise of the internet, a terrible event occurred.