Ashes

I'm not a Scholar. I'm not a Philosopher. I'm not even a writer. To be perfectly honest the art of reading and writing never really captivated me longer than a random summer twilight in the second grade, or the days when I fell a prisoner to a beautiful winter storm guarding the bars of my small Wisconsin home. I do ,however, hold the fondest memories of leaning against the knees hidden under my Oma's skirt, listening to her read the words of Ralph Moody. Or recite her own crazy adventures of a girl conceived by Dutch Jew smugglers in the aftermath of World War II. I suppose the heritage and the wisdom that could be reaped from my older generation, fascinated me. And created an atmosphere that  felt much more important than the birth and discovery of my own . The art of reading and especially writing has never captivated me. Until now. I'm not a Scholar. I'm not a Philosopher. I'm not even a Writer, but I pray these short stories and poems my Father lays upon my heart to write, will keep the small flame of my history burning and ultimately bring glory to him.