1. The Poet and his Muse


    Date: 10/24/2015, Categories: Love Stories, Author: Sisyphus, Rating: 6, Source: LushStories

    for his second book, The Hole in the Wall and fifteen years since receiving the National Book Award for his fifth book, The Hills of Shangri la. Five years lapsed before his sixth and final book On Extended Wings was published ten years ago with little notice. He recognized he was being replaced by the next generation of poets who were now the darling of the literary magazines and the critics for the New York Review of Books and the New Yorker. No longer was he mentioned or published or invited for one or two year positions as Poet in Residence at various universities. Now, he was a reclusive poet in the woods, living on social security, writing everyday and wondering what, if anything, would become of all the new poems he had written. Not many poets were writing sonnets these days or cared about traditional forms. Jason finished his oatmeal and was rinsing out the bowl when he heard Oscar bark and saw a red Saab drive up and park next to his rusting green pick-up truck. Through their e-mail messages, he had learned she was thirty-five, had entered graduate school ten years after finishing second in her class at Dartmouth, but that was it. All of their conversations had been purely professional up until six or so weeks earlier when the tone had changed slightly. And now, here she was, suddenly showing up. Why? Jason stood on his small porch while Oscar, barking, ran down the long, winding path towards her. Allison got out and waved over the roof of her car, then leaned ...
    back in to get her red backpack, her laptop satchel and a briefcase. He could see she was small with long, dark hair, but that was all until she started walking up the path. Now, he could see she was a slender woman wearing snug, faded jeans, cowboy boots, a long green, unbuttoned flannel shirt that covered a black turtleneck. She waved again as she made her way up the path, then knelt down to pet Oscar who was still barking. When she stepped up on the porch, she looked around at her surroundings, took a deep breath of relief that she had arrived, then reached out to shake Jason’s hand. “Bet you’re surprised to see me.” “You can say that again.” Jason said sarcastically, barely able to hide his annoyance, but was struck by the smallness of her hand in his. Her blue eyes sparkled. Dimples formed when she smiled. Her high cheekbones, olive skin and long, dark curly hair gave her a somewhat wild, exotic look. “So, what are you doing here?” He stood tensely in front of the closed screen door, glaring and attempting to suppress his anger by taking a deep breath. Jason liked to think of himself as a person who could “go with the flow,” but Allison's sudden appearance not only angered him, but now, seeing how lovely she was, only added to his conflict. “I know it was crazy. I can’t explain it. I just wanted to be here. I know you’re upset with me just showing up.” “Well, you’re here, so I better get used to it.” Jason held the screen door open. “You might as well come in.” When they ...
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