My Cardboard Balcony

Day at the Beach by Belinda Roddie A bronze seagull settled in the sand across from the castle Amy had built. I call it bronze because its feathers caught gold dust on ebony sleeves, and for a moment, I found the bird beautiful. Then when the ocean foam had eaten the majestic palace with salty lips, I dried Amy's salty eyes and saw beautiful bronze in her curls beneath the magenta sun.

An old Irishman deserved a slap in the face, so a slap he received at the Brazen Head one February evening. From his daughter, no less. She had been kissing her boyfriend after he had played a sweet ballad for her on his banjo. The drunkard father, bless his sore heart, had broken the banjo strings in response, cussing out the poor lad until his face went as red as his hair. The slap sent the Irishman keeling over his bar stool, where he landed right into a lonely lady's lap. And thus the love story began.