Barb Dukeman
Bio
I have three books published on Amazon if you want to read more. I have shorter pieces (less than 600 words at https://barbdukeman.substack.com/. Subscribe today if you like what you read here or just say Hi.
Achievements (13)
Stories (198)
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The Change That Happens Later In Life
Her hand in mine. Holding on tightly The six of us continued looking at the machine with the numbers, watching, waiting. Top number was the heart rate; below that were other numbers: blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiration. The glowing digits in the darkened room changed every moment as the tendrils of tubes measured the last bits of my mother’s life. An hour earlier, I had jokingly bet which number would reach zero first – respiration. I would be right.
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Families
Eulogy for Barb Dukeman in the event she dies from COVID because she was forced to go back to school, late summer 2020
You might as well get comfortable because she wrote her own Eulogy. SHE. WAS. AN. ENGLISH. TEACHER. That means you’re getting her last lesson, and those typically ran 45 minutes. Listen carefully because there will be a quiz at the end. She starts off with a super silly ditty she remembered as the first poem she ever memorized:
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Humans
The Three Wishes
Terry’s favorite was always macaroni and cheese, but only the Kraft Deluxe brand with the dinosaur shapes. He could eat that golden goodness three times a day. His parents, however, felt he needed more balanced nutrition. For most other children, the introduction of new foods is slow but usually successful. Eva and Greg tried everything they could to entice him to try a carrot, but he just gave it to his brother.
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Families
Salt Life
Jimmy Buffet wrote, “Mother, Mother Ocean/I have heard your call.” Well, I’ve finally been asked, “Why do you always end up at the beach? Your Facebook posts are all on the sand.” I’ve tried to resist saying, “Why not?” and instead, I’ll attempt to explain why “moonlit walks along the beach” is not just a cliché in my world.
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Wander
Liberty Theater
There were many stories about the Liberty Theater in the center of small town. Closed for decades, it remained standing, its ornate frontispiece a state landmark. The other stores and pubs on the street were streamlined and modern, and the theater seemed out of place and time. The lights if the building remained on, a nod to an old superstition about always keeping a light on in the theater so ghosts can conduct their own plays. Actors were one of the most superstitious groups. The only other groups as superstitious were mariners and athletes.
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Fiction
The Black Cat
Each year thousands of black cats languish in animal shelters because of the bad luck with which they’re associated. For centuries, witches having black cats had become fodder for stories and movies. In fact, many shelters ban the adoption of black cats in October because cats become targets for abuse and worse. Jennifer had always wanted a black cat and feared she’d be alone again this Halloween. She grew up with animals - dogs, cats, birds – but living on her own, having a pet was expensive.
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Fiction
Window Decoration
Lily walked confidently up the sidewalk, her resume in hand after searching for weeks for a job. She knew the CEO of the company from her college networking, and it was an easy short-term job for the Halloween season; this might give her the possibility of working permanently. Dressing the window with holiday décor to lure shoppers would be fun and give her an outlet for her creative energy.
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Fiction
Day of the Dandelion
A little girl, running through a field, unchaperoned and free, felt the soft sun on her face, and the fresh air catch her up in a swirl. Her loose smock dress with cabbage roses and lilies, and wild unkempt hair flew around her, joining with the nature around her. Wildflowers and weeds around her, she tiptoed and pirouetted through the open field. For a short cage of time, she was allowed to play outside, barefoot, feeling the dirt and the weeds under her toes. She spun around and then fell, tired and dizzy from her personal merry-go-round. It was such a change from school and being in the house doing homework the rest of the time.
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Fiction
Faces of Future
The screens flashed at midnight as they sat in the dimmed room. “Happy New Year!” The girls of Iota Delta Iota Omicron Tau raised their glasses of sparkling cider as they celebrated the arrival of 2069. Banti77, 4Donna4, and Kar3n stayed in a room at their sacred sorority house on the campus of The University of Mid Southwest Coastal Florida. As part of this sisterhood, they shared holidays and many conversations about the past and the future.
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Fiction
Rebuilding the Earth
“I’ve done so much and so little at the same time,” Paul said to his son Gordon. “I’ve been respected and vilified, praised and maligned.” He swirled the lemon in his tea. “I’m stuck in this gray area. I’ve made billions, but my charity work isn’t enough.”
By Barb Dukeman4 years ago in Earth
