Cleve Taylor
Bio
Published author of three books: Ricky Pardue US Marshal, A Collection of Cleve's Short Stories and Poems, and Johnny Duwell and the Silver Coins, all available in paperback and e-books on Amazon. Over 160 Vocal.media stories and poems.
Stories (164)
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Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time Bedtime stories feature prominently in the development of your child. It is there that they get their first introduction to literature dealing with life’s issues, right and wrong, good and bad, happy and sad, and challenges and victories. Mother Goose, in a large book collection of rhymes and tales, was the “go to” book when my children were young. Ma Goose was supplemented by Dr. Seuss, of whom I am personally a fan.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Families
Can You Hear Me Now
Can You Hear Me Now? A Modern Bedside Tale There weren't always dragons in the Valley. But there were now, Sightings of them in the Alps had increased over the years, but they were not on the minds of the good people of Rothenburg as they entered Christmas Holiday festivities and the city began to look even more like a Christmas card.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
The Actress
Introduction: This bedtime story, The Actress, was originally written for my two daughters, both pre-schoolers at the time. A year or so later, I put it, along with three poems, into two file binders, one for each of my daughters to have. A few months ago, a half century later, my daughter found her copy and read it aloud to her husband and reminded me of what it had meant to her. I share with you my daughter’s copy of ---
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
Burn Baby Burn
Burn Baby Burn Of course history repeats itself. Apparently those genetically endowed with the ability to see and understand this are seldom in a position to do anything about it. “Some history is so egregious that under no circumstance should it ever be allowed to happen again,“ Berry thought to herself, as the blistering heat from the bonfire of burning books threatened her and the cheers from the buffoons who were gleefully feeding the flames with texts and novels rang in her ears.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
Hello LaLaLand
Hello LaLa Land I would imagine that at some point just about everyone experiences a social or cultural disconnect. I will admit to several such incidents over the course of years, but only one does not require a memory search, for it occasionally pops up on its own accord. On its own, not a big deal. To understand why it resonates with me requires a little background information.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Humans
Intervention
Intervention Chowchow, nicknamed for the cabbage relish he dearly loved, kissed his good luck charm, a silver heart shaped locket that had belonged to his wife, now deceased some seven years. He powered up the shuttle Moonbeam and prepared for liftoff. Whatever his load was, it must be pretty damn important to get him out of bed at midnight, moon time, and pay him triple his normal wage to ferry whatever it was to the space station circling the earth.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
Surviving by the Lake
Surviving by the Lake Clifford and his ten year old granddaughter rested on a bed of pine needles under a big Southern pine tree up the slope leading down to Caney Lake. Cliff had opted to stay behind when his seventy year old body couldn’t keep up the pace of the six younger people in his group as they looked for food or tools overlooked by scavengers who had come through before them.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
Bye Y'All
Bye, Y’all Cryogenics was not Rachel's field of research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Her specialty was pediatric oncology, and she was lead researcher on a study of triggers for childhood cancers hoping that better understanding of those triggers could lead to effective interventions to forestall the disease. But today Rachel was across from NIH at the National Library of Medicine accessing all the information they had on cryogenics.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
The Phoenix Variant
The Phoenix Variant House mice are all pretty much the same, so I will call this all important mouse, "Mouse". On this particular day Mouse was foraging for food in the waste from the Phoenix Veteran's Administration Hospital when she came upon a tasty bit. Unfortunately, this tasty bit was tainted with the Covid-19 virus, which had come from an unlucky veteran who had served his country in Korea only to meet his demise from a virus invisible to the human eye.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
AI Topia
AI Topia There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Today those few that are left sleep quietly deep within the caves of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today mankind has far more to fear from science than they ever had to fear from fire breathing carnivorous flying reptiles.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
Procreation
Procreation Birth characteristics are no longer a matter of chance in the 2070s. In these days of manipulation of the human genome, bad DNA has been filtered out, and better or different DNA added to embryos so that the Government HR (Human Resources) Administration can ensure the appropriate mix of people to keep the country running at full efficiency. The HRA can create just the right number of scientists, athletes, drone workers, and artists by clicking on a few icons and sending algorithms to the many cloning and embryo development centers around the country.
By Cleve Taylor 5 years ago in Fiction
