Washougal Writers

Writing from the Heart, an Amherst Writers and Artists Group,               Facilitated by William Caldwell 12 - 2017 SPEAK GENTLY,             David Bates Speak gently, – it is better far             To rule by love than fear; Speak gently, – let not harsh words mar             The good we might do here. Speak gently, – love does whisper low, The vows that true hearts bind; And gentle friendship’s accents flow, –             Affection’s voice is kind. Speak gently, - to the little child, Its love be sure to fain; Teach it in accents soft and mild – It may not long remain. Speak gently to the young, for they             Will have enough to bear; Pass through this life as best they may,             ‘T is full of anxious care. Speak gently to the aged Ones –             Grieve not the care-worn heart; Their sands of life are nearly run,             Let such in peace depart. Speak gently, kindly to the poor,             L

White Face,  William Caldwell            a flash memoir  I’m on my way to interview Frankie Randle. She is an Aid to the Disabled client of my colleague Bob. I cover for him when he is out of the office. When he gets a call she is in the lobby asking for him, Bob’s usual smile slouches to a grimace. He groans; picks up his note pad and releases a long, thick breath that wants to unravel the tapestry of his chest. Slumping past rows of desks and across the office, he trudges down three flights of stairs to the interview room. On his return, he usually wears a deeper slouch along with a thin, sour, scowl. Although my desk is next to his, I never listen to Bob’s debrief with the boss to get any details. The one time I do ask about her, he scoffs, raises his eyebrows, gives me a blank face and turns to stare out the window, searching for a glimpse of the placid bay, I expect. Since Bob is on vacation, it’s my turn. When the call comes, I rub my chin, grab a pencil and note pad,

I've created this blog in Blogger, a Google blog site, for simplicity and ease of access. There's an email address associated with the blog, and I think it should be managed by William, our leader. If he declines, I'll manage it, and you can email to washougalwriters@gmail.com . Please bookmark or save this site so you can find it easily: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8041110044113715726#allposts . I'll email you all the password for the blog, so you can post directly if you like. If not, just email me your post at either the address above or to peggy.coquet@gmail.com, and I'll post it for you after a quick copy edit. Please don't make me type it in! I have some time, but not much ability with typing. With permission from William, I'll also post the writing prompts for each session.