The Bent Wobbly Mailbox

A Story for my Dear Sister 

There was a bent wobbly mailbox on a little street tucked away in the village. Despite it being well-worn and much used, the mailbox served its owner well. The owner, a woman who lived on this tucked away street, was wise and resourceful. She received many things in the bent wobbly mailbox and made wondrously beautiful gifts with what she received.

She made gifts for birds and other creatures with bits and pieces of cloth, string, and yarn. The pieces of cloth often were fashioned into lovely, warm quilts for folks in the village who felt cold in the winter months. Yarn was made into hats, scarves, and mittens for the same people who otherwise would suffer. She left these warm creations on shrubs throughout the village for anyone to take.

People who were ill would find the quilts on their doorstep left there secretly by the woman. The people of the village never knew where all these gifts came from. The birds and other creatures knew her secret but told no one even if they were pets in the village households. Their masters did not know the source of all the beautifully crafted gifts. There would be tweeting and twittering, barking and meowing in hilarity by the birds and other creatures because of the village folks lack of knowing.

The woman had a purpose knowing she was doing good for her village. The bent wobbly mailbox gave her a never ending supply of all she ever needed. It had a purpose, too. You might say this is magic and I think you might be right. Who knew there could be so much love in the woman’s bent wobbly mailbox?

Doc's Skeleton Story

 - A Story Told to Me by Doc Conklin -

Doc worked as a night watchman for a time at Ithaca Hospital while attending Cornell University to become a veterinarian. On his rounds of the hospital one night he discovered some cigarette butts and empty beer bottles in an uppermost attic. He immediately had concerns about someone smoking cigarettes there due to the hazard of fire.

He made a plan to find out who was doing this and how to stop the trespassers from continuing this behavior. The next night he made a hiding place for himself behind where he had found the evidence of trespassing. He quietly waited.

Two men showed up and made themselves comfortable to enjoy drinking some beer and smoking. As Doc observed this, he took hold of a skeleton stored near where he hid. It was in storage for use in classes at the hospital. Gleefully, Doc shook the skeleton hard and with enthusiasm. In his words, Doc described the two men jumping up and ran “hellbent for election.” 

According to Doc, they never came back and the problem was solved; a true example of Doc’s sense of humor and resourcefulness.

A Poem

The exotic bird
Bright with a show of
lime, fuchsia, azure
shivers at the feeder.
He's escaped from
the cage
and his old one
who clucks and pats
and coos, in his warm
home of
seed plenty, water
fresh, place clean.

He's chilled at the feeder
with the blowing and sharpness
of a wind that will
not send him back to
his old one,
nor comfort her.

Chickadees and
sparrows bow to him,
pecking, bobbing;
not knowing, ever,
what is cage;
not knowing, ever,
what is lost.