Eugene (P.S.)

Hullo, dearest Writers and Readers,

It’s Tati. (Yeah, I’m still here and can speak too. Shocking news, isn’t it?)

Usually I prefer to stay backstage at Unbolt Me, hiding in my cozy, dark corner and letting Tony shine onstage to bask in the warmness of your love. But please, don’t think I’m indifferent to what happens here. I do care.

You can be sure that every day I open WP Admin with bated breath and fingers crossed. I bite my nails, in a state, wondering if you’ll love our newest post or hate it. I read every single comment. Do you still read and support us? Do you still want us here?

Well… Honestly, when I was writing Eugene I didn’t expect such great feedback. I thought it was just another story, just the next post on Unbolt Me. I was wrong.

Let me wholeheartedly thank all of you for every like, comment, and reblog. I felt your emotions and was truly moved by your sincere concern. That’s why I decided to write this post. I thought it would be churlish of me to keep you in the dark about this story. I decided to lift the curtain over Eugene and answer some of the questions that were brought up in the comments section.

Okay, so here we are…

Q: What I want to say to you I’m not sure you’d take well so I’m not saying it.

A: Hmmm… Why not, Crystal? Please, don’t hold it inside. I promise not to bite you.

Q: Great story, true, or not, or ‘based on’…

A: Dear Alli, this is a real story. I adorned it with some artistic details, but you can be sure that all characters and events are entirely true.

Q: You can’t leave us hanging like that! Did you meet him again?

A: Yes, Tanushka. I saw Eugene a couple of times after this. Once I saw how he walks. It really drags at the heartstrings. He’s so stripped to the bone, so weak. I doubt he can even stand without his crutches, not to mention walk.

Q: Did you ever speak to the man again?

A: Unfortunately no, Cher. I wanted to stop, but something prevented me every time. In the last few weeks Eugene hasn’t been sitting in his usual place—I think because it’s getting colder. I hope to meet him again.

Q: I hope Eugene keeps doing his embroidery for a long time.

A: Dear Kat and Ellie, I sincerely hope he will! He has a splendid talent.

Q: I’m sure Eugene is an inspiration for many people.

A: Katharine, I’m with you on this. At the very least, he inspired me to write this story. And it looks like it has inspired many people who have read this story. It makes me so happy!

Q: Maybe Eugene is a supernatural geezer as well.

A: I can bet, Artie, that he is!

P.S. The photo of Eugene in the original post was my own. I was a bit too shy to take it openly, even after we’d had a conversation. I stepped aside, pretended to look for something in my phone, and took some sneaky shots like a coward. Sorry, Eugene.

by TETIANA ALEKSINA
© All rights reserved 2017

wordsworth’s revisitant

pruning and gnawing at the gyrus of my numbed mind
a shadow enters the room, and it sits behind
it grinds a mudded heel into sheer night’s tail
filling my head with a gluey fairy-tale

it takes away the caulking gun from my ear
claps on my shoulder, asks with barefaced jeer
“are you dreaming of being a writer, you silly boy?
headache, restless nights, burnout enjoy!”

by TETIANA ALEKSINA
© All rights reserved 2017

Water Cure

“Drink.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Drink, I say! You look very thirsty.”

“But… Hey, what are you doing?!”

Streams of water pour on me. I try to face away… I try to cry foul… but my voice drowns in the streams.

“Drink!”

I splutter. I cough. A gray dusty clot, almost weightless, lays inside my empty head. Dehydrated words are tied in a bunch like Chinese tea.

“Drink!”

I choke. I’m full of water. The words start to spin in the whirlpool and swell. The words take shape and color. The gray dusty clot unfolds inside my head… blossoms… and slowly fills the entire space. Now there’s nothing except a big moist poem here. My head is full of the poem, like a tiny teapot with beautiful blooming tea.

“Well, my girl… Now… do you realize how much you were thirsty?”

“Screw you…”

I wipe my wet face and cuss mildly. She smiles and says something… but I don’t listen to her. I open my laptop. WP Admin, Posts, Add New…

by TETIANA ALEKSINA 
© All rights reserved 2015

Thank You!

It’s happiness and pride for every writer to get grateful and skilled readers, to inspire them, to encourage them for their own oeuvre. Honestly, when we started our trilogy, we didn’t expect such amazing feedback.

We were overwhelmed when we got such a brilliant spin-off of the first installment Bastet, a heartwarming and intimate story called Triune-Heartby Madam Marmoset. The second part Sekhmet was awarded with a colorful and daring dilogy In the Corner with Maftet in Bubastisby Jonathan Noble.

There are mixed feelings when you watch how your characters move out of your control; it’s a delightful mix of envy and pride. You try to guess their next step, and fail gladly. You want to predict the next twist, but you want even more than that to be surprised. It’s like laying an egg again. You never know what’s going to be inside. Bliss!

We always publish our guest posts with special feelings. We celebrate every new ‘like’ and every warm comment. We’re both very proud and happy.

Thank you, dear community, dear Writers and Readers, friends! Thank you!

Yours ever,
Tati & Tony

by TETIANA ALEKSINA
© All rights reserved 2015

GUEST POST // Aponi (for Tetiana “Tati” Aleksina) by Gregory Waits, Jr.

It’s so immodest, isn’t it? Sorry, guys… I couldn’t help it.
It’s too beautiful to be hidden. Thank you, Greg… Ayor anosh’ni
(Yes… Aponi… Now you know one of my nicknames.)

1.rainbow-butterfly-md

a thin branch full of leaves sanguine.
there’s a breeze. take flight
to do a fluttering
dance among the flowers
for the sun and random eyes.

2.

joy
is a hibernating bear
rising from dormancy
with a hungry smile
for a metamorphosis.

3.rainbow-butterfly-md1

imagination’s
a caterpillar
crawling
along borders,
across lakes, oceans
where we meet,
inspiring and merging
creative words,
sounds
and images.

4.rainbow-butterfly-md

have you been
to the parties
in Mexico, Zaire,
New Zealand
and Central Asia
to Native America
where the Hopi’s
and
Navajo’s
were dancing for you
as single girls
don
hairstyles
in your image
for suitors?

5.rainbow-butterfly-md1

nature
carved your wings of awe,
with your mind and heart
splashing them
with colors of delight:
lime and orange
with specks
of black and rouge,
an exquisite
sight to see.
small.
delicate.rainbow-butterfly-md
but a bit stronger
than first glances
assumed.

6.

so go on
fly on
let those wings
sing
a mid-summer song.

7.rainbow-butterfly-md1

go on fly on
i swear
there’s some drab places
in need
of your presence.

by GREGORY WAITS JR.
© All rights reserved 2015