Carma Spence – Page 19 – Carma Spence, Writer & Author

Aroma of Coffee

By Carma SpenceOctober 5, 2007Short Storiescoffee, mundane fiction

The irony of it all — the very first short story I got published isn’t much like the body of my work. It is a piece of “mundane” fiction; not speculative fiction.

CoffeeBeanShop.com held a short-story competition with the theme “The Smell of Coffee.” This was my entry. I made it in the top 25.

Sally couldn’t drink coffee, but she loved the smell. So much so that each morning before work she would have breakfast in the coffee shop on the first floor of the building at which she worked.

She would arrive shortly after they had opened, to experience the slow, dreamy awakening of the rich, spicy, coffee aroma. She would order her usual blueberry scone with a regular-sized cup of hot cocoa and cozy into the corner reading a mystery or science fiction novel.

Some days, Sally would have lunch at the coffee shop, too. She called it her “mid-day fix.” Her usual repast was a pizza bagel or turkey sandwich accompanied by a cup of herbal tea, for caffeine was a nemesis to her system. It made her feel tired, and if she drank too much it made her stomach acidy and also gave her a headache, similar to a hangover, but without the pleasurable buzz beforehand.

(more…)

Momentary Freedom from Gravity

By Carma SpenceOctober 1, 2007Snippetsfantasy, flying, magic realism

The following is a snippet from my writing journal. I wrote it while walking home from class one day when I was attending University of Maryland College Park. “I want to be a bird!” she cried. “A seabird! A seagull!” She stretched her arms out and ran. She ran with […]

Release

By Carma SpenceSeptember 29, 2007Poetry1983, crying, sorrow, tears

This poem, an English class assignment when I was a Junior in High School, was eventually published, at the cost of $35, in the American Poetry Anthology 1986 — my first published poem. It was written in 1983. A tear is a bird set free from its cage of sorrow. […]

Now I Know Why

By Carma SpenceSeptember 27, 2007Poetry1992, banshee, loss, sorrow

This poem, published at poetry.com, was written in 1992 after finding out a friend of mine got together with someone I had had a crush on for a long time. I was O.K. with it but it still hurt. This poem was part of my healing process. Now I know […]

Love Blooms Slowly

By Carma SpenceSeptember 25, 2007Poetry1992, enfatuation, love

This poem, published at poetry.com, was written in 1992 in response to someone I was gradually falling in love with. We had had a discussion about “love at first site” and this poem was the result. Love that comes quickly fades as fast Lasting love blooms slowly culminating in a […]

The Death of a Loved One

By Carma SpenceSeptember 23, 2007Poetry1996, death, loss, mourning

This poem comes from my writing journal. It is more a random thought than a poem, but is poetic in nature so I share it here. The death of a loved one lingers at my side like the specter of memories not to be. It’s not that I wish to […]

A Bird in the Hand

By Carma SpenceSeptember 6, 2007Thoughtstrust, wild bird

I had the most amazing experience today. I’ve been feeding the birds on my patio for a few weeks now. Today, one flew into the window, knocking the wind out of its sails. I found it lying on its back breathing heavily. I went outside and picked it up. It […]

Yo!

By Carma SpenceSeptember 2, 2007Thoughtsacupuncture, bruise

On Fridays I go to see the acupuncturist. He’s been helping me, in conjunction with the chiropractor, heal from sciatica. This past Friday, he was removing the needles when my shoulder started tickling. So I rubbed it with my hand and felt something dripping. “Something’s dripping?” I said. “Oh. It’s […]

Nairobi Meyers

By Carma SpenceAugust 15, 2007Character SketchesNairobi Meyers, science fiction

I wrote a snippet once that had this character in it. The snippet was powerful enough that the character has been bouncing around my head trying to get a story out. I still don’t know her story yet, but I do have an idea what she is like. When I […]

Sidewalk

By Carma SpenceAugust 3, 2007Poetry1983, sidewalk

Written in 1983. I stretch for endless miles. My brethren stretch out beside me. I have many visitors. Yet I am always alone. Bubble gum and cigarette butts on my belly, Dirt on my back, I lie and watch the creatures who forever traverse my stomach. The old lady who […]

Author Archives: Carma Spence