Author Archives: Doc Arnett

I work the edges first, back-burning along the fence line to keep the fire from running into the woods. Where the horse has not trampled, the grass is eager for fire; it catches and flames, melting synthetic strands of the … Continue reading →

A friend of mine grew up the flat plains of central Indiana. While he was still in high school, he heard a local farmer complaining bitterly about daylight savings time. It had been a very hot, dry summer and by … Continue reading →

Randa is standing at the sink, washing dishes. She offers to scramble eggs but I opt for Wheaties this morning. I get the milk and yogurt, set my bowl on the table and take a spoon from the draining rack, … Continue reading →

I have seen brothers closer than friends and friends closer than brothers. I have seen closeness drift into distance and unconcern transformed into compassion. I have seen lives bump from one crisis to another without purpose and I have seen … Continue reading →

Shunning those afflicted with leprosy was apparently common practice in ancient times. Nor, it would appear, has that changed as much as we might think. A person cured of leprosy was not just rescued from a disease; they were delivered … Continue reading →

In at least a couple of the stage versions of The Phantom of the Opera, Christina (the love interest and heroine) convinces Erik (the disfigured "Phantom") to unmask himself. She believes that her love for him is so great that … Continue reading →

On those nights when sleep comes slow, I know that morning will come too soon, That rolling from one side to the other, trying to find a proper forming of quiet and warmth is a warning: a mind not yet … Continue reading →

Well, if it’s "in like a lamb and out like a lion" for this March, we’re going to have a heck of a storm here in about thirty days. Yesterday was gorgeous! Clear skies, temperature up to the fifty-degree mark. … Continue reading →

A single cloud trails its soft, thin strokes above and between the pink rim of the east and the darker rose of the west. Last evening’s sunset showed a scattered ridge of gray and blue before the last sinking of … Continue reading →

I started out with nine or ten students in my class this semester. One of them never showed. When I called roll on the first day, a Thursday, he wasn’t there. When I opened the newspaper Saturday morning, I found … Continue reading →