Just after the turn of the 21st Century, a friend of mine (a fellow writer) introduced me to the "Thought Cafe," a writers group where my writing was critiqued and I was given constructive criticism. My fellow writers told me how much they enjoyed my writing. So I decided to put the articles in book form and share them. I hope you enjoy reading my stories, essays, and poems as much as I enjoyed creating them. The "Thought Cafe" is no more, but I thank my fellow writers for helping me to evolve. Don Mosher SHORT STORIES: DONNY: A sad piece of my childhood. VENGEANCE IS MINE: Diego searches for the bandito who murdered his parents, years ago, in Baja, California. A VICTIM OF NEGLECT: A fire captain blames himself for the death of a boy. REQUIEM FOR A SMALL TOWN: A teenaged boy tries to save his town by burning part of it down. A SLIGHT MISUNDERSTANDING: A dirty old man gets his comeuppance from his no nonsense wife, when he harasses the wrong young lady. I'LL SHOW YOU MINE IF YOU'LL SHOW ME YOURS: A humorous piece of my childhood 14 THOUGHT PROVOKING ESSAYS TO STIMULATE YOUR IMAGINATION. POEMS: ALMOST A DOG: A salute to my neighbor's dog. MY DAUGHTER THE DUCK: My daughter's departure for college. THE DAY THE GYPSY DIED: A tribute to our Gypsy. DECEMBER COMMETH: No one lives forever. MEAN PEOPLE: A creative way to get rid of troublesome folks."