Jim Stitzel
Jack-of-All-Trades, Master of WordsExcerpts from Life
Sitting Trataka
The candle flame dances before my eyes, moving to unseen but noticeable currents in the air. The room around me is dark, so the only light is from the candle before me. I am focused on that light, on that flame, and I sit with it in meditation. I can feel the energy...
A Brief Reflection on Being an Atheist
I’ve been an atheist for probably 15 or more years now. Quietly. Secretly. Covertly. For most of that time, I kept quiet about my unbelief because I was still immersed in a Christian culture. I was married to a Christian woman. We went to church every Sunday. My...
This Moment
Flying down a back county road, the sun on my right but also just ahead because it's shining through both the passenger window and the top, right corner of the windshield. The light is not quite in my eyes, but it will be the moment I take a turn that puts me more...
Fiction
Come This Far
The engines were down. Again. The Maritime Law had been adrift in space for several hours now, the latest in a series of malfunctions to the ship. Aston was at his wit’s end trying to solve the problem. “Malcolm, what’s our current position?” he called out. The...
The Key
The key didn't work. Which was confusing because he'd made the thing himself, and it had worked the first few times he'd used it. The keyhole in the back of her head hadn't changed. He was sure of that. But then, he was sure the key would still work, too, and it now...
Spawn
The children were shocked. Literally. The bolt of electricity that ran through them should have killed them all. But these children were no ordinary children. They were the children of a demon. Their systems were overloaded, yes, but they were also turbocharged. Their...