Barb Dukeman
Bio
An English teacher by trade, I’ve spent 32+ years in the classroom, instilling a love of literature (and a tolerance of writing) in my students. I started reading at the age of three and started writing at 13 with a poem about green socks.
Stories (122/0)
Why Do I Go to the Beach?
Jimmy Buffet wrote, “Mother, Mother Ocean/I have heard your call.” Well, I’ve finally been asked, “Why the Beach?” I’ve tried to resist saying, “Why not?” and instead, I’ll attempt to delineate why “moonlit walks along the beach” is not just a cliché in my world.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Earth
The Edge of the World
“The final turn is always the tricky one,” Hennessy remembered. “Most ships don’t make it that far.” She adjusted the metal-framed spectacles that adorned her top hat and looked out toward the horizon. “I’ve known many a dear captain that never returned.” She handed Jameson her watch that once belonged to her father and murmured, “Would you be so kind as to drop this off at the watchmakers’ shop when you’re in town? I believe it’s a bit off.”
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Fiction
Iron-clad Friendship
Dan had suffered enough of the world around him. His job at the factory ended years ago, and he was barely making ends meet with his meager social security check and odd jobs as a handyman. His friends called him “Dan the Man,” but his friends were moving away or dying on him. His wife divorced him and moved back home to her parents’ home in Ohio, and his sons and daughters lived in distant countries: Japan, Germany, Switzerland. He couldn’t just hop on a plane and visit them. He felt alone and decided to do something about it.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Families
The 4th Annual Persian Festival Celebrating Nowruz 1397
There’s nothing more American than a local festival. As a Floridian, I’ve attended many of these events celebrating diverse themes such as rattlesnakes, kumquats, strawberries, pirates, the English Renaissance, and the Greek Epiphany. When visiting the Daytona-Ormond Beach area for spring break in 2018, a banner for an upcoming festival caught my eye: Come Celebrate Nowruz 1397. Always up for an adventure, we decided it would be added to our vacation agenda. On Sunday, March 18, 2018, my husband and I visited this community event.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Feast
Learning Curve
Coralee went about her day, starting with the usual cleaning of her house. She rubbed warm water on a dish towel in her sink, on the appliances, and then the tile floor, scouring as she griped. Her sister from up north was visiting and suggested she use common cleaning solutions. Anyone would do, even natural ones. “Coralee, you know you can make your life easier with spray cleaner. Not to mention this house would smell a lot better.” The house had become dingy, and a musty smell permeated the walls and curtains.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Families
Fat to Fit: Chps 1-4
Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings Such a humble beginning. One would think that my destiny included being ultra-thin since my birth weight was 5.2 lbs, and I was under 5 lbs when we came home from the hospital. Such a tiny thing I was - I mean, hey - this was the decade of Twiggy after all. There’s a simple reason for my low birth weight: back in the mid-60s, smoking during pregnancy wasn’t deemed unhealthy. In fact, many mothers smoked in hopes of having a smaller baby and a less painful delivery. Luckily my mom didn’t have nausea and take thalidomide or else I’d be typing this with my flippers. On the other hand, having flippers might have prevented me from stuffing so much food into my piehole.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Longevity
Subscribe to my stories
Show your support and receive all my stories in your feed.
Send me a tip
Show your support with a small one-off tip.