The Study Group

They studied restudied and pondered
Then postulated in prose
They offered recommendations
That only pertained to those
The poor poor rabble and scrabble
They offered naught of their kind
The high and lofty elitist
That wander round practically blind

Hold Onto Your Love

The nest was empty so it seems that nature had it’s way
Oh how I loved to watch them frolic there among the leaves
Yet in that frolic vigilance was ruling every move
And those forgetting that were first to go

Ever waiting there are those to catch unguarded bliss
Careful now or Christmas lights and love will rended be
We teeter on the edge, hand in hand traverse the blade
Hold onto your love this moment passing

The sum of what is true, that all there is are we together
It’s sad that some amongst us cannot see
I decorate the tree to mark the beauty of the moment
When God sent here a lifeboat for us all

There are those who’ll rend the very fabric that enfolds them
And there are those who sew the ragged edge
Still every morn the brightly feathered nest in bliss amongst us
Knowing well in time it will come down

Hold onto your love this moment passing
Mark well the path along the Holy Blade
Remember Christ came for us all and frolic vigilantly
Hold onto your love this moment passing

Lucy Ramirez

The desert air cooled quickly as the sun sank behind El Paso. "I should have brought a jacket." grumbled the short man. The taller man got down off the backhoe and moved quickly to the back of the Suburban. "Shutup!" he barked "Help me with the package." The two men pulled the bodybag from the back of the SUV and tossed it into the hole. Then they threw in the half dozen new car batteries and a small time bomb. The tall man returned to the backhoe and expertly filled the hole. After the backhoe was loaded on the trailer and they drove quietly away there was a distinct thump where they had been digging. The tall man smiled and said "Call Shrum and tell him Ms. Ramirez has gone to Mexico."

Reading the sunday paper was interrupted by the clatter of his cell phone. Bob Shrum swollowed hard when he saw the caller ID. "I have to take this honey." he half apologized. The voice on the other end was almost jovial "Mr Shrum?" Shrum paused a long second "Yes it is." the voice continued "Mr Shrum we tracked Ms. Ramirez to a dead end. Apparently she has gone to Mexico."
Shrum muttered a terse thank-you and hung up immediately.
"Anything wrong dear?" Anything wrong!? After all this time she still hadn't learned not to ask that question.
"No honey. I just need to pass a message along." Shrum hit number three on the speed dial and somewhere in Austin a cellphone vibrated."
"Ben?"
"Hello Shrummy; what's the word?"
"She's gone to Mexico"
"Excellent. I'll call Danny."