http://ljbnielsen.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Laura B. en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:19:38 GMT 2010-01-07T07:19:38Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977477892 Walking to the Library   Walking to the library I noticed more  about my neighborhood than when I ride my bike.  I noticed the many different types of bridges in Tenney park, arching . . . Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:15:24 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977477892 Laura B. 2008-10-15T01:15:24Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977476837 What I wish I could say to that child who begged me to be her mother when I was in college: Oh sweet child, your beautiful face full of hope and dreams, of youth so raw even though you shook when . . . Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:53:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977476837 Laura B. 2008-10-14T02:53:40Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977476821 Oh brain so cloudy Thoughts stick like flies to mud Perhaps I am lost Copyright 2008 Laura Beck Nielsen Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:22:55 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977476821 Laura B. 2008-10-14T02:22:55Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977476784 Chapter One- Vultures Coming Down   Lois notices turkey vultures circling in the pale morning sky as she wraps a thrift wool coat over her boney shoulders. A cool walk along the . . . Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:41:05 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977476784 Laura B. 2008-10-14T01:41:05Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977475897 Perhaps when my oldest brother claims I cannot get my facts straight, he is right.  When I attempt to tell someone about an event of the past, I seem to take the simple textbook account and soak . . . Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:29:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977475897 Laura B. 2008-10-13T03:29:36Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977473233 Walking down State Street, quarter to nine in the evening, this chilled October Thursday,  women of all types sling their bags over their shoulders, lock their bikes to the racks, flip their hair . . . Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:25:45 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977473233 Laura B. 2008-10-10T02:25:45Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977442606 September 6, 2008, roughly around 7:30 p.m. in Madison, WI Long medium brown straight hair hung to the waistline of her red suede jacket.  Motionless, she stood, hands at her waist, fingers hidden . . . Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:59:07 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977442606 Laura B. 2008-09-07T17:59:07Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977420223 When Dirk arrived at work Monday morning, he saw that Mandy wasn’t there to greet him with a smile and let him in.  Rather, the depressed accountant turned the bolt lock and welcomed Dirk in through . . . Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:01:43 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977420223 Laura B. 2008-08-13T02:01:43Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977418597 Despite the church address typo, cancelled catering, and tacky Elvis impersonator acting as D.J., Mat and Aubrey married each other yesterday with bursting hearts and twinkling eyes.  Love ruled. . . . Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:36:46 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977418597 Laura B. 2008-08-11T02:36:46Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977416685 Cool morning air drifts over my bare legs as I sit in my fuzzy pink robe, sipping on black cardamom tea, watching squirrels from my porch.  Ella, a white boxer with brown heart-shaped spots, stands . . . Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:36:22 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977416685 Laura B. 2008-08-08T12:36:22Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977414996 If Adam looks the guy in the face and shrugs, “I don’t know his name, dude,” then no one knows him.   Every other day, he walks into the camping store, itching his grimy scalp with long . . . Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:26:46 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977414996 Laura B. 2008-08-06T12:26:46Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977413963 Train to Whitefish We Sassy hearts Kissing, pinching, sparkling... The train works magic. Love. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:33:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977413963 Laura B. 2008-08-05T03:33:36Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977411727 Greetings creative Gather writers and artists, Do you find inspiration in other artist's paintings, drawings, photogrpahs, songs, etc.?  When you visit museums, studios, galleries, plays, . . . Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:20:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977411727 Laura B. 2008-08-02T04:20:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977410188 One hot summer day, a curious green cicada found himself falling from an oak tree and landing near a cleverly hidden rock. This rock looked jagged and was covered in at least five different . . . Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:40:26 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977410188 Laura B. 2008-07-31T03:40:26Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977410182 On the Karfi ferry from Washington Island to Rock Island, the lake breeze tried to wash our faces clean, attempting to brush away all the woes, stress, hurt, and fear from our foreheads.  . . . Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:26:05 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977410182 Laura B. 2008-07-31T03:26:05Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977295362 Due to the exciting turnout of responses to the first prompt, I am urged to contribute another visual prompt from my husband's art collection.  Again, anybody can submit a work of art inspired . . . Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:44:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977295362 Laura B. 2008-03-28T04:44:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977293609 Inspired by the painting "3 To Get Ready," the first visual prompt for the group " Writing Inspired By Art Inpired By Writing ." Sophie stared into the golden micro bubbles in . . . Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:25:31 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977293609 Laura B. 2008-03-26T03:25:31Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977291947 Celebrating spring means celebrating new beginnings, new life, new work.  To celebrate the creation of my new group, " Writing Inspired By Art Inspired By Writing ," I am providing you a . . . Mon, 24 Mar 2008 04:11:28 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977291947 Laura B. 2008-03-24T04:11:28Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977282203 Snorkeling to youthful saffron tranquility in protected water He left the accepted standards of transformation with the night bars, Spooning and believing Errol from varying callow equations, she was . . . Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:10:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977282203 Laura B. 2008-03-12T02:10:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977282163 Rosemary, You turned the beautiful medicines Into the essential orange flurry of the fire whiskey My rayon and taffeta kimono charred from time I would seem "spontaneous" with fascinating . . . Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:15:30 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977282163 Laura B. 2008-03-12T01:15:30Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977282149 Lilies rallied beyond exuberant. Popular, they work around the Republic, eating pain from those with dimensional views, Flowering for each and every single guitarist having heartswell. Your sound . . . Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:54:57 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977282149 Laura B. 2008-03-12T00:54:57Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977243984 Wrote this in twenty minutes, first day back from vacation, needing to just get the words flowing. The trepidation of the steep fresh virgin white powder steals my breath.  I stare through . . . Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:12:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977243984 Laura B. 2008-01-30T03:12:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977186191 NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, in which participants need to write 50,000 words from November 1 to midnight November 30.  The point is to get the words flowing, push to the end, allow . . . Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:53:56 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977186191 Laura B. 2007-11-25T19:53:56Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977186188 NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, in which participants need to write 50,000 words from November 1 to midnight November 30.  The point is to get the words flowing, push to the end, allow . . . Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:47:54 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977186188 Laura B. 2007-11-25T19:47:54Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977185156 Fresh Water Pirates- Chapter 19   Raven Red Tooth paced back and forth in the captain's office, rubbing the stones in his braids and muttering cryptic gypsy gibberish to himself.  . . . Sat, 24 Nov 2007 02:49:15 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977185156 Laura B. 2007-11-24T02:49:15Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977185047 Fresh Water Pirates- Chapter 18   The long dirty blond curls and braids of Captain Charles sat on his shoulders like albino snakes as he marched up and down the Rotten Rose, surveying the . . . Fri, 23 Nov 2007 23:53:57 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977185047 Laura B. 2007-11-23T23:53:57Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977184966 Fresh Water Pirates- The Legend of Death's Dungeon   The Legend of Death's Dungeon In the early settling years, back when the Viking pirates of Norway and Sweden were conquering . . . Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:38:11 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977184966 Laura B. 2007-11-23T21:38:11Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977184900 Fresh Water Pirates- Chapter 16- SO unedited! Sheila's red fiery hair took the morning sun like a dare.  While all the other pirates were still snoring below the decks in the forecastle, Sheila . . . Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:45:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977184900 Laura B. 2007-11-23T19:45:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977182980 Raven Red Tooth stood alone in the crow's nest, letting the wind carry tears across his leathery cheeks while he stared at the stars.  The moon faced him with authority, full to the outer rim, . . . Wed, 21 Nov 2007 04:05:46 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977182980 Laura B. 2007-11-21T04:05:46Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977181194 NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, in which participants need to write 50,000 words from November 1 to midnight November 30.  The point is to get the words flowing, push to the end, allow . . . Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:41:59 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977181194 Laura B. 2007-11-19T04:41:59Z