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John M. Floyd's short stories and fillers have appeared in a wide range of publications, including The Strand, Woman's World, Murderous Intent, Grit, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. A collection of his short fiction, Rainbow's End, will be released in October 2006. A Wife In The Country by John M. Floyd Turk McGee sipped his tea and contentedly sighed As he lounged on the porch and observed his young bride; She was working the fields, as she’d done every day Since her father arranged for her marriage last May,
But what Dad hadn’t known (and McGee hadn’t said) Was that Turk thought all girls became slaves when they wed. Just today, for example, she’d plowed until three, Stopping only two times to pour Turk some iced tea;
But at last she was done, and looked quite peaceful now As she unhitched the mule and put up the old plow. When she walked to the porch, McGee’d finished his glass And was watching the mule as it rolled in the grass;
“I been wonderin’,” he said, “how a woman abides A dumb beast that’s so mean and so lazy, besides.” “I been wonderin’ that, too,” she remarked to old Turk, And then sat down to wait for the poison to work. John M. Floyd © 2007 |
