Like A Warning

By Mark Barkawitz

Out on my usual Sunday morning run, I spot this young lady pushing a baby carriage towards me on the sidewalk ahead.  She can’t be more than seventeen, eighteen.  Definitely attractive.  But still a kid herself.

As we approach one another, two small words imprinted in cursive across the front of her little, off-white t-shirt come into focus, revealing her story like a warning to other girls: “Boys Lie.”

About the Author:  Mark Barkawitz

Mark Barkawitz has earned local and national awards for his fiction, poetry, essay, and screenwriting.  His work has appeared in newspapers (L.A. Herald-Examiner, Pasadena Star News & Weekly, Conscience), magazines (University Mag., Simply 4 Pets, Senior Class), literary journals and anthologies (Abraxas, Sojourns, Zyzzyva, Blank Gun Silencer, Fingerprints, Paws & Tales, Sport Literate, Mediphors, Me Three, Illness & Grace-Terror & Transformation), underground ‘zines (Inky Blue, Monkeywire), and is posted on numerous websites (sportliterate.org, flatmancrooked.com, broowaha.com, thirstforfire.com, farmhousemagazine.com, voidmagazine.com, chimaeraserials.com, soulscribe.com, common-line.com, censoredpoets.blogspot.com, halvingababy.com, comedyquick.com, thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org).  He wrote the screenplay for the feature film, “Turn of the Blade” (NorthStar Ent.), has taught creative writing classes at community college level, coaches a championship track team of student/athletes, and ran the 2001 L.A. Marathon in 3:44:42.  He lives with his wife, has two kids, and breeds golden retrievers (Woof Goldens) in Pasadena, CA.   www.woofbooks.com