a taste of ‘Retirement’

128 writers find themselves retiring …

 

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Cameras frantically tried to find the best angle / of the weeping face of a football strongman, from The Announcement by Rob McKinnon

Jim continued to make his money, god may or may not know how much, he was a good guy, did I say that? from Peterbilt to Laredo by Chris Daly

There are people my age, telling us or perhaps themselves that the best possible thing to do after you’ve retired is to start a second act, or maybe a third act. from I might be retired by Kate McEnroe

… while boring kept boiling up / to my surface, boring like / mind-numbing, run-of-the-mill … from Aimless by Susan Shea

She hopes again that he will go to the club for a while. It will give her some breathing space, for though she ignores his chatter, it still enters her mind space in some way. from Mission Accomplished by Abha Iyengar

I miss my ID badge, my key card, my plain metal / desk … from Elegy for My Job by Susan Kelley

A 22-piece, with dancers as well as musicians, was big by any standards of the day. And with a big band came all the usual problems. from On the Flip Side by Martin Phillips

But I didn’t really. I left one career to start another. from The Race is On by Aline Soules

You’d like to say something but you’re afraid / that something will break beyond repair from An Intent to Retire by Biman Roy

The first, a retirement gift to Grandad, / finally giving up the ghost / to become a talisman instead from Pocket Watch by Russell E. Willis

When I arrived in Marrakesh I found a small dark flat and got a job teaching English; it was surprisingly hard work. from What do you do? by Victoria Sellar

We’re finally gilded, like the gold watch / they handed me on retirement, but / the shine is more embarrassing than fulfilling. from The Denbys by John Grey

But no! I’m retired / my schedule is free / no meetings tomorrow / just gardening and me from Out of Focus by Cathy Joyce Lee

She passes police checkpoints, speed cameras and miles of cones. Four lanes are gradually reduced to three to two to one. from Vera in the Void by John E. Caulton

He probably speaks more languages / in his head than on the ground. from Table of Contents by Amy Soricelli

Years of healing sick hearts behind him. from Physician, Heal Thyself by Laura Garfinkel

We begin, soften the hard soil with our shovels, dig down deep enough to seat the seedling securely, backfill the hole and surround the transplant with a ring of mulch. from Good Things to Come by Janis La Couvée

Retired? Jocasta is younger than me. Five years younger and so much sharper. Why the hell would Batson just let that go? from Indispensable by Owen Townend

After the crises were resolved, I sat looking out the window. It wasn’t so bad. from Not as Advertised by Peggy Nalls

Lunch awaits? George scratched his chin. He thought about teasing Tom. It awaits doth it? from The Nickel Tour by DS Levy

We determined to find some way to woo Angela back. A bribe? A plea? We were suffering separation anxiety. from Problems by Cheryl Snell

Wet side / for painting with acrylics and watercolors, / one end for paper punching, drying. from Play Stations by Joan Mazza

Some imagined her in a super hepped up teacher’s lounge, / getting a pedicure, / or drinking a cappuccino at her espresso bar, from The Emeritus Office by Michaeleen Kelly

Grease on my hands and grime under my fingernails. There’s a smell of sawdust and fresh varnish. This is my workshop. from The Handyman by GP Hyde

He mows the lawn / obsessively – even the edges / ridged like a Klingon’s forehead. from Captain Kirk in Suburbia by Christian Ward

Jim wonders if his retirement duties will ever cease. from Jim in the Basement by Adrienne Stevenson

Later that day, when I mentioned what I’d overheard to a co-worker, he laughed and said, “Welcome to the state, where retirement is everything.” from The Countdown Clock by Amy Soscia

… bird-watching instead of clock-watching … from Golden Ticket by Kim Mounsey

And so, over the next few months we often talked about Vienna and what a pleasant city it is, with its open spaces and parks. from A Woman and Her Dog by Kenneth M. Kapp

Sometimes you’re not sure what is meant / when asked about retirement. from Checking the Mail by John Bost