Dissonance Personified

Dissonance Personified

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June 2025

Something's Knocking
I’m scrambling for some semblance of literary excellence to bestow upon you, dear reader. I’m currently sitting in a motel room near Topsail Island, NC…
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Stan Lake
7
June Bugs
Do you remember hearing the buzzing of June bugs on summer days in the South? These bright green beetles always showed up late to the party in the…
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Stan Lake
4
Man, That Bugs Me
While doom-scrolling social media, I came across a picture that said, “We are the last generation to see fireflies.” Later that evening, my wife said…
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Stan Lake
10
Front Porch Sittin'
As a kid, I wondered why I’d see so many old people sitting on their front porches. It seemed like they were doing nothing at all. They’d wave at cars…
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Stan Lake
12

May 2025

The Community
If you’ve been around veterans long enough, you’ve heard someone mention the veteran suicide phenomenon plaguing our community. The statistics range…
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Stan Lake
15
Carpe Diem or Die Trying
When I was twenty-one years old, I wrote my own will. Although I had no assets and nearly no earthly possessions, I still had to divvy up what little I…
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Stan Lake
8
Metaphors and Metamorphosis
Most of my creative life has revolved around metamorphosis and metaphors.
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Stan Lake
11
Moving Forward
Brick by brick, I’ve built a foundation. To an outsider, it must seem that I’ve lived a thousand lives with myriad failures. If you were to measure the…
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Stan Lake
10
Everything's Fine, Seriously!
I’m okay, I tell myself. I want to believe that, too. The weariness in my face has betrayed me lately, since strangers have stopped mid-conversation to…
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Stan Lake
14

April 2025

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