He Was A Student Of The Old Days

 

Zvi A. Sesling

 

          Clayton was always fascinated by the Neanderthals. That fascination became even more gripping to him when he had his DNA studied and was delighted to learn that his ancestry included South Africa, Tunisia, Spain, France, England and included two percent DNA from Neanderthals. That would explain my fondness for working in construction and my great physical strength, he thought.

          Clayton owned a small one-bedroom cottage where his love of cave men led to his outfitting his place like a cave. It was near the Storm King hiking trails where he hiked the area three times a week unless he was supervising the construction of homes in the area.

          Whenever he hiked, he carried a baseball bat for self-defense in the event he encountered a cougar or bear. He had learned that from reading early books about Neanderthals. The books said male Neanderthals carried clubs to hunt animals, defend themselves against beasts and other males. If they clubbed a female Neanderthal they carried her back to their cave, a proposition he found quite exciting.

          One morning a few minutes into his walk, he encountered a young lady wearing slacks tucked into her socks, a long sleeve jersey and a man’s broad brimmed hat. The outfit protected against ticks and other insects.

          “Is this the way back to the parking lot?” She asked.

          “Yes, over there, a quarter of a mile,”

          Clayton looked around, no one was within sight. The woman had turned to leave when Clayton hit her over the head with the baseball bat. She fell to the ground and he picked her up and carried her back to his cottage where he placed her on his bed.

          Those Neanderthal men were pretty smart, he told himself.

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Zvi A. Sesling, Brookline, MA Poet Laureate (2017-2020), has published numerous poems and flash/micro fiction and won international prizes. A five-time Pushcart Prize nominee, he has published four volumes and three chapbooks of poetry. His flash fiction book is Secret Behind the Gate. He lives in Brookline, MA. with his wife Susan J. Dechter.

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Kelly Moyer is an accomplished poet, photographer and fiber artist, who pursues her muse through the cobbled streets of New Orleans’s French Quarter. Her collection of short-form poetry, Hushpuppy, was recently released by Nun Prophet Press.