First published by Beyond Imagination, a digital literary magazine that, sadly, is no longer available. Fear not, my story is reprinted below.
There is an intersection near our house with a police station. An artist was painting a mural on the large, blank wall behind the bus stop. I wondered where he got the inspiration.
This was my first published story.
Deep Pools of Tepid Remorse
by DL Shirey
“Does the mural have a title?” she asked.
The artist pointed a brush toward the far left corner. “Inscription on the headstone, the quote is the title,” Curtis said.
He knew who the woman was, her reputation and why she was here. Deliberately he said nothing more. Q&A was the game.
He also knew the next question this blogger would ask.
“You always put quotes in murals but I didn’t know they were your titles. Where is the quote from?” said Trina.
The answer would be found in a book of poetry: Do not delve in deep pools of tepid remorse. One line buried in a sonnet written about him, about a night deep red with too much wine, when his new lover opened herself for the first time.
DL Shirey 