Ember's Crowd: (an ensemble)
Memorable characters crowd around my bed in the night. There isn't a stampede, no one is flattened underfoot. They just patiently wait for their turn to speak, which is nothing new-they have always done that. Last night's crowd was led by Ember-a kind and magnanimous fellow endorsed by all. Ember's Crowd is the story of individuals I have known. You may have already met up with a few of them-the ones who return in order to point out necessary adjustments pertaining to prior statements on record. A lumberjack, a trekker, a seaman and a conniver stand beside a dog, a farmer, a wealthy humanitarian, and a diverse collection of free spirits. And as often as I attempt to dodge Mercy, she refuses to keep her mouth shut. Sometimes she resorts to impersonation. While the depictions are based on real life they are drawn from memory and you know how memories can behave. While the personalities herein might seem to be at odds, the characters herein get along. They often cling together tightly and refuse to separate. I strive to paint each subject accurately, but on occasion they blur enough that I must throw up my hands, cast off my brushes, and just write down their insistent dictation. One thing I know for sure: You can't make this stuff up!