Literary Crumbs: Poems & Short Stories to Savor by D. Ryan Lafferty

Posts

Welcome to the central source for my creative work. Here you will find a collection of all original short stories and poetry from me, D. Ryan Lafferty.

I generally post the contents of my column as full articles as they appeared in print, with stories and poems posted separately for your convenience. Use the search feature or click the links above to peruse poems or short stories.

“Why crumbs?” you may be asking. In writing a monthly column for People Papers, my stories needed to fit within the fold and so I set out to craft little bits of high-calorie fiction for my readers to digest. An amuse-bouche so to speak so Bon appétit!

-Ryan

  • Illustrated Poem: Oh Lightning Bug, You Firefly

  • After the Blast

    by D. Ryan Lafferty It was high noon on a Sunday when we heard the rumble. Somewhere, far off in the distance, the subtle boom, deceivingly soft for its magnitude, unimaginable to the poor souls who barely paid it any mind. This clarion call, the bedroom alarm of the doomsday clock, a harbinger foretelling a…

  • Learned Helplessness

    by D. Ryan Lafferty Landon was in the fourth grade the first time that his father noticed the interference. It was a small thing, barely perceivable, but he did perceive it, and it didn’t sit right with him. Not at all. If he were to think about it, and now he often did; he could…

  • All My Children

    by D. Ryan Lafferty On a hot crowded bus on his way to work, Silas slid into the first seat just behind the driver. One block later, the hydraulic hiss punctuated the calm, and on walked his neighbor, James. James was a proud little man and Silas, well, Silas was often forgettable. So forgettable that…

  • Mending Fences

    By D. Ryan Lafferty At one time, Carol and Amy were the closest of friends. Carol the scatter brained type, was a wide-eyed optimist with a passion for the world and everything in it. Each moment was an adventure and she’d marvel at even the most mundane facets of ordinary life. She loved softball, jogging,…

  • The Liar

    By D. Ryan Lafferty It slipped out so easily the first time, he nearly laughed out loud.  David had surprised himself.  For a mere fraction of a second, his mind lurched forward to correct the misstatement out of guilt, like one would reach to catch a falling glass knocked over the precarious edge of a…

  • 2081

    By D. Ryan Lafferty The distinct hum of the highway droned on just past his window, perched above the once scenic river; the trees of Pennsylvania staring back at him from the adjacent bank. Three amber lamps burned like stars in some sort of fiery industrial constellation towering above the not so distant shore. The…

  • Sobriquet

    Duck and cover. So much passive aggression, incoming, steeped in your morning hello. Curves in your body language malign and sear like barbed wire beneath a surface of cool still water. Gently, I’m under fire, taking flack from side-eye artillery. No bayonets or grenades in sight; simply a coffee cup clutched in a manicured hand.I…

  • Christmas Gifts

    By D. Ryan Lafferty It was a cold December morning and the sun wouldn’t be up for hours. Jeremy just couldn’t sleep while his mind was racing, so he threw off the blankets and shivered in the chill of the morning air. The house was silent except for the irregular ticking of the heating grate.…

  • Scarecrow

    By D. Ryan Lafferty Looking over her shoulder, Jillian swore she could see the shadow looming behind the lamp post, a black mass with a wicked shape, darker than the night that surrounded her. An oversized flower pot obstructed her view of the sidewalk, and she hurried faster down the street. She stumbled where the…