Dog and Pony Show

by Richard M. Johnson

I asked her to marry me with a full-blown, all out production including actors, a stage, a soundtrack, an audience, flowers and a ring. It took me almost a year to plan. That evening we got cheers, applause and a standing ovation from ninety-nine strangers and eight friends I had convinced to show up, without giving what was going to happen away. Everyone who was there congratulated us, told us we were meant to be together, and told me it was one of the cleverest proposals they had ever seen or heard of. Sixteen years later she ended it all with a short argument and tears. I guess I wasn't clever enough, in the long run.

6S

Richard M. Johnson has lived in different parts of California all his life. He has recently had stories at "Hot Valley Writers" and in the anthologies "Meeting Across The River" and "The Story Salon Big Book of Stories." His poetry has appeared in "The Hiss Quarterly" and La Galet's "Shame Train L.A." He also has a couple of films floating about out there (just IMDB him under the name R.M. Johnson).