{"id":3233,"date":"2024-05-12T19:27:45","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T02:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/?p=3233"},"modified":"2024-10-19T08:27:45","modified_gmt":"2024-10-19T15:27:45","slug":"a-higher-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/","title":{"rendered":"A Higher Power – A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wacky tabbacy connoisseurs Annie and Roach discuss higher powers while getting stoned between studio sessions. An examination of twelve step credos from a collection of non-soberites.<\/p>\n

This story is featured in my collection of short stories entitled Short Songs<\/a>, featuring characters from The Rise and Fall of Skye Wright series<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

     Annie grabbed a few small bags of chips and an eclair off of the snack table. She sat at Colleen\u2019s desk to enjoy her junk food lunch while everyone else was out getting what she assumed would be proper lunch food, her eyes mentally rolling at what would no doubt be a smorgasbord of vegan food. She scarfed the chips down quickly, trying to quell the empty pit in her stomach after having spent hours in the recording studio in pursuit of trying to appease the sensibilities of their leader Skye, the all too-well trained ear of Larry their sound engineer, and their steadfast and drill-sergeant like band manager Tandasil.
\n      She slowed down when she got to the eclair, even though she knew there might be hell to pay if Colleen caught her eating at her desk.
\n     Annie flinched, stopping in mid-chew, when she heard someone clambering around the kitchenette.
\n     She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the exploding brown frazzled hair of Roach, their drummer.
\n     \u201cWhatcha\u2019 still doin\u2019 here?\u201d asked Annie. \u201cI thought you ran out with the rest of them.\u201d
\n     \u201cI just ran down to the 7-11 for a quick microwave burrito because I wanna adjust my drums for the next round.\u201d Roach pulled up an office chair and sat down. \u201cWhatchoo still doin\u2019 here?\u201d
\n     Annie looked around the office before taking a large joint out of her jean vest pocket. She held it up.
\n     \u201cNice!\u201d
\n     \u201cYou wanna fuck with your drums or come out into the alley with me and spark this up?\u201d
\n     Roach looked around the office before turning back to Annie. \u201cI got some extra kush in my backpack\u201d
\n     Annie nodded and downed the rest of her eclair as Roach went through her backpack.
\n     Going out the loading dock door, Annie looked up and down the alleyway. \u201cI don’t know why I’m lookin\u2019 around. It’s not like you can still get busted for this anymore.\u201d
\n     \u201cIf the cops catch us then we’ll have to share.\u201d
\n     Annie lit her joint, taking a long drag off of it to get the flame going. She held in her hit as she handed it to Roach.
\n     Roach brought the joint up to her lips and took a long drag as her eyes darted around.
\n     \u201cPTSD,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cWhat?\u201d
\n     \u201cI still have my old reflexes, from when you could still get arrested for this shit.\u201d
\n     Annie shook her head before taking the joint. She took a long drag and tilted her head back, her ratted hair cascading down her back.
\n     \u201cSometimes I feel like we should roll it back,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cWhatcha mean?\u201d asked Annie as a large plume of smoke cumulated from her mouth.
\n     \u201cI mean the rest of the band are twelve steppers, clean an\u2019 sober. Maybe we should hold back the stoning and drinkin\u2019 when we\u2019re around \u2018em.\u201d
\n     \u201cFuckin\u2019 a. I already do that.\u201d
\n     \u201cYeah?\u201d
\n     \u201cYou know how baked I would get for these gigs if I wasn\u2019t workin\u2019 with straight edgers?\u201d
\n     Roach looked up and down the alley. It was a fairly orderly alleyway for San Francisco. There were a few wooden pallets and a dumpster, but it was free of much of the kind of clutter one would usually find behind a South-of-Market building.
\n     As long as Roach had been a regular at Butt Fork studios, she had only once seen a homeless person in that particular alleyway, and they had just set up their mobile camp for a night.
\n     Roach launched a large plume of smoke just as the short and curly haired Friggy, the bass player for the Freak Outs, walked into the alleyway from the service door.
\n     \u201cOye\u2019, poco\u201d greeted Annie.
\n     \u201cDon\u2019t call me that,\u201d said Friggy. \u201cCan I get a hit a\u2019 that?\u201d he asked as he pointed to the smoldering joint in Roach\u2019s hand.
\n     \u201cSure.\u201d
\n     \u201cYou sure you wanna get baked before your recording session?\u201d asked Annie.
\n     \u201cJust a couple a\u2019 hits,\u201d he said. \u201cThey won\u2019t notice, will they?\u201d
\n     \u201cWho won\u2019t?\u201d asked Roach.
\n     \u201cY\u2019know, Skye an\u2019 tall n\u2019 scary. What\u2019s her name? Tan-dab-a-seal or somethin\u2019?\u201d
\n     \u201cTandasil,\u201d said Annie. \u201cAnd if you think those ol\u2019 club hags aren\u2019t gonna know you\u2019re stoned, you\u2019re totally kiddin\u2019 yourself!\u201d
\n     \u201cOh shit.\u201d
\n     \u201cThey won\u2019t care,\u201d said Roach.
\n     Friggy\u2019s expression softened. \u201cOkay, yeah sure.\u201d He held up the smoldering joint. \u201cJust one more hit. That\u2019s it!\u201d
\n     \u201cYou fuckin\u2019 amateur,\u201d sneered Annie. \u201cGo on, get baked!\u201d
\n     Friggy took a quick hit and handed back the joint.
\n     Annie shook her head as Friggy ducked back into the studio. \u201cJeez, y\u2019think he was doing coke or somethin\u2019.\u201d
\n     \u201cPsh! I haven\u2019t had a line a\u2019 that shit in years.\u201d
\n     \u201cMe neither.\u201d Annie looked up and down the alleyway. \u201cI mean, what would you do if someone offered you a line?\u201d
\n     Roach lifted her head as wisps of smoke snaked through her curly hair. \u201cJeez, I dunno. I guess it would depend on the circumstances.\u201d
\n     \u201cIf one of the soberites was around?\u201d
\n     Roach gritted her teeth as she handed the joint to Annie. \u201cI guess\u2026 No. I wouldn\u2019t want to do any a\u2019 that if they were around. I mean, if they were in the room and saw us.\u201d
\n     \u201cThat shit trips me out.\u201d
\n     \u201cRight? Not doin\u2019 anythin at all? Not even beer?\u201d Roach narrowed her eyes as she brushed her hair back. \u201cIt\u2019s kinda hard to imagine.\u201d
\n     \u201cI mean, I can see not doin\u2019 coke an\u2019 speed anymore. That shit is just a bit much. No weed? No booze?\u201d
\n     \u201cNo coke or speed at all again? Ever?\u201d
\n     Annie shrugged. \u201cMaybe I\u2019m gettin’ old.\u201d
\n     \u201cOr maybe Skye and Miranda are rubbin\u2019 off on us.\u201d
\n     Annie rolled her eyes at Roach. \u201cCan you imagine those meetings? All the God and spirituality hooey?\u201d
\n     \u201cWell, yeah, I can imagine it. Doesn\u2019t mean I want to get into it.\u201d
\n     \u201cFrom what I understand you gotta get a higher power.\u201d
\n     Roach squinted at Annie. \u201cA what? Get high power?\u201d
\n     \u201cSo the way I hear it, you gotta believe in god, or gods, or some god-like higher power thingy when you join twelve step. An\u2019 it ain\u2019t necessarily supposed to be the Christian god or nuthin\u2019, just some higher power of your own that you create.\u201d
\n     \u201cSounds kinda wacky.\u201d Roach handed the joint back and shook her head around. \u201cCan you imagine Skye or Miranda gettin\u2019 all Godsy and religious about anything? I mean, gimme a break.\u201d
\n     \u201cWell, from what I heard you can get fudgey about the whole higher power whoop-de-doo.\u201d
\n     \u201cSure. Like, can anything be a higher power?\u201d
\n     \u201cI dunno. You wanna ask one a\u2019 them?\u201d said Annie as wisps of smoke drifted from her lips.
\n     \u201cFuck no. They might give me a sermon.\u201d
\n     \u201cThey ain’t Lee,\u201d said Annie as she handed the joint to Roach.
\n     \u201cYou mean Scather.\u201d
\n     \u201cShe wants to be called Lee now.\u201d
\n     Roach shook her head around before taking another hit. \u201cI don’t give a fuck what her new name is,\u201d said Roach in a strained voice as she held in her hit. \u201cShe’ll always be scather to me,\u201d said Roach as her face was concealed by a new plume of smoke.
\n      \u201cI get it,\u201d said Annie as she took hold of the joint and leaned back against the wall. \u201cI once saw that fuck up clock three pit boys in a completely drunken rage before a whole gang a\u2019 boots and braces wrestled her drunk ass outta the club.\u201d
\n      \u201cIt’s so hard to believe miss super sober was once the most dangerous betty bomb in the scene. Like, how the hell did she become the super ripped physical fitness trainer and the scene queen of the clean and sober clan? That shit is just surreal.\u201d
\n     Annie shook her head as she lit a new joint. \u201cThat’s the kinda shit that can make you believe anything’s possible.
\n     \u201cOkay, who or what is your higher power?\u201d
\n     Annie dropped her head back, looking at the sky as she took another drag.
\n     Annie brought her head back down. \u201cOkay, how \u2018bout this. John Waters is God.\u201d
\n     \u201cDuh! Of course he is.\u201d
\n     \u201cBut he doesn\u2019t rule his realm by himself. He has his angels!\u201d
\n     \u201cJohn Waters angels? What?\u201d
\n     They were momentarily startled when the door clacked open.
\n     The tall and slim Larry walked into the alleyway, ducking as he walked through the door so his straight and tall blue mohawk did not hit the top of the door.
\n     \u201cWhat are you lovelies doing in this filthy alleyway?\u201d announced Larry.
\n     \u201cIt\u2019s not that filthy,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cJohn Waters is God,\u201d said Annie.
\n     \u201cI thought Lux Interior was God,\u201d said Larry as he eyed the smoldering joint in Annie\u2019s hand.
\n     \u201cWe\u2019re tryin\u2019 to think of our higher power,\u201d said Roach. \u201cY\u2019know, like our twelve steppin\u2019 friends in there.\u201d
\n     \u201cYeah right.\u201d Larry held out his hand. \u201cMay I?\u201d
\n     \u201cToke up dude,\u201d said Annie as she handed Larry the joint.
\n     \u201cWe were tryin\u2019 to imagine our higher powers if we decided to go all twelve step like the soberites in there,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cJohn Waters then?\u201d asked Larry as he held in a hit.
\n     \u201cWith his angels!\u201d said Annie. \u201cHe would have his avenging angel Divine! He would send Divine after people if he wanted to punish them or scare them.\u201d
\n     \u201cA big giant drag queen? Sounds about right.\u201d
\n     \u201cNaw,\u201d said Roach as she shook her head. \u201cNot a drag queen. A female impersonator.\u201d
\n     \u201cWhat\u2019s the difference?\u201d
\n     \u201cDrag queens pretty themselves up. They get all glamorous. Divine sometimes dressed like a slob or a housewife. No drag queen would ever go around looking like that.\u201d
\n     \u201cYeah, sure,\u201d said Larry as he handed the joint to Roach.
\n     \u201cSo it\u2019s settled,\u201d said Annie. \u201cJohn Waters is God, and Divine is his avenging angel.\u201d
\n     \u201cSettled?\u201d asked Roach. \u201cYou just decided to anoint him God.\u201d
\n     \u201cIf Divine is the avenging angel,\u201d asked Larry, \u201cthen doesn\u2019t he have a good angel? Y\u2019know, someone to inspire his minions?\u201d
\n     \u201cYeah, who\u2019s the good guy?\u201d
\n     Annie took hold of the joint and swiveled her head around in thought. “Mmm\u2026 maybe Liberace?\u201d
\n     \u201cWhat?\u201d yawped Roach. \u201cWho\u2019re you anyways? My grandpa?\u201d
\n     \u201cHow about Buddy Cole instead?\u201d suggested Larry.
\n     \u201cEh. Too smarmy,\u201d said Annie.
\n     \u201cI kinda like the Liberace idea.\u201d
\n     \u201cMeh. Too old fashioned if y\u2019ask me,\u201d said Roach.
\n      Annie narrowed her eyes. \u201cHey, it\u2019s my pantheon. I get to decide who the angels are!\u201d
\n     \u201cAll men though,\u201d said Larry.
\n     \u201cWhat?\u201d asked Roach as she screwed up her face.
\n     \u201cYour pantheon is all-male.\u201d
\n     \u201cYeah, but a bunch gay dudes!\u201d
\n     \u201cStill all guys.\u201d
\n     \u201cOkay, how about this,\u201d said Annie. \u201cSusie Bright is God!\u201d
\n     \u201cHell yeah!\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cWho\u2019s Susie Bright?\u201d asked Larry.
\n     \u201cSex girl,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cSex girl? Okay.\u201d
\n     \u201cSex writer. And sex activist,\u201d said Annie.
\n     \u201cSounds very San Francisco.\u201d
\n     \u201cShe is!\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cBut if John Waters is already God, how can Miss Bright also be God.?\u201d
\n     \u201cA war!\u201d announced Annie as she held up a fist.
\n     \u201cA pantheon war?\u201d asked Roach.
\n     \u201cExactly!\u201d
\n     \u201cWho are her angels?\u201d asked Larry.
\n     \u201cWho indeed,\u201d said Annie as she knitted her brow in thought.
\n     \u201cOh! Annie Sprinkle,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cPerfect!\u201d
\n     \u201cWho\u2019s Annie Sprinkle?\u201d asked Larry.
\n     \u201cDamn Larry, don\u2019tcha\u2019 know anything?\u201d
\n     \u201cHow about the avenging angel then? Who\u2019s that gonna be?\u201d
\n     \u201cCamille Paglia,\u201d said Annie without skipping a beat.
\n     \u201cWho?\u201d
\n     Roach walked up to Larry and shook her head so that her long, curly hair flailed in his face.
\n     \u201cGah! Awright, so I don\u2019t know who she is either.\u201d
\n     Roach retreated. \u201cPaglia\u2019s cool, but listening to her talk is almost exhausting.\u201d
\n     \u201cAt least in the old days,\u201d said Annie. \u201cI don\u2019t know what she\u2019s like now.\u201d
\n     Larry leaned against the alleyway wall. \u201cSo hang on now, you\u2019ve got two different Gods with their own sets of angels. How you gonna have two pantheons as your higher power?\u201d
\n     \u201cEasy. They\u2019ll have a war!\u201d
\n     \u201cOoh!\u2019 said Roach. \u201cHoly war!\u201d
\n     \u201cThen we have to decide what kind of armies they have,\u201d said Annie.
\n     \u201cRoller derby gals for the god Sussie bright,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cNaked ones?\u201d
\n     \u201cOnly if they have big titties.\u201d
\n     \u201cI like the sound a\u2019 that!\u201d said Larry.
\n     Roach walked into the middle of the alley and put her hands on her hips. \u201cSo another part of twelve step is sayin\u2019 you\u2019re powerless over drugs an\u2019 alcohol.\u201d
\n     \u201cOkay,\u201d said Annie.
\n      \u201cWhat are we powerless over?\u201d
\n     \u201cSketchy pit boys,\u201d said Annie as she lit another joint.
\n     \u201cTrue enough,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cWhat are you powerless over Larry?\u201d
\n     \u201cMe girlfriend \u201c said Larry as Roach handed him the joint.
\n     Roach shook her head around. \u201cI gotta say, I was surprised when I found out you two were together.\u201d
\n     \u201cYeah? How’s that?\u201d
\n     \u201cWell\u2026\u201d Roach glanced atAnnie who shrugged. \u201cYou know our nickname for her is the Vulcan.\u201d
\n     \u201cYes. Understandable. It’s an accurate Star Trek reference.\u201d
\n     \u201cStar Trek\u2026\u201d said Annie as she let her head drop to one side.
\n     \u201cSkye once compared me to Scotty.\u201d
\n     \u201cThe chief engineer?\u201d asked Roach. \u201cYou really are. I can see the mixing board having a warp core breach!\u201d
\n     \u201cNerds!\u201d snided Annie.
\n     \u201cShe\u2019s gonna blow any minute captain!\u201dsaid Larry in his best Scottish accent.
\n     \u201cThat’s what he said!\u201d smiled Roach.
\n     \u201cAn you know,\u201d continued Annie as she looked at Larry, \u201cyou’re like…\u201d
\n     \u201cNot very vulcan-like,\u201d said Roach.
\n     \u201cA little more carefree than the Tand?\u201d asked Larry.
\n     \u201cJust a bit, yeah!\u201d said Annie.
\n     \u201cI imagine her sleepin’ like a vampire,\u201d said Roach, \u201cAll straight-backed, with her hands cross against her chest.\u201d
\n     \u201cOh God, she sleeps perfectly,\u201d said Larry, \u201cNo drool an all curled up on her side, not all splayed out like someone who passed out from too much drinkin’.\u201d
\n     \u201cNo surprise there,\u201d said Annie.
\n      Larry tossed his head towards the door. \u201cYou wanna tell those twelve steppers in there about your warring gay pantheons?\u201d
\n      Annie got a sour look on her face. \u201cNaw. I don’t want them to think I’m making fun a\u2019 them. I mean, I know we harass them now and again, but\u2026 all the fucked up shit you’d have to go through to seriously give up alla that. I mean, most people I know wouldn’t be able to let it go, to totally go cold turkey on all of it. No booze, no beer, no weed\u2026 I can\u2019t imagine having to go that far, stayin’ away from alla that just to keep your mind from falling apart so badly that you’re in danger of totally fucking up yourself and everyone else around you. That kinda shit is just\u2026 I can\u2019t even imagine it.\u201d
\n     They all became quiet as Roach looked at the smoldering remnants of their latest joint.
\n     Their long silence was broken when the door clacked open.
\n      \u201cWhat the fuck are you reprobates doin\u2019 back here?\u201d asked the wild-haired Skye.
\n     \u201cWe\u2019re havin\u2019 a twelve step meetin\u2019!\u201d announced Annie.
\n     Skye gave them an are-you-kidding-me scowl. \u201cGet in here an let\u2019s get this thing going again or I will drag you to a real twelve step meeting! We gotta grind out our last couple a’ songs so The Freakouts can have Larry.\u201d
\n     \u201cYeah, yeah, just give us another minute.\u201d
\n     Skye went back inside.
\n     Roach held up the quickly dying joint. \u201cAnyone want to kill this?\u201d
\n     Annie and Larry shook their heads.<\/p>\n


\nShort Songs is avaiable on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Just click on the pic!<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Short-Songs-Tales-Punk-Side-ebook\/dp\/B0DFTXX53H\/
\n<\/a><\/p>\n


\nYou can find the entire Skye Wright series below.
Just click on the pic for the series!<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B0B3WBDZP2<\/a>
\n<\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wacky tabbacy connoisseurs Annie and Roach discuss higher powers while getting stoned between studio sessions. An examination of twelve step credos from a collection of non-soberites. This story is featured in my collection of short stories entitled Short Songs, featuring characters from The Rise and Fall of Skye Wright series.      Annie grabbed a few …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nA Higher Power - A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs - Terminal Berkeley Denizen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Higher Power - A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs - Terminal Berkeley Denizen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wacky tabbacy connoisseurs Annie and Roach discuss higher powers while getting stoned between studio sessions. An examination of twelve step credos from a collection of non-soberites. This story is featured in my collection of short stories entitled Short Songs, featuring characters from The Rise and Fall of Skye Wright series.      Annie grabbed a few ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Terminal Berkeley Denizen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-13T02:27:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-19T15:27:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"termberkden\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"termberkden\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"termberkden\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#\/schema\/person\/92e1ac1fd2c726777a034d122a953b31\"},\"headline\":\"A Higher Power – A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-13T02:27:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-19T15:27:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/\"},\"wordCount\":3408,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/\",\"name\":\"A Higher Power - A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs - Terminal Berkeley Denizen\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-13T02:27:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-19T15:27:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#\/schema\/person\/92e1ac1fd2c726777a034d122a953b31\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Higher Power – A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/\",\"name\":\"Terminal Berkeley Denizen\",\"description\":\"The Journal of Jeffrey Vernon Matucha\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#\/schema\/person\/92e1ac1fd2c726777a034d122a953b31\",\"name\":\"termberkden\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a9340c1b733b8fe70cca17895291bcdf3a43308fd0d6e0b766fda1f70b0e70e3?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a9340c1b733b8fe70cca17895291bcdf3a43308fd0d6e0b766fda1f70b0e70e3?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a9340c1b733b8fe70cca17895291bcdf3a43308fd0d6e0b766fda1f70b0e70e3?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"termberkden\"},\"description\":\"I am a writer, a software engineer, and a refugee from the punk\/metal\/new wave\/my-God-what-did-we-do-last-night daze of the San Francisco scene. I write, I run, I actually stop and smell the roses, I meow back at cats, and I pet strange yet friendly dogs.\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/author\/termberkden\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Higher Power - A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs - Terminal Berkeley Denizen","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Higher Power - A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs - Terminal Berkeley Denizen","og_description":"Wacky tabbacy connoisseurs Annie and Roach discuss higher powers while getting stoned between studio sessions. An examination of twelve step credos from a collection of non-soberites. This story is featured in my collection of short stories entitled Short Songs, featuring characters from The Rise and Fall of Skye Wright series.      Annie grabbed a few ...","og_url":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/","og_site_name":"Terminal Berkeley Denizen","article_published_time":"2024-05-13T02:27:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-10-19T15:27:45+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"termberkden","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"termberkden","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/"},"author":{"name":"termberkden","@id":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#\/schema\/person\/92e1ac1fd2c726777a034d122a953b31"},"headline":"A Higher Power – A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs","datePublished":"2024-05-13T02:27:45+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-19T15:27:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/"},"wordCount":3408,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/","url":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/","name":"A Higher Power - A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs - Terminal Berkeley Denizen","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg","datePublished":"2024-05-13T02:27:45+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-19T15:27:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#\/schema\/person\/92e1ac1fd2c726777a034d122a953b31"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mary-jane.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2024\/05\/12\/a-higher-power\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Higher Power – A Short Story from my upcoming collection Short Songs"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#website","url":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/","name":"Terminal Berkeley Denizen","description":"The Journal of Jeffrey Vernon Matucha","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/#\/schema\/person\/92e1ac1fd2c726777a034d122a953b31","name":"termberkden","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a9340c1b733b8fe70cca17895291bcdf3a43308fd0d6e0b766fda1f70b0e70e3?s=96&d=blank&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a9340c1b733b8fe70cca17895291bcdf3a43308fd0d6e0b766fda1f70b0e70e3?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a9340c1b733b8fe70cca17895291bcdf3a43308fd0d6e0b766fda1f70b0e70e3?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"termberkden"},"description":"I am a writer, a software engineer, and a refugee from the punk\/metal\/new wave\/my-God-what-did-we-do-last-night daze of the San Francisco scene. I write, I run, I actually stop and smell the roses, I meow back at cats, and I pet strange yet friendly dogs.","url":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/author\/termberkden\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3233"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3410,"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3233\/revisions\/3410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}