Monday, November 11, 2019

Angry women scare me
 a hard right punch takes me off guard
i duck best I can
but i can never see it coming

the acid in their stomachs rises to their mouths
and translates into poison
because they need, so badly, to spit
making this whole garden look like compost.

shit's just shit
i think
but more than anything i want the sun to burn
off all the ugly,
so stuff can grow

it's the light i count on
and once my feet get warm
it's just a matter of small time
until my ears burn.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019


The more I say, "I am here,
I am present"
the more the target is fixed
Who knew that when I decided to stand still
it was an agreement to accept the angst of the aggrieved?
A disclaimer is needed, I set myself up, cried out
"Bring it on!"
Thinking I was ready
When all I wanted was to feel my feet
firmly on the ground
and hear the quiet of my breathing as I drifted off each night
satisfied that each day was filled 
with love and the intent to do good.

Thursday, February 14, 2019


On this sacred day you joked about the flower salesman at the ski lodge who said $39 when you asked about the cost of his bouquet
You said, "I'll just give her the money"
and forgot that my mother died today
and I was alone while you were skiing under brilliant skies, blue and sunny.
I sat on the deck and watched a hawk diving and squawking while crows chased
it under the same sky
The blue was the gift
the light was the warmth
and memory was its own embrace

We Accept This Time
as comfort
a place to reside
and move forward with routines
created in each day
We no longer discuss the importance
of time (at my request), rather, we take for granted that each day
will rise and fall with a leg draped over a hip
snuffly snores when pushed to the side
Taking for granted the pounding heart beside us
that skips in dreams
pretends not to wander
or wonder
But we never forget
What came before
Potent and passionate
Breathless
Fleshy and fearless
and that was before we reached the stairs.

Sunday, November 4, 2018



Our new normal is angst and recovery
Frantic moments
Breath held while one affliction or another overcomes us
Briefly
We don't really panic, rather, we remain poised
Make jokes en route to our diagnosis
which is minimized by the professionals in response to
 our ability to make jokes in the first place
They love our banter, the disguise for fear that one thread pulled will unravel
our comfort
The insulation, which is our nights settling in
The haze that wraps around us
We quietly trip over our toes
and if we are lucky
we break the fall surrounded by loved ones who choose to look away.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018


this winter

chill has set in
we look for warmth where we can find it
curled up on the sofa with thick socks
and hot tea
something to read 
words to roam over
distracted by the settling
of our creaking house
that moans with its subtle moves

the fire in the furnace needs tending
but it's worth the effort 
to heat these wide boards
with creases filled with dust
and the dribbles 
that move over them
they drink the lives that settle in
and hear the laughter and angst
accept the daily clamor
and scattered mismatched rugs

we think of stews and soups and pies that
sit heavy in our bellies
with beef and broths
chops from the local butcher
peppered, seared
absorbing the juices
capered and lemony
gatherings at the wide table
local talk and plans for warmer days
or places

deep and longer sleep
between flannel sheets
and heavy quilts
always with a window open
to smell the dark and the moon
rising in clear skies sparkled with stars
that wink
sometimes I walk outside and stand in my stockinged feet
and just breathe this valley 
wood smoke
and generations 
settle in 
light snow falls
and there is no sound
not even a shoosh
when it touches the ground

Tuesday, June 13, 2017


The bird that swooped down in front of the car ahead of me the other day didn't stand a chance
My first impulse was to swerve
All I saw was tangled black and white matted feathers dropping in a straight line
I felt a responsibility to it
But before I could fully brake I wondered, "What?"
Could I see myself rescuing this tattered pile, scooping it up in my hands and trying to sort out a place to put it in my car that would allow it to be unencumbered, to possibly fly once it got its bearings and shook off the shock of impact?
There was no place to pull over and my head was already filled with what was left of a day
Conversations filled with riddles
Plenty of placating ( a type of rescuing for sure)
There was nothing there when I looked in the rear view mirror which was a relief
and the car in front was long gone.