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…breathe deeply and often…

  • Someplace Warm

    “I’ve packed all the snacks,” said Celia. “I forgot the wine,” said Doug, “Can we stop at Kroger?”  “Is it even open yet? It’s 6:30 in the morning.” Janet was aggravated. “I knew somebody would forget something. I got  really great charcuterie boards to go with the wine for tonight and tomorrow to go with Read more

  • Escape

    “Get out,” her brain screamed inside her head and  her arms tingled, and her knees wobbled. She looked for the exit. The clock ticked. There were twenty five people between her and the door. Forty-five minutes between her and the end of the session. The room was silent save for the shuffle of the occasional Read more

  • When the Ship Lifts

    Artwork by Charles Jupiter Hamilton It took a long time to get here, to this place of the ordinary. What had to be figured out was what was commonplace. What could be tolerated, what she wanted to confront. She learned to pick the battles. Some fell away, some had to be fought. Some she lost, Read more

  • Birds and Boxcutters

    “I have no idea what you want me to do with all this stuff,” said Lisa. Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked around the four walls. She was knee deep in equipment, boxes, ragged furniture. Where should she begin? Her head itched and it felt like a thousand birds flew out of her Read more

  • When Life Gets Weird

    All women in their time play all the parts. When time’s struggle hacks away at the core of motherhood,  she blooms Slices of her incognito souls fall around her. She’s protected her child with her promises  Surefooted he stands on her love and covers his head,  With the hat of awareness. The recognition that Her Read more

  • Mona

    Like most things, Mona ignored the timer, and kept reading her book. She was approaching the climax of a scene, she needed to see the outcome of the turning point, wanted to watch the table turn, she couldn’t put the pages down just yet. Nothing was on fire. She read on. Of course the protagonist Read more


  • Message

    I’ve been to two funerals this week. Two uncles, one from my dad, one from my mom. Dad’s brother had  a military funeral, Mom’s brother had a Masonic funeral. The military funeral had a twenty-one gun salute at the end of it. The Masons chanted and made hand signals. Both were dignified and sent the…

  • A path through the woods

    There were  hundreds of acres to explore and I suppose we stepped through all of them. We walked through the woods for miles, following each other. The path was the one we created, or sometimes the deer or both. They are creatures of habits, the same as we. We had no place in mind to…

  • First Memories

    I have two distinct memories before I could walk. The first one was being held in my uncle’s arms and reaching for my mother. I loved my uncle Paul as much as any six or seven month old can love another human being who’s around all the time. But I remember throwing my body towards…

  • Winter is…is not

    Cold…killing cold.

  • The Last of the Three Wishes

    The genie granted me three wishes and of course the first two came true in a blaze of glory. He told me to be wise with my wishes and I felt that I was, foolishment was meant for sissies, I wanted all my wishes to mean something. To be granted wishes was nothing to sneeze…