writings on life

August 10, 2023

Half and Half

“The sky looks like a marble,” I said “And that cloud looks like a heart” White wispy clouds so wonderfully artful “Or a baby T-Rex,” my husband replied We said whatever came into our heads next As we walked the neighborhood on a Thursday night “Some people are crazy” “The Bible didn’t fall out of…
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August 9, 2023

The Baton

I could hear it in her voice On the other end of the phone, an unspoken sigh When I told her my plans She said a soft okay But I don’t know that she understands Ten years ago I cut the ties Amazing how fast the time goes by I had thought about it, talked…
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August 7, 2023

Her

I can understand why she did it Sure, some speculated it was mental instability But I believe it was legitimate She probably just wanted to be free Maybe to blend in Surely not to stand out Not even for less shampoo Who cares if people said she looked like a boy She did what she…
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August 6, 2023

Lost and Sweaty

“Ma’am! Ma’am! I turned my sweaty head to my left to see a burly police officer standing by his car and waving his arms. He was standing in the middle of the road, in front of a big wooden sign that said, “Road Closed.” He waved for me to go straight on the road instead…
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August 5, 2023

The Watch

I can’t stop It’s like I’m an addict Now matter how hard I try, I can’t stop looking at it And it’s not for the minty green rubber strap Or the shiny face of black Or those gray digital numbers It’s something else For I look at it even when I slumber I think about…
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August 3, 2023

The Supermodel

She was sitting on a plastic storage container On the street corner It was stuffed with stuff She looked like a foreigner Dejected, rough I’d seen her before, riding a purple bike She had high cheekbones and tired eyes A thin frame In better times she could have been a model With a flowing mane…
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August 2, 2023

Time to Die

Maybe it’s the summer, the sun high in the sky Maybe it’s my mortality Or the fact that I’m in the prime of my life I feel compelled to run I feel compelled to get better I have to discover Even if I’m on some sort of bell-curve decline I’m going to give it my…
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August 1, 2023

Like Me, Like Me

We were Lila and Arnold It was just a dream but it was horrible I raced to you at our friends’ house, brought you chili You said you loved me but we could never be married It was the worst heartache I stood there with a sunken feeling in my chest I beckoned, with all…
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July 30, 2023

Scrolling

I don’t go on social media anymore I deactivated my account a few years ago I imagine it was like dying It felt good to let go But it’s interesting how I found myself redefining my values And not being obsessed with what people think of you Thumbs up, another dopamine hit Staring, posting, scrolling…
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July 28, 2023

Grass Cutting

Tis the season for grass cutting. I love the smell of freshly cut grass. It takes me back to early fall, back to back-to-school season, early September. Cross country season. Hurricane season. Ah. My dad taught me how to push a lawnmower at the ripe age of nine. My favorite lawnmowers are the old school…
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