Author Archives: janishaag

Waiting to meet a new friendat the big-chain coffee placeoff the freeway—convenientfor many people,for many reasons— I order what you used to:iced green tea, no sweetener,no ice. Medium. Or whateverthey call it. The young barista punchesit into the register, readsmy … Continue reading →

When people ask,Where do the poems come from?orHow do you write a poem every day? I say,First, I have no idea,and second,If I knew, I think they might notshow up. But if I lace up my shoes,head out onto the … Continue reading →

I really love what you’ve done with your hair.Really. That’s such a nice color on your—is it mauve?Lavender? Doesn’t matter; it’s lovely. What a great smile your dog has. And yours matches!I feel smarter/cooler/wiser/enlightened after reading one of your poems.That’s … Continue reading →

We sigh when someone directs us:Don’t think. Then thinking is all we can do.Still. Don’t think. Or try not to. Just open, preferably under a sparklingblue sky washed clean after so much rain,as so many trees have loosened their roots … Continue reading →

(on the anniversary of her birth, Jan. 23, 1838) Let us make best use of the fleeting moments.They will not return.—Saint Marianne Cope, mother of outcasts, Kalaupapa, Moloka’i In the old photos she looks so tiny,the Franciscan nun with such … Continue reading →

Do we not want her calm strength,her steely-eyed confidence?Do we not envy her bold gazethat observes everything andremains unruffled? Look at you, standing tall,perfectly balanced, no matterwhere you set down, regardlessof where your feet land. Slowly turn your head,surveying the … Continue reading →

still and always so good-looking(as is his wife, my baby sister),so talented, an excellent fatherand husband, a man who deserves,after a long career as a high schoolart teacher, to retire this year,which he will (and my sister,the amazing physical therapist, … Continue reading →

In winter when we cannot find waterwarm enough in which to swim,we become salmon, welcoming the cold, entering a state of torpor, as manyanimals do, slowing metabolism,schooling together in deep water pockets a few degrees warmerthan the surface, eating less,though … Continue reading →

One still on the planet, one not—Parton and Joplin, two music iconswhose songs so many of us cansing from memory— though for two fine singersborn on the same day,you couldn’t get suchdifferent musical styles. And how is it that Janiswas … Continue reading →

You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.—Winnie the Pooh(by A.A. Milne, born Jan. 18, 1882) So let’s lace up our big bootsand step out … Continue reading →