Author Archives: janishaag

that he is not doing well,Diego, thinning and sneezing,on the decline comparedto a year ago— yet he still hops up onthe kitchen counter andplops himself in the sink,watching the goings on of a sleepy house aftermidnight, watchkittysurveying the kingdom.Lately he … Continue reading →

(for Georgann) You took me the first timewhere we chuckled at the arrayof clever gift items—an only-in-Seattle thing— and, since shopping was oneof our happiest outings (oftenfalling into the just looking sphere),I cannot go through Sea-Tac without stopping at Fireworks,imagining … Continue reading →

It is a pact within a sacred partnership: If you lose the way home, I will come for you. If I lose my way, you will come for me. If we are both lost, someone must find a way to … Continue reading →

There are areas far out at sea whereit rains a great deal. Camus saidit rained so hard even the sea was wet. —Jim Harrison, from “The Times Atlas” in “The Theory and Practice of Rivers” ••• Most of us cannot … Continue reading →

As my fella likes to remind me,I’m surprised I have to tell you this: If you think you’re having fun,you are. If you think you’re miserable,you are. Which would you rather be? What about taking delightin your blessedly fabulous imperfection? … Continue reading →

(for Kathy Keatley Garvey) The safest place for an aphid is on the backof a lady beetle, which seems dangerousfor the aphid, given the lady beetle’s voracious appetite for the little buggers.There’s logic in hiding in plain sight,just out of … Continue reading →

I bring home two bunchesof the unbloomed things,slender green pencils withjust a hint of what’s to come at the tips, their shroudedcrayon color that will, ina day or two, fluff into hotyellow skirts of daffodils, trumpeting spring throughperky floral bullhorns. … Continue reading →

We all bear the great weightof unseen somethings. For you, one hand hovering overthe avocados, carrying the great grief of how could that happen?that wasn’t supposed to happen. For her, pushing the denseboulder of a shopping cart seemingly uphill, filled … Continue reading →

You might cross that bridgewhen you come to it,or you might not. You, overburdenedpilgrim, a tiny bit broken,might hesitate, stop even, wondering what the nextright step might be. You,ferrying your own fragile heart—you, witness,caretaker of so manyothers’ stories. Take a … Continue reading →

adj: [yoo-də-MAH-nik] Conducive to happiness ••• A cloudy day,dry in our city whilesnow bombardsthe Sierra, and warmish,enough so that someof us remove ourscarves, our gloves, but we happily wearour smiles as we followShelley througha morning’s exercise, sitting sometimes,standing at others,as … Continue reading →