Author Archives: janishaag

(on her feast day, Oct. 15) Watering the garden of the soulhelps it grow, she said, likethe initial strain of pulling afull bucket up from a well gradually becoming easier,as if by a God-driven pulley,leading to effortless irrigationby an unseen … Continue reading →

In certain ways writing is a form of prayer.—Denise Levertov Let the pen fold into the handlike the neck bending forward,chin tilting down, Let the point of the pen touchthe blank page with reverence,with gentle pressure, Let the ink begin … Continue reading →

(for Sue Reynolds on her birthday) The day you turned 2Paddington made his debut,a stowaway from darkest Peru, the tag on his jacket reading,Please look after this bear,with the sweet face of one who tries so hard to get things … Continue reading →

The coming cold creeps into the houseon dewy feet of cats as they pushthrough the swinging flap, arriving with the damp of overnightsprinkles, leaping onto the bedto imprint you with the beginning of seasons when your feet willnever be truly … Continue reading →

(in memory of Dorothy Hoffner) She flew out of a plane,104 years young, not her first sky rodeo—she’d made her first jump at 100—and wantedto soar earthward again, which she did, saying,Let’s go. Let’s go, Geronimo, diving headfirst, her instructortandem’d … Continue reading →

I watched my mother get airliftedand zipped into a Mom-sized cocoontoday, which is—trust me—notthe most unusual thing she’s done in her lifetime’s researchas a holistic health nurse. Ayoung woman named Chloetucked a soft blanket over my mother, who installeda nasal … Continue reading →

(for Sue Reynolds) When your Canadian friendsends you home with twoplastic bags of mint— one full of leaves forsteeping, the otherdangling hairy roots for planting—youmake a pot pf teathe first night, sipping in her honour. Onthe second day youtake trowel … Continue reading →

If the day before you leave for a tripis Heebie-Jeebie Day, the day afteryou return—Dick said long ago—withits weird bumps and false starts, is Herky-Jerky Day. And, when youput in a day of online attentivenessthat includes leading a 90-minuteediting session … Continue reading →

Because the plane doesn’t leave Torontountil 6 p.m., I have time for a lazy lie-in,rising to find the cute red teapot cozied and waiting (your tea is ready, Sue’ssweet note says every day of my visit),and, after a shower, one … Continue reading →

Turn on the live cams—it’s Fat Bear Weekin Alaska, and I’m all in, though, honestly, I don’t careabout the competition—which bear wins. I just want to spy online at the ursineeaters with massive jawsand paws fishing for salmon on the … Continue reading →