Category Archives: Uncategorized
Exoskeleton
The delicate corpserendered in ivoryrather than its familiar green, the mantis’spraying days are over,cradled in the veins of a milkweed leaf,which itself will all toosoon expire and fall. We tend to quicklybury or burn our dead,or, in some cases, strip … Continue reading
Bernard of Clairvaux
The man who said, Who loves me, loves my dog,would have the name of one—and a saint at that. On the day of Bernard’s death in 1153, we recall thisprolific writer of 530 letters and 300 sermons, the man who … Continue reading
Bricks
I envisioned two rows runningalongside my driveway, thoughEarnest, who came to install them, anchored them three abreast,settling the new red bricks intoa long, sandy bed, the smooth border a first step in the front yardresculpture, the beginning of a takingapart … Continue reading
Peace, Love and Bagels
Said the guy towing a small trailerbehind his bike on a Fridaygarbage morning, after he stopped,opened the blue bin in frontof my house, searching for cans. And I thought—as I installeda new little flag on my front yardwith two fingers … Continue reading
Locked out
I insert the key into the venerable doorbehind which home has sat, solidas an old oak, for 103 summers now, though I have spent a mere 38 of themas its owner. I like to think of myselfas the caretaker for … Continue reading
Body maintenance
Some days we have a lot of it—the pre-9 a.m. walk for me with Debby the river, a good 3 1/2 miler, later a haircut with Susan,then a massage with Kat,and later still, a hearing aidappointment for the beloved. And … Continue reading
Solo workout
Not the same as in the snazzy swim spawith Terri, the iPad set up to watchCoach Stacy put us through ourwater aerobics paces, but I am grateful to those two womenfor teaching this old lifeguard/swim coach/instructor some newtricks for my … Continue reading
What I tell the plants as I’m watering
By mid-August, this is getting old, you guys.I mean, I’m glad you’re out here bloomingyour fool heads off, but to make sure youdon’t expire too soon, I come outsideand squirt you every other day,sometimes daily when it’sso ungodly hot we’reall … Continue reading
Duck pool
(for beloved ducks everywhere,including mine, whose half-birthdayis today) We have seen real mallards,the Duck and I, floating in poolswhere I love to swim, paddling and quacking theirway through turquoise pondsquite unlike any wild water in this neck of the woods. … Continue reading
Only in the after
It’s only in the after that I see it:How I should’ve slowed down,stopped, actually, that time, a hundred times,and, fitting my small hand intoyour larger one, just sat in the quiet of the back yard, as I do now,under the … Continue reading
