Category Archives: Uncategorized

In the nail salon, she’smanicuring for the big daytomorrow, getting marriedin a friend’s lovely yard,the young woman whosehands are currently being heldby a blue-gloved womanfiling newly appliedFrench tips. I overhear the story—about 30 guests, plentyof parking in the neighborhood,neighbors making … Continue reading →

Every leaf fall is a letting go,the death of the once-verdant,wishing that it might hang onforever to the branch fromwhich it sprang. As the autumnal equinox creepsup on us, the dying has begun.Dog days have consumed spring’sgreen gift and summer’s … Continue reading →

Like plucking fat blackberries offa still-loaded bush in September,putting most into a dented colanderto take inside to someone you love,who could use some sweetnesson the tongue, mindful to pop one into your owneager mouth, too, here and there,greedily licking your … Continue reading →

How different it looks,day to night, night to day,as I see it for myself for the first time, the tallspire arrowing into the sky,a iron-and-steel tribute to what was that awfulyear when you disappearedin a whoosh six months before the … Continue reading →

Is not octopi.It’s octopuses. Because you can’t stick a Latin endingon a Greek word,and octopus is as Greek as Achilles, oktṓpous, the singular creature, andoktṓpodes amounting to more than oneof the cephalopods, whose very name translates to “eight legs,”though the … Continue reading →

(for Curtis… and my mother) It goes back to the college boyfriendwith the vision impairment who taughtme to always cap the toothpaste,never to leave a clear glass in the sink,and always tuck sharp knives intothe mini butcher block on the … Continue reading →

Before you go,let me do so again: I love youI love youI love youI love youI love youI love youI love youIloveyou. (Je t’aime. Te quiero. Ti amo.Aloha nui loa—all my love) ThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou. (Muchas gracias. Arigato. Danke.Mahalo nui loa—thank you … Continue reading →

(for Catherine O’Brien) On a hot Sacramento eveningyou invited us to your backyardfor martinis and conversation— something that even those of uswho don’t drink did not want to miss—and thank goodness we didn’t, for what a delight to sit with … Continue reading →

It’s easier than ever before,what with our mini communicatorsin our pockets, to fire off an electronic love note or,for the young ones, as a last resort,to make a phone call, which, now that I have reachedold fart-dom myself, I wish … Continue reading →

Even the rising temperatureof this day that’s predicted toovertop the century mark again when we so much wish itwouldn’t. It might not, after all.We can’t perfectly predict the thorniness of what’s coming.But we can pause, open the doorand walk into … Continue reading →