Lamentations
IThe AnswersI ask the night,but it has no answer,except for this—headlights and taillights remember, forgetpassing through the dark;snow falls in livid...
Anything At All
I could not runfast enoughacross our front lawnon Denver Drivetoward my father’s brightblue eyeshis outstretched armsSt. Augustine grassthick around my...
Invitation
At boarding school, Ithe only Jew; the onlyson of Abraham.By fiat Baptistcome Sunday mornings.Trays passed;body and bloodfrom box to box—bread, then wine.The...
The Luthier's Poem
Life happenseven to musiciansharmonize motetsbirth death encoresAt the library the homeless woman reads obituarieswishes somebody might write hersA blue...
Double Shifts
Carouselina slouches on a broken bench in a laundromat near her apartment. Hands vised in her lap, legs jittery about more than splinter stabs. Her least...
Caregivers
I once had a mother who loved me beforeshe fell into the ocean of lost wordsand speech. We journey to play on the beachwhere I lose sight of her on the...
Unsheltering
An excerpt from my diary on July 3, 2020My husband bought me a motorcycle today.He has the idea that we can pack our thingsinto tidy bundles, rev up...
A Past Love (with apologies)
Her name is in my notesin a journal at the bottomof a cardboard box in theback of a storage unit innortheastern Oklahomaand I am so sorry that myage and...
Routine
For more than sixty yearsI’ve had a subconsciousroutine when I showerLet water run over meShampoo my hairRinse then conditionRinse then soap all overThen...
The Drift
by Todd SukanyNo wonder you take the high road as you whittlewords into a poem. You suggest: concentrateon a task, say . . . shoveling snow in your...
Enjoying the Show
The way to Carnegie is left,left, left, right. The path to the GilliozTheatre is slightly less known. More likeGoogle Satellite peers into...
Dancing in the Dark
It was socially acceptable in the 1970s for two women to dance together. They danced together in nightclubs, street fairs, and on telecasts of the popular...
Mini Chocolate Silk Tartlets
Crust Ingredients:1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon sugar½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and softened3 tablespoons heavy...
I Hear of the Mockingbirds Songs No More
by Thadeus EmmanuelWhere has the morning mockingbird gone with its songs—Those exciting rhythm and blues of melodious symphonies?For I hear no more of their...
What Kind of House Are You Now?
I’m a bungalow with an airplane wingtoo hot to inhabit except in winter.Did I mention I could fly?I’m a rambling ranch going to townand back to the country...
Winter Solstice
When the short days feel inexpressible. When nothing's left of fall. When the dark entry of winter makes each of us shrink. When relatives finally call.Some...
Madonna of the Matilijas
Looking out my window, I see the Madonna blessing the white Matilija poppy on my windowsill. It's a showy flower baroque petals, paper thin; glowing golden...
One-Dish Dinner: Pork with Blueberries and Cream
Serves 21/2 – 3/4 hour to prep and cook2 medium Yukon gold potatoes cut bite-sizeThrow potatoes in cold water and bring to boil.Boil 8-10 minutes while...
Your Hands
by Carra Leah Hooddisappearing part by part firsthands then feet then chin then mouth the wayI smile your smile upper and lowermolars clenched leaving a gap...
A Winter Morning
blue skies and winter sunshinemoves me forwardas I sit here framed in lightbathed in morning’s warmthas full glass windows hold out the coldwhile also...