Lost in the Forest

Lost in the Forest

A flash of tan dissolves into dark earth my dog friend gone, led astray by his nose seeking the scent of a rabbit. I call and call my fear bouncing off ponderosa trunks their sweet vanilla suddenly grown sour. “Lester, Lester come back!” But the forest stays silent—...
The Inner Garden

The Inner Garden

I plant the seeds carefully using rich soil and compost— tomatoes, beets, radishes, tatsoi, arugula, cucumber and patty pan squash. Then I wait. Soon the tiny seedlings appear. They push up through the soil, a miracle of fragile green! Every morning I go out, check...
The True Home

The True Home

  You dreamed of houses: A hacienda surrounded by a verdant ranch, An airy sanctuary perched on a hill, A wooden shack floating away in a river. In the dreams the house was your life. All activity centered around it— you mended stucco, planted lilacs, repaired a...
The Land of No

The Land of No

  I should have said no to that tenant who left his stuff in my house. I should have said no to my mate who insisted we bike that treacherous trail. I should have said no to that vampire, that leaner, that diva and bully. But I could not. I am too well trained in...
Thunder Claps

Thunder Claps

  Boom! Lightning strikes, thunder claps within. The assault ricochets through the body, drives downward to the ground, shakes the heart, weakens the limbs, until I shiver in my bones. I call to the Steady One. Suddenly, brightness illuminates my white-knuckled...