The Burping Seal A lone Tupperware with sky blue lid, it lives on in my kitchen, a reminderof all it once held—loving leftovers of Mom’s greasy kugel or kielbasa,mincemeat cookies, coleslaw or apple pie. Its skin is worn soft from fifty yearsof washing and handling. Back and forthit went from her place to mine. I […]
All poets are storytellers, and one of the oldest kinds of storytelling is the fable. They can be found in the literature of most countries and are a prominent part of the folklore of many cultures. Fables have been passed down both written and orally throughout human history. Simply put, a fable is a brief
The Family That Wasn’t: A Fable Read More »
I stare at the photographof a bare-chested 18-year-oldtrying to look brutish,crouching as ifready to pounce,projecting his masculinitylest the image fade. Our cells are no longer the same,but he still lives inside me,staring out fromhis secret chamber,where in one corneris a small tablewhere he praysand gazes upwardat Jesus in agony—a votive candle flickers. What would we
The Pima County Library asked me to write about my experience as a Writer in Residence. The three months went by all too fast, and I found it deeply rewarding though exhausting. And I was inspired by the many local writers I met who shared their precious work and dreams with me. Here’s my post
A Life From Writing Read More »
My two poems “Murdered” and “Could Be Lovely” were just published in Tipton Poetry Journal Issue #56 (Spring 2023). You can read them here (pages 4-5). https://issuu.com/tiptonpoetryjournal/docs/tpj56 Here I’ve used an Albert Bierstadt painting for the backdrop of “Could Be Lovely,”
I am honored that the Pima County Libraries have selected me to be their new Writer in Residence from May through July, 2023. As part of my duties, I will be offering free consultations to area writers and will lead two workshops on writing poetry as well as a final event in which local poets
Meet the New Writer in Residence Read More »
Playing chess with my computer,I struggle to relearnwhat, where, and how to moveand now all I see is squares—bathroom and floor tiles, crossword puzzles,the checkered blouse of the lady in front of me—as pawns plod forward in dull straight paths,rooks zoom about in their rows and columns,bishops whiz diagonally back and forth,while king steps cautiouslyone
Into the pregnant night the female moth sends her subtle seductive scent to some unsuspecting male moth and I wonder what crazy pictures form in his little brain. First published in Minnow Literary Magazine Spring 2022 https://minnowliterarymagazine.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/minnow-spring-2022-1.pdf
My new poem “The Woman in the Window” was just published in the Winter 2023 issue of Sky Island Journal. You can read it here https://www.skyislandjournal.com/issues#/issue-23-winter-2023/
The Woman in the Window Read More »