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May 2024 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Category Archives: Uncategorized
The Fifth Little Girl
They were in the downstairs church bathroom, the five girls, preparing to don their choir robes. They all had walked to the church that September 15 Sunday morning, and the weather was hot, so they “freshened up.” And you just … Continue reading
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QUIVER
I was walking in the woods on this gorgeous fall day and looking for a sign from the gods. “Inspiration,” I cried, ignoring the old saw that inspiration is perspiration, “come forth!” But then it arrived just before I emerged … Continue reading
THE BODY OF CHRYSALIS
The pensive woman walks With a butterfly on her palm, She says the orange-spotted Beauty is dead But I see no torn wings, The great spangled fritillary Rests, waiting for the sun To pump fluid into its wings, And the … Continue reading
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We Appreciate You Being Here
The photo tells it all. A smiling mom posing with her teenager who is dressed in a police uniform like it was Halloween. And, for him, it may have felt like Halloween. Next, he strutted through Kenosha streets with his … Continue reading
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MAGICIANS
The doe steps out of the woods Sees me then stops And watches I stop and wave her forward As if deer knew “go” signs And I watch The doe steps across the path Stares me down And waits … Continue reading
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AT THE LEAF DIVING COMPETITION
Entrant #1. Furled Yellow Leaf launches, four reverse inward twists in the river’s breeze, a record for the ages with a soft, balletic landing: 9.5 Entrant #2. Wizened Orange Leaf swan-dives— but tangles in a single strand of spider … Continue reading
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BIG SUR
My great-great grandfather’s (of the Underground Railroad) Grave is on fire His bones feeding fire Pinnacles Where giant condors nest And set sail for the Pacific Are on fire Their homes feeding fire And the fire next time The human … Continue reading
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CRICKET SONGS
I tell my father, there is a cricket In the basement And he says it is cricket season, son I descend the basement stairs Stepping into chest-high water The washer and dryer drowned Electric humming I slosh around the perimeter, … Continue reading
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Angel Flight
My friend Tom Ragin has died. I met him seven years ago, almost as soon as I moved back to Alton, at a YWCA Legacy celebration, at the Jacoby Arts Center. I was proud to have written parts of the … Continue reading
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From a Hiding Place Somewhere Nowhere There
His wife hugged and kissed me, then he led me upstairs to the guestroom. It was long and had windows at both ends. To the right was a bathtub that ran the length of the room. I had been invited … Continue reading
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