big things take care of small things.
so the big sister pats and doesn’t squeeze,
the baby uncurls fingers from the tail of the cat,
we squeal, packages topple to the floorboard
while the squirrel prances in the tunnel beneath us,
we weave, and the turtle tucks into a palm-sized shell,
as if resigned that the next car’s wheel
will climb on […]

This week Aunt S shared a project she’s working on for some nieces and nephews called “C is for Cousin.” I am working on a poem but I’m not sure it’s for public consumption—so here are some ABC’s from Maine:
Ark, Noah. i.e., a LOT of rain beforehand which led to not much beach
Bald eagle sighting
Crack! […]

Mamala went to Texas this weekend to celebrate the thirty-year anniversary of D & B, who are family friends. Their daughter L was a playmate growing up. They lived in a small bungalow one street over from us, close enough that I didn’t have to cross the Big Street in order to walk there.
D & […]

Yesterday after my aunt’s memorial service I checked my cell phone messages. Before playing the new message, my phone plays any old messages that are about to be erased. I heard a message from a spiritual godmother of mine who had called the day my aunt entered hospice care. Her message radiated with love and […]

Come, labor on!
Who dares stand idle, on the harvest plain
While all around him waves the golden grain?
And to each servant does the Master say,
“Go work today.”
We all worked hard around here today, but everyone’s labors were quite different from one another. A snapshot…
R and I had a day of fun around the theme, “RM is […]

This post is about blood and goo and life and the human body.
If you’re squeamish about blood and goo and life and the human body, read no further.
There is a dear young woman in my life who got her first period over the summer. Her mother e-mailed me because the two of them are celebrating […]

I am back. It was good to be with family. We had a reunion of sorts, which my aunt seemed to get a kick out of in a very quiet and reserved way. She had quite a good weekend physically, with lots of visitors, and I half expect to get a call in the next […]

In 12 hours C and I are boarding a plane for Dallas, where we will spend the weekend saying goodbye to Favorite Aunt, Mamala’s sister, who has battled valiantly against the devil that is ovarian cancer. Her kidneys are failing and we are told it will be days. (R will come on Saturday–tomorrow he is […]

Three years ago I took an amazing class called “The Preacher and the Poet.” We read a lot of poetry, played around with sermons, and wrote silly impromptu creative writing assignments. This one’s been on my mind lately; we had to write a real or fictional story of a family member meeting someone famous.
PastorG is […]