Grape Power
A bottle of wine winked at me; said, “You need me today. I am from California. I have an edge and I am on sale.” I choose to believe its slick green surface; cradled it “home” with a companion or two and stacked them all, willy-nilly, in the fridge. The realtor arrived. The friend came. […]
Condo
This lovely building, with its pool and hot-tub, gym and workshop, pub and crafts room, gardens and fountain, woods and salmon stream, Skytrain and City Hall, arts center, college, miles of shopping and doctors, police and politics, schools and churches, all a mere block away or even ensconced in the building, security and all—oh! How […]
Broom
My ancient apple tree, who likely refers to me as her latest human, somewhat less elderly than she, has a sense of humor: Wherever I have swept, she drops a small green bomb or shrugs off a bit of the moss infesting her trunk, which turns as gray as foot fungus the minute it hits […]
Is Anybody Using This Chair?
“Is anybody using this chair?” she asks, slim smooth hand already grasping the thing by the scruff of its neck. Of course I am using that chair at this table for two, crowded against a friendly wall. That chair supports both past and future— only the present sits empty. Tony, for one, is due, my […]
the morning after WORD
The morning after a book event, the effort required to crank up a writer’s life is simply too great. I take refuge in the simple and mundane…and single-image poetry. six a.m. At the hour of silver and gray, before tricky color seeps into the day, a crimson electric curve cradles the kettle, a smile […]
“Talking Stones,” a winner
Happy homecoming in more than one way–my poem “Talking Stones”, which I wrote with poet friends on retreat in Maui two years ago, has placed in Little Red Tree Press’ competition and will be published in its anthology late this summer. Not only that, I get a cheque. Don’t quit your day job for poetry, […]