At the suicide prevention training class, the teacher says; Who in this room has ever considered suicide? I raise my hand quickly. And one other person. Everyone swivels to face us.   Hasn’t everyone wondered? I say. Doesn’t the person who thinks, sometimes think, I...

  “And when it reached the open door love itself was gone.” ~ Leonard Cohen       At the tree park I can hear the high school game.  At home I can hear it. It’s night and September and I’m sweating. The crowd chants together in boosts, along with drums. ~ I carry...

After great pain, a formal feeling comes – * ~Emily Dickinson     The shock of the announcement runs through my body. I wake at three or so on alternate nights and stay awake. The other nights the book falls out of my hands and words on the page mix with dream images....

Fall 1985. Boulder. Driving down 9th street to Danelle Helander’s Friday afternoon technique class. I think I won’t be able to make it through class on the cigarette and coffee with milk I had for lunch. Eyes on road, left hand on wheel, right hand reaches to floor of...

Every meeting                                                                                                is surely a                                                                                                            separation. *   After Trungpa Rinpoche...

My father taught me how to move with wind and water. He taught me to read the direction of the wind by turning my cheek, appreciate the lines of the sail and cleats and tiller. He said, watch out, you’re luffing. Luffing is when the sail is not taught; there is...

I received a photo of Jake sleeping with a dog named Coffee, all snuggled up. Then I kept saying “yes.” Yes to everything that was asked of me. Yes, I will raise money to get them both to Colorado. Yes, I will foster Coffee until I find a home...

Diagonal Tire Alignment, owner, Steve answers the phone. He talks fast, words blur together, maybe speech impediment. I need to get my tires switched out, I say. From what to what? He says. From summer to winter.   Welcome to the Shit World, he says.   Does he know...

First, the photo of Jake’s goofy, gentle face. Then I kept saying yes. Deb sent me pictures of Jake and Coffee sleeping together. If I can get them both to Colorado a friend could adopt Coffee. They arrived on the Equinox. We switched to Chloe, which means the first...

At Pella Crossing there are extra police cars and rangers. There are dogs and horses, people walking, and fishing in waders. There’s a great blue heron standing fluffed with her neck tucked. A ranger says white powder was found on a trail. Does he mean scattered about...