The Moon Wept (Adieu 2020)

It was the early snowfall that broke his concentration. He was too young, not yet able to control the shifts, and the prospect of frolicking in the fresh powder was more than he could resist. I saw it in his eyes first — pupils widening like the aperture of a…

I blinked hard against the glare. Smoke from the wildfire lay heavy across the valley, a murky haze choking my eyes and throat, intensified by ripples of heat radiating from the sun-bleached rocks. I raised a hand to my brow to shield my eyes as I tried once more to…

“If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour.” ~ Victoria Erickson — The air changed last night. Our mountain days are still warm and summery, but the cool air from my open window coaxed me awake at dawn, gently tickling my nose with the subtle shift that I eagerly await each year. It’s that certain freshness to the air that carries whispers…

“Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words!” — Betty Smith, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn — I have a distinct memory of learning to read my first word. It was CAT. From that moment on, I was enthralled with the magic of written words. From the wicker seat of my little red chair, I could go anywhere, be anyone, and do anything. My mom loved to…

Gathering words in the eye of the storm — I’m in the center of a hurricane Of too many words Swirling in chaos Around me Which ones to choose? As I reach into the violent maelstrom Soft words dissolve into mist Eluding my grasping fingers While like jagged needles Of broken glass The hard words, the angry words, The pain-wracked words Pierce my skin, ripping flesh Searing my mind with the agony Of…

When grief is your traveling companion — Traveling down this road Seasons change, turn the page Now it feels like it’s all been said and done Before I’m feeling so alone Scenes flash by, colors fade I don’t even look out of the windows Anymore It’s all become a blur Good and bad, happy, sad Do I even know…