“How long must we live to learn how to survive?” Jhumpa Lahiri from Roman Stories March chores. I rake leaves. I pick up broken branches from January’s storms. I gather the debris for composting. Crocuses peek out from under the white bark birch. I rest for a bit. I drag out the tiller. I turn … More March Chores
“It’s a messed up world, but I love it anyway.” Greg Brown from Two Little Feet Successive storms stagger into the valley. Swollen rivers rush from the foothills to the Columbia. On the street, fallen leaves coalesce in soggy stews of cellulose. They stick to the shoes of holiday shoppers. Downtown, the greasy residue adorns … More The Glory And The Pity
“A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.” Carl Sagan Saturday dissolved in a murky soup of bad weather. A November storm drenched the valley. Rain fell, lightning flashed, and thunder boomed. Me and my cat, Spanky, stayed indoors. It was the sensible thing to do. We ate, we napped, and I … More November Rain
I drove to the hospital in town. Smoke billowed on the Washington shore of the Columbia River. Like a genie escaping from the bottle of dry forest, it swirled upwards in the morning breeze. I have a standing order for monthly labs through next February. With this bloodwork, we will assess my response to last … More Summer Doldrums
“We are always here and always leaving. We are water, like the river, just passing through.” David Budbill I walk the waterfront. A damp wind batters me. The normal crowd is absent. Too cold. An armada of scoters dive near the shore, oblivious to the temperature and rain. Above me, convoys of geese traverse the … More Under the Dying Stars
While away, I worried about my cat. Would his neurotic personality unravel during our 37 day absence? Five families took turns feeding him. The grandkids brushed his shaggy coat. He made new friends. It took a village, but he thrived. I fretted, too, about the yard birds. Who would feed them? Not to worry. They … More Organized Chaos
“… since we must always have a suffering world, we must also always have a song” David Budbill It’s said that “a Libra’s purpose is to use its unbiased and fair stance to fight for the practical cause of the world and make it become a better place. They like balance and justice.” Hmm … … More Libra Lullaby
I have a blood cancer, multiple myeloma. It’s not an accident. It’s not bad luck. It’s just life. I adapt to the complications. My skin mottles. Smears of color come and go and return. I admire the abstract tattoos on my hands and forearms. Numbed by drugs and disease and age, my brain and body … More The Indifferent Gardener
I can’t remember how I learned to read. I don’t recall the teacher’s patience to help me sound out vowels and consonants. Nor the prompts to form these sounds into words. Was I encouraged at home by my parents? If so, there’s no memory. That process disappeared with time. Yet, the gradual step by step … More In the Oregon Hills
“In every heart there is a god of flowers, just waiting to stride out of a cloud and lift its wings.” Mary Oliver from The Kookaburras In late August of this year, of the summer when my wildflower garden flourished and yielded a wealth of colorful bouquets, crickets sang each evening their mindful refrain. “Soon,” … More Still Lifes
Good Blood, Bad Blood 