In Quiet Seasons

That morning, the soil beneath my feet smelled nourished and wet, marked by the grand indifference of rain. It was a deep black, and the pine branches a brilliant green. There was a filmy veil of soft dull mist obscuring the deep black earth but not entirely, as the coppered leaves lay in wait for […]

Comfortable or Not

I see you.  I watch your eyes widen, and your lips purse as a pronounced red blush spreads across your face.  You can’t just walk away as that would be rude, and you don’t have anything further to ask because there is, quite frankly, nothing more to say.  And so you shift uncomfortably from right […]

There are Holes in my Walls

There are holes in my walls, rounded fist sized holes, not an easy admission for one who so owns the preference of order and perfection. I can recall in those burgeoning first weeks of motherhood, being so off put by the absolute chaos created by the nine pound cherub who had wrenched from my hands […]

Peculiar Days

It was a peculiar day, a brooding fall afternoon rich with the subtle smell of distant winter. I recognized it instantly, unreserved and distinct, curiously appealing and acutely detestable. It was no more than a momentary and fleeting impression, but somewhere in the potpourri of scorched wood and damp leaves was a sheath of memories, […]

Perspective from the Periphery

For as long as my humanity allows for memory, I recall feeling out of step.  A round peg in a square hole so to speak, gravitating to the grey in a black and white world, forged in the crucible of different.  Even into early adulthood, the feeling was undefinable.  There was a certain dissonance between […]

Making Music

As I rounded the corner my ears stilled to the faint sound of a child’s voice from within the small bathroom to the left of the stairwell.  It was muffled by the steady rush of water, the indication of a shower in progress, but it was audible nonetheless.  I stopped hesitantly and tightened my grip […]

An Affection for Autumn

Though I am a summer girl, I will admit to having an affection for autumn.  In the southland it begins with an understated change in the light.  I appreciate the subtlety as the bold summer sunshine yields to a deep flaxen blush that casts a fertile glow over all earthly things.  I delight as the […]

Ivy Jane

Ivy Jane was not like other little girls. With coffee-colored curls and rich mahogany skin, she had a magnetic way of commanding a room.  Behind the beautiful glow of mischief in her dusty brown eyes was a silent and mystifying yearning. And like the sound of a classical piano, her soul swayed through the profound […]

Where Exes Go to Grieve

There are things my heart and mind will never be in concert over. The death of someone I loved is one of those things. Human nature can be so contrary. How do I grieve for a man who in life found a million ways to both infuriate and endear? The anniversary date of Keith’s passing […]

The Christmas that Is

It is December, and the world feels too loud, too fast, and too demanding. “Happy, Merry and Joyful” greet me at every turn, but in all honesty, the words and traditions associated with the Holidays often leave me wishing for a quiet place to hide until the advent of a new year.  Time has undoubtedly […]