Poem – In The Still of The Night

I needed to let some light in on this poem about darkness. The week of suicides of two prominent people.   In the still of the night when my thoughts drown out reason my unconscious commits treason my food too highly seasoned belies what is true and right   do you have a treat for…

A Friend in Struggle

To a friend in struggle: I never had friends before Em died. I probably never really had friends all my life. I have been a loner a long time. I have developed some friendships since Em died. Through grief support, through music, through writing, through facebook, through blogging, through pancreatic and other cancers. I have…

A Few Quotes I Like

Some wonderful quotes out of zillions: Albert Einstein…the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. Dalai Lama…if you think you’re too small to make a difference…try sleeping with a mosquito in the room. Abraham Lincoln…when you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. J.K. Rowling…Rock Bottom…

P.U.T.Z. Party

PUTZ I am starting a new political party. Right now, I am the sole member. It is called P.U.T.Z. or the PUTZ party. It stands for pick up trash zealously. I formed this party this morning after zealously picking up trash around the road just outside of the cemetery. I got tired of seeing it…

Shovel Full of Dirt

When he was gone I realized I lost my favorite parent. The one I preferred to wipe my ass when I needed it wiped. The one who protected me when I thought someone was going to beat me up on the last day of elementary school. He had been born in Brooklyn. As an adult…

My Hat and The Whistle

I committed the cardinal sin. When I took my seat on the LIRR to go from Penn Station to Babylon, I put my hat on the overhead rack. I already had my backpack on the seat next to me. I figured I would squish it or it would fall on the floor. I put it…

Hold It

What do I call this story? I may have to let you choose. You can decide after reading it.  Some possibilities: Hold It; 27 Minutes of Hell; Hold On But Don’t Let Go; Squeeze and Don’t Let Go; Push ‘Em Back, Push ‘Em Back, Waaaaay Back; When the Stars Misalign; Gotta Go Now; Peristalsis To…

Bike Story and Who

I came home on the last day of the workshop. I felt buoyed by the writing and the learning, encouraged by the friendships, and hopeful. The sting of abandonment inside my gut was not as strong as it was four days ago when the first class ended. I wanted to get outside and ride my…

Manhattan Then And Now

July 2017   The day I went into the city I switched from backpack to Em’s crescent bag. It was one of the things Emilee had left behind when she died. One of the things that I chose to keep and not give away. I thought I might use it, and I liked having things…

The First Time My World Changed

The Day My World Changed   I was twelve. It was May 12, 1966, a Thursday. We had moved into this house eight months ago on my twelfth birthday.   I walked the three quarters of a mile to the railroad station to meet my dad at around 6 p.m. so I could have some…