He gazed out the passenger window, captivated by a farmhouse as it passed them by, the mood in the car foul to match the day. A flag, outstretched but folded upon itself matted with rain, splashed a muted stain against a pewter sky. A pond stretched, roadway to stoop with grass tufts lily padding the … Continue reading Animosity
Poem
Ember
A muted orange glow emanates from the core. The base, black as the night that envelops it, sits sentry, a stoic guard devouring excess light. No sound escapes save an occasional hiss, an infrequent pop. Insects swirl and dive, attacking the heart and the people surrounding it. Some bite, some buzz, some are simply deranged … Continue reading Ember
Hero Worship
Where are heroes born? Grandpa, Jesus, Indiana Jones. I missed that step as a kid, I skip that part today—no one I admire, no one to emulate. No one to let me down. A personal deficiency, an omission of character Never installed by my parents, instilled by my teachers. Irreverence fueled by neurodivergent contempt. My … Continue reading Hero Worship
Eight Ways to Improve Your Writing*
Six months ago, my career as a mountain bike coach ended with a sloppy tumble over the handlebars. My coaching stint was on its final lap anyway, this was Eli’s sunset season on the team. Now he’s building his own cadre of riding partners as a budding adult. And I got an extra forty-five days … Continue reading Eight Ways to Improve Your Writing*
A New Day
One million pounds of marble. It sits like a boulderor a bomb-sheltertwo blocks from the Square,which is what we call the town center even though it’s a circle.Past the comic book storeand the candy shopand the place that sellsexpensive shoes from Sweden,the century-old Federal Buildinglooms on the left shamingevery other property on the street. Forty-foot … Continue reading A New Day
Blaiku
Blossom blizzards blowbelow blust'ry blissful blue,blanket blushing blooms.
Meditate
In the darkest nights of winter, Susan and I jog deserted streets. Channeling Jackson Pollock, our swinging hands gripping flashlights scribble vanishing art across the pavement. In the blackness, there’s nothing to see save two beams as they dance and bounce first behind and then before us. We don’t talk. The patterns in our foot-falls … Continue reading Meditate
Motions of Tourette
Eyes clenched, squeezed like a pair of fists, seconds before a fight. Eyeballs lurch, left then right, pushing ripples behind my bunched-up lids. Rapid eye movements in a dream of pain. Probing for that sandpapery spot—oh, they itch so much. I think no one is watching. Teeth on edge, scraping, my jaw gliding, forward and … Continue reading Motions of Tourette
Fire
As I dart in close to drop on a log the hairs on my knee singe. They shrink and curl and shrivel to my skin so it looks like I shaved my legs in blotches and clumps. Flames dance and crackle and leap, and as a gentle wind blows, bully their way to my side … Continue reading Fire
The Other Stuff 