I never knew her name But I loved her Because when she ascended from the water Her long brown hair clung To the back of her neck And her one-piece swimsuit. She lived behind freckles And her brown eyes Never met mine. The giant concrete pond teemed With kids – mostly white, some black –…
The Word was God
“It’s just like Charlie Brown!” I knew my stepmother’s words came from a place of affection, but it didn’t feel like it. I had worked diligently on this short story about a young boy and his debilitating crush on a girl. Her words had reduced my work to a story that could be slapped into…
Your father, revisited
This past summer I wrote this poem “Your Father.” Something’s being bothering me about it ever since then, but I haven’t been able to put my finger on it. Last night I realized it needed a second stanza to complete it. So here’s the new version: When I told your father your old house had…
Committal
Through the glass he stared into the garden as the ashes were buried beneath the stepping stone. In the reflection she held onto the baby as its eyes were fluttering against her bare shoulder.