Published inHuman Parts·Sep 2Member-onlyGood Men Make Great FathersAct how you wish to be remembered Memories of my dad appear randomly in my brain like a documentary film run by a jumpy projectionist. I’m convinced I am incapable of misremembering him, anymore than an echo could repeat words never spoken. Others’ memories may contradict my own. Still, mine…Love4 min readLove4 min read
Aug 28Member-onlyGold Star PinOn her shoulder, a gold and purple pin, unimpressive in its size. A wreath of laurel holds within a small gold star, unnoticed by most eyes The decorated generals praise skills of killers and machines designed for death And in their next breath, declare peace and prosperity for their once…Poetry1 min readPoetry1 min read
Aug 8Member-onlyThe Unintentional TeacherA chance encounter in India leaves a lifelong impression She drifted from one cluster of travelers to the next, like a dandelion seed on the wind. We stood in front of the post office, or maybe it was a visa office, some public space in New Delhi, India where backpackers…Lessons Learned3 min readLessons Learned3 min read
Jul 14Member-onlyWild in LoveYou hold up the wall with your lean back, and a grin that says, I know how good I look here in the dim gray dusk, slim and hale and raw, hat brim bent low. The full head tilt. And that gaze, true as a stag in the wild, but…Poets Unlimited1 min readPoets Unlimited1 min read
Published inReal·Jul 11Member-onlyThe Mini MiniA short story about a short skirt Is it still possible for fashion to shock? I was young and leggy when hemlines rose and jaws dropped. Those first miniskirts seemed daring, even revolutionary. Miniskirts represented a fresh attitude, an out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new way of thinking on full display by a…Fashion3 min readFashion3 min read
Jul 6Member-onlyInterview with an AuthorQ&A Q. Why did you start writing? A. I felt I had something to say. When I look at the novels that have stuck with me for decades, the common thread is that the characters grapple with ethical conundrums. Nick in Gatsby, Scout in Mockingbird, Holden in Catcher, Pip in…Interview5 min readInterview5 min read
Published inTell Your Story·Jul 1Member-onlyBlood Chit BrotherA precious bit of printed fabric links us It’s a simple piece of fabric, sheer and wispy like silk, but maybe not silk. Printed near the top is an American flag. Below is this promise written in fourteen languages: I am a citizen of the United States of America. I…Vietnam5 min readVietnam5 min read
Published inHuman Parts·Jun 6Member-onlyTaming My MonstersTime turns ugly demons into tolerable imps I was a teenage monster. Maybe I didn’t turn into a horror movie werewolf or a blood-sucking vampire, but I was not an easy teen to parent. To be honest, I don’t think my mother had the chops to handle her role as…Humor4 min readHumor4 min read
Published inHuman Parts·May 17Member-onlyMeditation and Me, Me, MeA funny thing happened on the way to enlightenment — I really should be enlightened by now. Some people envisioned their future with flying cars. I pictured not a car but my body flying or, more accurately, levitating. Nothing fancy, just a modest hover. Enlightenment would make me humble that way. Alas, I have failed to float so much as…Meditation3 min readMeditation3 min read
May 10Member-onlyA Murder of CrowsShort story first published in Dunes Review, republished by FreshInk app Francie had an affinity with animals. As an infant, she rarely cried when she woke but lay quietly in her crib taking in the antics of our old hound as he tracked smells, real and imagined, through the nursery…11 min read11 min read
