1Sing your psalms to the west. Bestto throw your prayers to the Pacific,if it will have them. The tepid Atlanticdoesn’t listen, and the elder gods are wearyof the tiny, tinny words of men.2Force your body to ignore the circadianchirp of sleep. The lullaby whisperof truth is best heard in the dark,in the rustle of bare... Continue Reading →

Two tired children tucked in bed, motherlovewhispered gently against their cheeks,light switches thrown, quilts tame on couchesmaking lazy hound-shapes in the dark.My feet are sure against the hardwood floor,here a dip due to age, here the cornerwhere I keep my winter crochet and books,each creak an amen, affirmation, home.Simple things: warm kitchen, mint toothpaste.A pilgrimage... Continue Reading →

Read to your daughterfrom the book of counted kisses,one poem for each pink-pebble toe,soft lips on the knucklesof clenched baby fists.Lips pressed, closed tightagainst raging fevers,against tearstained cheeks,against goldfish funerals.Remember the early chapterswhen kisses were new,yourself against a chill mirror,the clammy back of your hand,the cotton give of a pillow.The gifts of young lovesurprising the... Continue Reading →