Lightning never strikes twice . . . Night becomes day in the wee hours of the morning, the sky a sound and light show that has me captive in bed. I cannot, will not, move. Relentless, pounding rain has that effect on me. The lightning and thunder are almost a relief, a break in the … [Read more...] about Odds
The Finish Line
There are so many ways to say something has come to an end, each with its own nuance. Kaput. Conclude. Terminate. C'est fini. C'est bien fini. No más. Finale, grand or otherwise. The end of a war is always a good thing, the end of a life dependent on the circumstances. Coming to the … [Read more...] about The Finish Line
Autumn-deprived
9:15 p.m., an early October night. I go outside, lured by the tree frogs and crickets, the same as I do in the height of summer – just to listen. The air is cool, more summer than autumn/less autumn than winter. There's a ring of light around the moon, a lunar halo. The sound, bells strung together … [Read more...] about Autumn-deprived
I write, therefore I knit
The day I released my dog from her suffering, I took up knitting again. My daughter had been wanting a scarf patterned with Griffyndor stripes since Harry Potter enchantment overtook her, and my decision to start knitting that day somehow felt life-affirming. I could not settle my thoughts … [Read more...] about I write, therefore I knit
A Dog’s Death
I listen for the sound of footsteps, the early morning signal that she's up and ready to go out. Rituals that take hold, thirteen years' worth in this case, are not so readily relinquished. If I listen long enough, I may even believe I'm hearing her. In a way, I am. I'm hearing her nails click … [Read more...] about A Dog’s Death
Days of Awe
The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called Yamim Noraim, Days of Awe. This is not something I had any awareness of as a young girl growing up in Brooklyn, putting on holiday clothes to gather, with my friends, at the synagogue (a.k.a. schul) I could see from my living room window. … [Read more...] about Days of Awe
