A cup of cold water. A coat. A visit. A lost sheep. A bruised reed. What I look at. What I think about. How I ask. My No. My Yes. My cares. My doubt. My conscience. My contentment. My joy. The day. The hour. My friends. My neighbor. The stranger. My debts. All my tears.…
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Children catching themselves in the mirror. Replanting gifts in the ground. Three-way calls with friends. Returning home. Grocery list for grandkids coming. Ripe red strawberries. Knuckles rubbing whiskers. A doves coo like a bass drum in a symphony of first light. Praying: May I diffuse the fragrance of Your knowledge in every place.
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Stretching himself along my side, his head lay on my shoulder. Affection always makes me flinch. Hands and feet are one thing but lingering full body contact asphyxiates. Inside I squirm, feeling compelled to escape. I’ll say I’m having a hot-flash, my shoulder hurts under the weight of his head — either one will serve to rescue.…
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Evening four-wheeler rides. The perfume of lavender sweeping off the earth. Burgers sizzling on the grill. Wild asparagus. Silky summer sheets. Ice cream parlors. Bare feet in cool grass. Bullfrogs passing through. Pictures from the past. Retelling Grandma’s stories. Six o’clock Scrabble. A dog lapping water. Busy birdhouses. Re-reading love never fails. Praising: Thank you for…
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A red-winged blackbird has been spreading his tail feathers, fluffing his bright red shoulder patches, and sounding conk-la-ree! outside my window three days now. At first we loved his arrival, until scratching and chest bumping his reflection became annoying. We tried shooing him away. We pitied him, and, for an instant—we considered putting him out…
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