Setting

I've been in a strange liminal space lately - physically, chronologically. Not entirely within my own life but not outside of it either. I've sought out other transitional spaces as I float here. It was getting cold and windy the day I took these photos. Late afternoon. Cloudy. Eerily quiet except for the wind. Returning … Continue reading Setting

Flower therapy

I've been taken for quite a ride by my kidneys this past month and I've had to accept that I have to stop doing things and rest. The silver lining is that it's allowed me to stop and appreciate the little things around me. The wildflowers I grew all around my yard. The hummingbirds that … Continue reading Flower therapy

“As small as a world…”

I have a chronic illness that impacts various organs - including my liver and kidneys. I fully understood that this was going to get worse, but it caught me off-guard a bit in August when my right kidney went a bit haywire and I needed two surgeries to fix it. Being able to tune out … Continue reading “As small as a world…”

Appetence

Defined as intense desire, strong appetite, a craving or an inclination. Appetence is the story of an awakening, a discovery, and a loss. One of its poems will be published in a literary journal in October. Currently revising the draft for submission. This narrative came out quickly and tore things up along the way. It's … Continue reading Appetence

Personal folklore

I never met one of my sets of grandparents - they both died in the decade before I was born. My grandmother went first, though she was apparently stubborn about it, and the family tradition has it that my grandfather died of a broken heart. His death certificate claims it was kidney failure, but according … Continue reading Personal folklore

Saturation

Saturation is a much more interesting word than one might think. To be so filled that nothing more can be absorbed. To such a full extent that it's no longer necessary or desirable. The purity of a color. In qualitative research (which is part of my day job expertise), there's a phenomenon known as saturation, … Continue reading Saturation

Like a bayou

When I think of revision, for some reason I always imagine a bayou. And I never really thought about why a landscape jumps into my head instead of paper or pens the eye-piercing glare of the computer screen. I think because it's brackish, and there are things that hide and lurk, and it's slow moving. … Continue reading Like a bayou

Narrative prosthesis

As someone who has a chronic illness that technically qualifies me (by law) as disabled, I think a lot about how much I dislike fighting language - I'm not a fighter or a warrior, bravely battling this disease. If anything, I'm an ally. We have to live together, so we need to get along. Really … Continue reading Narrative prosthesis

Things I’ve learned that have served me well

I had a birthday recently, and I was thinking lately about things I've learned at different stages of life. It's funny, getting older - things that seemed important or urgent when you were younger no longer matter. Things you used to fall for you now see through. I thought about the big lessons I learned … Continue reading Things I’ve learned that have served me well