We retrace our steps sometimes, and the remembered magic isn't where we left it. You speculate--- what makes a special moment so unique? What endows a place with its aura? And if you returned to that restaurant on a drizzily April night one year later, would the same stardust glisten in the streetlights? Would you … Continue reading Retracing
creative non-fiction
Coffee on a Frigid Morning
The cold bites down on us with teeth like razors. I sit in my boyfriend's kitchen cradling a hot cup of coffee, and I look out the window above the sink toward the rooftops in their neat rows along the neighboring streets. The steam from the coffee tickles my chin and bears to my nose … Continue reading Coffee on a Frigid Morning
Keep a Free Mind
Breathe in. Breathe out. It will be okay as long as you just catch your breath. Look up into the sky. Clear blue sky. Endless blue sky. Sunshine against the side of your face. Stand for a moment and listen. The world speaks. A squirrel twitters from the tree branches somewhere behind you. The wind … Continue reading Keep a Free Mind
Nature’s Cold Quilt
At the corner of Hamilton and Third, we find it. The soul of the snow storm. Around us the houses are quiet and dark. Most people have gone to bed by now, but out here the world is filled with snow light and the hiss of the flakes as they sift down through the trees. … Continue reading Nature’s Cold Quilt
Writing is Hard Work
The words feel slippery today, as if they're a pat of butter sliding across a sizzling skillet. Take a fork and stab them, but they'll slide on past. The words seem to dissolve, leaving nothing more than an iridescent residue on my page--nothing I can build with. Nothing than even resembles a good idea. I … Continue reading Writing is Hard Work
There is Hope in This
Seneca Lake. Motorcycle ride. Close my eyes and let the roar of the wind buffet away the fears, the tears, and the fright of the future. I uncurl my fingers and open them, palm wide, into the flow of the air as it rushes past. I let it untangle all of the strands I’ve been … Continue reading There is Hope in This
Prompt: The Farthest You’ve Been From Home
Standing at the top of the mountain pass, the crags of the summit hang above us. The parking area is scooped out from the side of the mountain, and a small hut with restrooms and concession counter sits back between the gray folds of a sheer cliff. I am only seven. I have a bladder … Continue reading Prompt: The Farthest You’ve Been From Home
Seeking Prose 