I stretch out under a crisp white sheet on a soft mattress, head sinking into the pillow. A student will do the procedure today. She applies the electrodes. One… two… three. “Yay, they’re warm,” I say. She cocks her head. “They are? Oh, they were sitting next to the machine.” “You should store […]
Straining Memories
I’ve heard the story many times. I’m dawdling as I dress for school in front of the furnace. My mom’s trying to speed things up. If I miss the bus, she threatens, I’ll spend the day in bed–at least until the bus would normally return late that afternoon. I don’t care. I miss the bus. […]
Inhaling the Unfamiliar
Our little group glues itself together when we leave the airport terminal. We jostle through a sea of unfamiliar voices and dark-skinned faces. “Miss. Miss.” I stare at the necklace that dangles in front of me, shake my head and smile. “No. No, thank you. No money.” A haze hangs over the hill, and I […]
Where is Your Safe Place?
Safe Places I remember a scorched blanket or crocheted spread wrapped around a baby doll. I remember sitting in the center after finding matches on the bedside table and Grandma Dummer’s yelp and a splash of water. I remember forts of fern with stems stomped down to form a center where I could hide when life got hot. On […]
Diving into the New Year
Many of my friends have picked words to define their year. I choose three. Deep. See. Dive. They’re not new words. God’s been whispering them to me since at least September. But this year, I want them to color everything. In fact, I have a book burning deep inside. Deep See Diving. And I want […]
