By the river I met my future self
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. — Heraclitus (6th Century B.C.) Walking along the Aare river I stop to see the water flow And think of Heraclitus’ dictum Ahead of me I spot a woman Wait, is that me? Same…
Let it not end here
As I bike to work a thought overtakes me We could all die now On this gorgeous winter day Before the wheel completes one more turn Crushed by his angry, mighty blow Like eggshell Our lives in his hands His head full of demons Like then, only worse At the red light a child in…
Away from the shopping frenzy
I couldn’t go to the mall The crowded shops terrorise me Instead, I walk into the solace of nature And in the roar of silent snow, Surrounded by total whiteness I catch my breath and calm my mind And I know that I love you I will wrap this certitude in Christmas paper
Their Lives
I never thought the pain would be physical Like a hole next to my heart Or is it here, close to the gut? ¿En las entrañas? (I never cared much for anatomy) So many years busy being parents Groceries to buy, forms to fill, meals to cook So much running around We were getting good…
In Nature, Everything is Connected
Confessions of a voyeuse I bike away from cars, buildings, cement Into nature I crave the connection, the experience of the spiritual I sit, camouflaged, surrounded only by trees, birds and minuscule species Ready to tune in to the energetic, the primal current, the breathing earth No human voice, just the distant sound of water,…
Laisse-moi te dire de vive-voix
A côté d’un “passe-moi le sel” Et un “on doit emmener la voiture au garage” Laisse-moi te dire Que tu m’as rendu heureuse toutes ces années. Avant qu’un éclair ne mette fin à nos vies Laisse-moi te dire à l’oreille que j’aime tes bras. Que tu es un mât auquel je m’accroche. Moi, oiseux libre,…
While we’re still here
Along with “pass me the salt” And “we have to take the car to the garage” Let me just say, You’ve made me happy all these years Before lightning ends your life or mine Let me whisper in your ear That I crave your embrace That you’re the mast I gladly cling to I, an…
The Visionary
He said there’d be a bar He saw the glittering glasses, the single malt whiskey bottles He probably heard the guests’ laughter We looked around the room
Mo’ther (mudh-), n. A female parent.
My mother was neither cradle nor lap She was a sword, an arrow, an argument Beautiful, sharp, and feline Neither refuge nor anchor, my mother was a battle
A step at a time
We load the car with your grief and mine Two suitcases and the guitar
Grief, you treasonable thing
A brie aux truffes set the disturbance in motion
A home called Trudi
Money, power, titles, aesthetics, social class, or eloquence, never impressed her
Dogs live too short a life
A dogbituary
The Therapist
It would be a voyage, she said The destination: a more genuine, examined, less fragmented, version of myself
Beyondness
Where does the mind disappear to when bad news strikes us?
Instructions for the newborn child
Crush lavender seeds in your fingers, and then, eyes closed, take a deep breath into your hands
The truth I hold between your legs
You press your warm body onto me I am still half asleep My body too desires you, but not yet
Relevos
Hoy vi a la viejita que llevo adentro Determinada, atrevida se asomó sin escrúpulos
My sister’s name is Complicity
When I’m by her side, I slip back into my 7-year old me
Melba, the weaver
Melba became a pampered toddler; mothered by plenty, mothered by none
Cocofina of the World
I remember Cocofina of the world Her back turned to the bedroom’s window Eyes shut, chin up, taking deep breaths
Using words to make sense of experiences 