Loving Cat

The cat was loved. She did not know the verb love. Nor the 4 letters including ‘v’ & ‘l’. She was unfamiliar with the concept of affection. As a concept. Tactility was her medium of exchange. A touch. A tone. Food in her bowl. She rubbed against my...

Truth be Told

You’re not going to believe a word of this, not a word, although it’s true, sort of. I was told this by a man who sometimes lies. We all lie a little, sometimes. We say what’s true is false. We say what’s false is true. Not always. Sometimes. What I’m telling you is...

In Praise of Nouns

All the verbs in the world could not eliminate the need for nouns. Nouns sit, stubborn in their meanings, bricked up against the winds of change. They are not what they are but the names of what they are not. They are words. Not cars. Not bowling balls. Always, Nouns...

Stacked Stones

In my garden there is a stack of stones. I worked to balance them weeks ago, steady handed, one upon the other. On the apex, a piece of blue glass crowned with a gold painted pebble. I expected to restack the stones each day, assuming the poise would not survive night...

Head Lines

I wake in the morning. I get the paper. I read the headlines. On the masthead in bold print I read: News of the World You Helped Create.  

River Poem

the river flows into the town through the town out of the town the river locates the town it is on the river a river town the town confines the river the river divides the town the council planning bridges the river is on its mind. an old man fishing the river is on...