Humanity: Raw & Unfiltered
I have experienced mood swings for over 25 years, rapid cycling from mild depression to 3-5 episodes of humanly manageable mania/hypomania. Until last year, I have been fairly ‘blessed’ with my manic phases: no drugs, no bankruptcy, no sex à gogo, though, a lot of bridges abruptly dismantled and painstakingly Read more
I was at a funeral the other day of a dear friend’s daughter and child. After many tears, the clergy stood to read us the eulogy. He told us of a poem by Linda Ellis called “The Dash”. He spoke of the date of birth and the date of death, Read more
After more than thirty years, I have come to loathe New England winters, specifically the ones in the Hudson Valley where I reside with my family in an 1890’s barn. Not withstanding the freakishly mild one we are having this year, I generally start whining to anyone who’s within spitting Read more
They showed you a statue and told you to pray They built you a temple and locked you away But they never told you the price that you pay For things that you might have done… —Billy Joel, “Only the Good Die Young” My parents might have had a better Read more
I love my dog. He’s a soft, sweet space heater that keeps my feet warm at night. It’s okay to sleep on the couch when you are single. It is closer to the fireplace and the cushions have my back. When I want to stop feeling, that is when I Read more
Your love is tearing me apart. Wide open flood gushes of white, transparent bubble adoration overflowing magnificent from beyond the ether. I didn’t know you, I couldn’t understand how gut-wrenching, excruciating it was for you to say good-bye. I wasn’t even a concept. You knew me already. I was in Read more
I went to Catholic school. We had to, of course, wear our uniforms. Starched white shirts, pleated burgundy plaid skirts and burgundy sweaters with the top button buttoned, and the collar of the shirt pulled out over the sweater. We had navy blue school shoes that my mother bought at Read more
“Zhi Mei,” they call out, whenever they are lost. “Zhi Mei.” It is the call of friends and lovers, sharing excitement or trying to find each other in a crowd, “Zhi Mei.” It is the call of my parents. “Beautiful Nectar” is the literal translation from Chinese, but the poetic Read more