I am a writer, painter, potter, and photographer. I was drawn to writing late in life due to my professional life as a speech-language pathologist (SLP). This led me to an interest in language, social communication, and writing. I believe creativity heals ourselves and our society, and is a way to find an ethical, sustainable future.
we journeyed on camels, stately and slow//the wind did blow
our bags held treasures //spice and silk and peacock feathers,
ivory hooks// and parchment books
the beasts rolled on in desert heat// we had finished all the wheat
as the wind got stronger//the day grew longer
our robes flew with the storm//the land transformed
shelter we sought//but all for naught
a date palm grove//any living thing but ourselves
we dreamt of souks with crowds//buildings higher than clouds
tipped with gold and marble towers//and fields of flowers
to give her//surrounding a royal blue river
with gliding sailboats//and plenty of goats
In Arabic and Persian poetry, a line of verse frequently consists of two hemistichs of equal length forming a couplet. The two hemistichs of a line rhyme with an aa, bb, cc, etc. pattern in a type of poetry called mathnawi or masnavi.
I did parkour for the first time when I was 62 years old because of Buddy. Buddy was my mother-in-law’s cat until she had to go to a nursing home. Although Jane couldn’t remember the names of her children, she knew enough to address my husband. “I’ll go to Serenity Manor if you take my cat.” That’s how Buddy came to us.
Buddy gradually trained us to do whatever he wanted us to do. Chicken instead of cat food? Sure. Get him a pet fish? Absolutely. Let him go on the roof deck. Of course, but only under supervision. And that’s how it started.
It is a dusky evening with purple clouds that threatened rain. Buddy saunters past me, out the door to the roof deck before I knew it. He trots over to the fence behind the planter. If he can slip through the fence he can go under our neighbor’s deck, a nice dark and narrow space. Perfect for a small predator. And nearly impossible for a human. Buddy is not allowed there.
Trying not to alarm him, I squat down very slowly in order to capture him in my arms. I feel a frisson of pride that I can still squat all the way down at my age. But by the time I have squatted, Buddy is slinking through the worn, wooden fence on the perimeter of my deck. He sniffs his way across my neighbor’s roof. I stand up. With difficulty and a lot of groaning. By the time I am erect, Buddy is marching across the next roof without a single look back.
I gallantly hurdle over the fence and start hiking across my neighbors’ roofs too. It is now night with rain clouds darkening the sky. Have I mentioned Buddy is a black and white cat? Great camouflage. I pull out my cell phone and sweep light across the roofs as I call Buddy’s name.
Buddy makes it to roof #5 and I’m now crawling across the slanted roof of house #3. I choose not to look down and hope the gutters will hold my weight if I start sliding. Buddy is ahead of me. There is a gap of two yards between roofs 5 and 6. Buddy briefly hesitates. I watch helplessly as he launches himself off roof 5 to roof 6. I scramble to 5 as fast as I can manage. I stare down. Below the 3-story house is solid concrete. I decide I shouldn’t have looked down. But Buddy needs rescuing. He was declawed by a previous owner, has 3 teeth, and is utterly fearless around other animals. I jump up and down in place to practice. I eye the gap again. I back up, take a deep breath, and run like an angry bull is chasing me and launch. I land screaming in terror which is certainly no way to catch a cat. Buddy has made it to roof 10. It is the house at the end of the block and has a stalwart oak tree reaching into the power lines. Buddy sniffs the tree. It must smell like squirrels because he starts climbing down.
I run over to the last roof. I gaze down. I decide I shouldn’t have looked down. It starts raining. I gingerly test the nearest branch to see if it would hold my considerably greater weight. The branch shakes when I grab it with both hands and lean. I put one foot on it and swing my other leg around a nearby branch. I got this. Then I glance down and freeze. I don’t want to move. I consider calling the fire station. To rescue me and Buddy.
I watch Buddy nimbly jump to the ground. He turns the corner and I can’t see where he is going next. That gets me moving again. After all, I have to rescue my cat. How would he ever get along without me? He might run into a mean dog. Or an even nastier rat. He might even be dive bombed by a vicious pigeon.
I get to the bottommost branch, hang from my arms, and drop to the ground. I turn the corner and search frantically as I run up the street. Could he be under a car? Is Buddy in one of the empty recycling bins? Finally I see him at the top of the street. A young woman is kneeling down to pet him. As I approach I hear purring like a buzz saw.
I greet the woman and explain that he is my runaway cat. She picks him up to hand him to me. Buddy appears relaxed and perfectly docile. Looks can be deceiving.
Web of deceit where
spider waits to ambush,
pounces on a fly,
wraps silk around
so carefully
like a ladies’ dressmaker.
The insect briefly struggles,
goes ominously limp.
Unless you’re the spider,
then dinner is waiting,
a fly smoothie.
In the morning
dew drops
decorate the web strands
reflecting an
upside down world.
Rocs, manticores, and spiders,
magical predators
all dream
of blood.
Griffin
stands proud guard
gazes over lush land and
glittering city
She squints with stern eyes
into gleaming sun
as it descends into crimson clouds.
She sharpens beak
on gnarled oak
sniffs the scent on the air
claws tucked away
as assassins hide daggers.
Griffin
watches for evil
creeping across the valley,
She wrenches from earth
a black mist of madness
and tosses the demon high in the twilight sky,
tears that fiend into pieces with beak and claws,
devours each segment with relish.
Now sated,
she flies back to her perch
stretches incandescent wings and
watches,
protecting us
through the moonlit night.
gaia mouse 