writing
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Hundred-Acre Grave
Yesterday, the blue and gray Skies rolling overhead, Sighing, seemed to me to say The rivers had turned red. Treading gentle on the grass, I sought peace but found none. April, she had come to pass, Her faithful weeping done. Musical, the ancient trees Groaned with the bluegray sky. Their duet, a mournful sound, Spoke…
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Poetry
Bottle up your pain In an old, glass jar. Let it sit there for a day ‘Til it’s black as tar. Fall down on the grass, Find a feather there. Take your bottle; feel the sun Shine down on your hair. Use the feather, trace Feelings in the dirt. It would be a shame to…
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Calluses
I am building calluses Around my heart. Nobody can come in To hear my song. She’s losing strength Because I exposed her To empty souls who Did not know, That she is a melody Few have heard, And she is timid. She will hide. I will not forsake her Or sing her to the dark,…
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Flowers
You were never going to see me Among all the other flowers, Watching idle as the strangers Daily passed me by. I am not unlike my sisters, Neither am I just like them; We are gathered as a body Staring at the sky. If you deign to come in closer And, for once, get on…
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Stars
Did you see the stars tonight? I could hear them cry Watching human promises, Every one a lie. The stars above, among themselves, Feel no need to compete. Each is glad for her own light, Sacred and complete. One by one they turn away, Collapsing in despair: Their grief consuming everything, Leaving their wrath fair.…
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Netherwood by Jane Sanderson
Netherwood was a side read to space out my 2019 Classic Novel Challenge. Like The Lady and the Gent, it is historical fiction. Though they share a genre, these novels are delightful in their own ways. Netherwood is more sober than The Lady and the Gent. It’s the story of a widow named Eve and…
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Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov by Robert Chandler
My third book in this year’s classic novel challenge, Russian Magic Tales, was a delight. I wandered dark forests, met evil stepmothers, learned riddles, and—happily—found the Russian mermaid, who draws travelers to death with her weeping. More interesting than the stories were the biographies of each featured author. Many lived dank lives, suffering illness and…
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The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
The first book I read for my 2019 reading challenge, The Mayor of Casterbridge, is compelling because of its characters. Though there are many, it focuses on a man named Michael Henchard, a man none of us would envy. It is the story of a mistake he made as a young man and how this mistake…
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In Grief
The day the grand piano was tuned, no one remained to play it. When the carpets were cleaned, not a soul walked the halls. The lonesome house was being scrubbed to make space for new life—but wasn’t ready to let go. One could feel in the air a note from a lullaby never finished; it…
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Around the Literary World in a Year
A new year always brings with it pressure to come up with a resolution. Though setting goals often feels like a trend, I don’t like ignoring a clean slate. I don’t plan to do anything mind-blowing this year, but I know where I hope to be when roaring 2020 comes in. Writing-wise, 2019 will see…
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l’automne
Your bookshelves are empty. Outside, the leaves fall. We’re waiting through The saddest autumn of all. Your piano is sleeping— Too great for my hands. Still, I will play ‘Til my heart understands. I took home your paper To sketch out your face, But you have a smile That art can’t replace. The trees out…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 