What stage of grief is Birdsong?

My therapist says I’m going through all the stages of grieving. Honestly, I don’t know what the stages are, I just deal with things as they come. When I start to cry without warning, I go hide, when I suddenly get angry, I do the same. When I feel haunted, too. Before spring, I feltContinue reading “What stage of grief is Birdsong?”

before the next fire season

…Sold my coat when I hit Spokane, bought myself a hard pack of cigarettes in the early morning rain… …and I texted you, “I’m back from Italy.” You never replied. When I left I asked if you were going to miss me, and you’d said, “Of course. I’ll just be waiting for you to getContinue reading “before the next fire season”

The Birder in Me

This story first appeared in “Western Tanager” Volume 87 Number 4 in 2021. We were at the Alamo River Wetlands counting birds. The other birders and I walked armed with our binoculars and scopes with no room to think about anything but the birds and the storm that was fast-approaching. As we heard different birds’Continue reading “The Birder in Me”

But I didn’t cry this time when it came on…

A few weeks ago I got it in my head that I needed to leave the rodeo cowboy, because, really, I should have done it long ago. You can only be dicked around for so long until you say enough. So today, with all the pain in my heart and in my twat, I droppedContinue reading “But I didn’t cry this time when it came on…”