January 28th came and went without incident. Without notice. I thought The Cowboy’s ghost would come and haunt me on this the anniversary of me having ghosted him, but if he did, I didn’t even notice. So much has happened since then, and yet nothing at all has. Since then, I have become kind ofContinue reading “I’m a little less haunted these days”
Category Archives: my love is for the birds
I told myself, that for the birds…
C texts me back, “You must be braver.” He’s referring to me not giving a like to a stranger’s comment I saw on an acquaintance’s Instagram post about writers’ backing out of the AWP conference in Kansas City because the AWP will not declare themselves Pro Palestine and denounce Israel. The stranger’s post is aContinue reading “I told myself, that for the birds…”
If fear of the night is a measure for loneliness…
Morning comes and the animals lick me awake. They’ve tired of dreaming and want to eat and play. But I’m never ready to wake up. The night is my favorite and I hate to see it go. Dreaming is my favorite and I hate to see it end. When night comes I feel safe andContinue reading “If fear of the night is a measure for loneliness…”
counting lovers like sheep
Fall migration has started, hushing whatever was screaming inside me to a stop. Birdsong has that power over me. I spend my days tending to my plants and my rescue animals fully embracing my solitude, knowing that at last I’m done with the outside world. I have dozens of juvenile Western Bluebirds and them growingContinue reading “counting lovers like sheep”
The Sandhill Cranes
I clicked my heels and mentioned you three times to the tree fellers at the bar. There’s no one like you. There’s no one like you. There’s no one like you. And nothing happened. I’m always mentioning you to strangers, all your fires and your feats. I need to stop because I’m sure you’re notContinue reading “The Sandhill Cranes”
things are starting to fall into place
Juvenile Western Bluebirds are flying erratically across the front yard from tree to tree. It’s as if they’re showing off they can fly now. Their beaks are too large for their face and they barely have any blue on them at all. At first I thought them to be juvenile European Starlings because of theContinue reading “things are starting to fall into place”
The Great-tailed Grackle Whisperer
I’ve been gone for days and I like checking in on my house without me in it. There are more than a dozen live fires in the area and I left the living room light on. I’m hoping my Santa Lucia Island Sage will survive this heat without water. My mother is going to giveContinue reading “The Great-tailed Grackle Whisperer”
family of foxes
Charlie, what do you think? You outlasted frostbite and followed every beast. Can you sing? Can you love? Because if you can’t by now it don’t look good for us. I had thought my mulberries would go to waste this fall, but a family of foxes moved in. The mom watches me and only walksContinue reading “family of foxes”
cavity nesters
Maybe there’s a God above But, all I’ve ever learned from loveWas how to shoot somebody who outdrew you This nesting season, the Western Bluebird nesting boxes were taken over byEuropean Starlings. It wasn’t my intention to harbor this aggressively invasivespecies, but once it happened, what was I to do? Steal the eggs? Kill thefledglings?Continue reading “cavity nesters”
playing at love
In a matter of seconds, I became your wife and gave us a life together. When I called the hotel housekeeping to see if they had recovered your shirt I accidentally left in the closet, to be your wife seemed much easier than the actual truth. The Housekeeping manager didn’t need to know we areContinue reading “playing at love”
My Love is for the Birds - Sketches 