"Ms. Skarin, are you with us?" I tried to connect the voice with the face looming over me. Hi Ms. Skarin, you were out for a long time. Out? Where did I go? My body is heavy against a narrow bed between two metal railings. The machines are making a slow methodical beep and there … Continue reading That Was a Simple Procedure-No Problem
The Audience
Zinsser wrote, In Writing Well, chapter 5, “I’m talking about two different issues. One is craft, the other is attitude. The first is a question of mastering a precise skill. The second is a question of how you use that skill to express your personality.” Craft is something I’m in constant learning mode, some mastered … Continue reading The Audience
Catastrophic Suffering
I grew up in a fundamentalist religious group in Canada until I turned ten and our family moved to Los Angeles. Our world in Canada was all white with a “Truman Show” atmosphere. I experienced a traumatic culture shock after we moved. I didn’t stand out as being different in our sheltered prairie town but … Continue reading Catastrophic Suffering
What Do I Miss (pre-pandemic) An Allegory
Sand tickles bare feet; Sand shifts; I tip sideways; arms fling wide. Waves crash; waves suck in sand; I brace my body, I brace its watermelon-shaped abdomen. Waves pull me under; I gurgle---spit saltiness. Waves tumble me-over-and-over; I gasp! Help Pandemic. What's new? Masks, social-distancing, senior store hours, gloves, wash hands, repeat. Online classes, online … Continue reading What Do I Miss (pre-pandemic) An Allegory
Remember Daddy When…
Remember daddy, when you made a radio from scratch. A small light yellow box with an open back containing a fascinating array of tubes, wires, and the string with a safety pin dangling down by a thumbtack so we could tap it back to life with a sizzle. I remember the smell of warm tubes … Continue reading Remember Daddy When…
I Am From
I am from a sister sandwich, I’m from the middle, the peanut in peanut butter. From a Navy ship gangway, a mother with two arms and three children and a leash that held me in range. I am from two sisters in silk-lined coffins. I will see you in heaven, Heidi and Debbi. I am … Continue reading I Am From
My Grand Adventure
My fingers gripped the cold metal railing as I peered down at the yawning hole in the most amazing sight I had ever laid eyes on. My stomach tightened and I sucked in my breath. My father stood next to me, his thick wavy black hair rippling, his hands pushed into his pockets. My older … Continue reading My Grand Adventure
Two Cells in One
The Fleshly Cell The cell was as sound-proof as my life had been. I wanted to scream. Maybe someone would hear. But all that came out was the scream of my nightmares. The scream that pulled all of my broiling emotions so tight against my chest that I felt my ribs would crack, but no … Continue reading Two Cells in One
I’m Going Home At Five
I was tagged with a plastic wristband, then wheeled upstairs to a room. After my children left, I was bored and asked if I could walk around with my dangling bag of saline on a pole. They let me walk the halls, but wouldn’t allow me into the waiting room. That night as I listened … Continue reading I’m Going Home At Five
Who Will Take Care of Joey
Who Will Take Care of Joey A few days before the date Dav and I had made to go out for pie, I woke up feeling a little off, so I ate oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast thinking it was just hunger pangs. Then I drove up the hill to Costco for gas, but … Continue reading Who Will Take Care of Joey
Unforced rythms of grace ~ by Annie Pauli 