Spotting pale petals, you remember, trading picturesque mountains for Midwestern fields, the willpower of finding home away from home while healing strangers. But I would call you my brother, standing among a handful of faces that comforted me when the world was ending. How a rose must look from hospital rooms, frail petals and questioningContinue reading “Gratitude”
Tag Archives: #remission
Sunset Dance
evergreen sunset painting lessons on flawed palms tempered emotions guiding moments from my past softly teaching me to dance I’ve been thinking a lot about how we choose to spend our time or how we prioritize our time. A friend who recently returned from visiting family in India said that in some parts of theContinue reading “Sunset Dance”
Cast Off
Cast out to sea, warbling wayward. Only the wind speaks, offering its favors– its knowledge and greed, gathering our labors to skim waves so free, spreading them skyward. Our grief? Let it be, whistling onward. Say goodbye to me, but I’ll save my words. This week’s Wea’ve Written Weekly from the Skeptic’s Kaddish involves breakups.Continue reading “Cast Off”
Winter’s Beauty (& New Published Story!)
wintry limbs tremble under nature’s gray blanket coating thick like wool foamy froth that climbs our knees ice that bends and shimmers trees On this chilly winter day, I’m happy to celebrate another publication! My short story “An Unlikely Ally” is in Wildfire Magazine’s newest issue, Identify & Aftermath, which was released yesterday in digitalContinue reading “Winter’s Beauty (& New Published Story!)”
“Heartbeats of Chemo” Published
My short story “Heartbeats of Chemo” was published in Elephants and Tea this week! You can check it out here. One of the main reasons I enjoy sharing stories about my cancer journey is because I believe they’re relatable in other ways. Yes, this particular story is about an appointment I had in March ofContinue reading ““Heartbeats of Chemo” Published”
Pinkwashed
Breast cancer awareness month is over. Thank God. You might think that breast cancer survivors enjoy or appreciate October. Maybe some do. It’s not that I hate BCAM, but I see many issues with it. For one, we have enough awareness of breast cancer. We see pink ribbons everywhere. The disease has been commodified essentially.Continue reading “Pinkwashed”
Autumn’s Frailty
Copper baldachin veils the hillside canopy in royal disarray beneath a sky blurred teal and gray. Life pillows soft beneath my feet, then crunches out its vibrant angst. Like so many others, I associate autumn with the colorful leaves. My family and I went hiking this afternoon at a local recreation area that has aContinue reading “Autumn’s Frailty”
Changing Currents
Meander through meadows, patching puzzle pieces together into a mosaic tapestry. Wind– unwind– but don’t unravel; follow the brook’s bedrocks as they hum lazily with current through distant soothing channels toward our hazy destination. This summer, I have taken a giant leap– into a new job! I’ll still be teaching, but at the college levelContinue reading “Changing Currents”
Poem: Stubborn
Burrow your feet in hitching anchors to rocks, twisting roots within secure against the odds. Small and frail you begin, yet you grow among the copse: until you rise above the din, until you’ve bested every fraud.
Collecting Mini Milestones
For many of us cancer survivors, the five-year mark is a huge milestone. It’s believed that if you are in remission for five years, with no evidence of disease, that you can be considered “cured”. At least tentatively. Though it does happen, it’s rare for most cancers to return after so long. Many people noContinue reading “Collecting Mini Milestones”
Words and Coffee Writing 