Cold that comes in the wrong month, big oaks have to bend, light that’s caught in the leaves, a certain kind of wind Air from the Caucasus, memory of other breezes, uneven breath, an old man’s sighs, homesick for an unknown place Movement without purpose, shapes without form, stirred restless without progress, old movies on … read more Certain kind of wind
Author: Lisa
What hurts about beauty
I slept too late and moved too slowly. When I gathered my seven pieces of colored paper, the shapes would not play. They sat stiffly in their rectangles and triangles, and waited for the time to pass until the daily call from Pakistan came and I had to answer it. After a lot of commotion, I … read more What hurts about beauty
Being an idiot
Stupid. Idiot. Dumb-a**. Fool. Nitwit. Dope. Dipsh*t. Brainless. You use those words much? I have. They’re insults we throw around all the time: while driving or shopping, in heated Facebook discussions, yelling at the TV. Maybe we even mutter those words at ourselves when we make a big mistake. In nearly seven months since my … read more Being an idiot
This is a DATE, right?
We had already gone out twice. We met for drinks at 7 in our neighborhood bar. The first time I looked at my watch, it was midnight. What a novelty, to spend that much time just talking with a man and not feel even a little bit bored. The next week, we had lunch at the neighborhood Mexican restaurant, and went … read more This is a DATE, right?
The silence of the ferns
It was nearly sunset as I crashed through the forest. I usually make some noise while hiking in areas with bears, wild hogs and snakes, so that they have a chance to clear out before I confront them. Plus, I’d just left a community jam session, and the little bit of sing-along got my musical heart beating. … read more The silence of the ferns
Tick, tick, tick
No matter how hot it gets, I wear long pants and a hat when I hike through the woods. Along with bug spray, this is my protection from ticks and chiggers. It’s not enough, though. Chiggers are the larvae of mites, and they hang out near the ground where it’s moist. They jump onto your clothes … read more Tick, tick, tick
Old friends, new friends
A storm was coming. I had to hike early today to beat it, because I was going to do a tough trail. It’s one I haven’t been on in many months. But my recovery seems to be mostly over, and I felt ready to tackle it. The trail starts out with a piece that climbs steadily but … read more Old friends, new friends
The F Framework
Today I wrote the following paragraph – wait, have some caffeine before you read it to prevent from falling into a deep sleep. Activities for this project all fall under the standard indicators at the levels of element 1.3.5-8, and more specifically under 1.6.1-14, 2.4.2-5, and 2.4.2-8, of the F Framework Governing Justly and Democratically (GJD). … read more The F Framework
Farm boys at the airfield
When Dad was 22, he had never been on an airplane or been anywhere but Ohio. He was a farm boy before World War II. He was processed through Dayton at Wright-Patterson with thousands of other farm boys, and I guess that’s where he got a few days of training to be an air traffic controller. Then he … read more Farm boys at the airfield
None can compare
When I see bright, fluorescent pink in the forest, it’s usually leftover trail blaze tape or an empty Energy Gel packet. I was huffing along the trail, trying to finish my eight-plus miles in three and half hours. Looked like I’d make it. I didn’t. Because of the pink. No, it wasn’t FIRE PINK. It was … read more None can compare