I don’t remember, as a child, ever really thinking about what it would be like to be an adult in terms of where I would live or what I would do. I do remember, however, worrying about what instrument I would play in the school band. I had two sisters, one eleven years older and […]
Confessions of a Fake Flutist Read More »
To start the year, we feature the poetry of local poet Judy Dykstra-Brown. Judy was The Tennessee Writers Alliance National Poetry Award’s first place winner in 2002, and she posts a minimum of one poem a day on her blog at https://judydykstrabrown.com/Her books include humorous poems on many subjects, memoirs and children’s books, all available
Poetry Niche – January 2026 Read More »
My closet rattles. One door is slightly ajar. Something is being batted about on the floor inside. A paw is visible now and then when it comes close to the bottom edge of the door. Once a nose with white whiskers peeks out, then shoots back in like a jack-in-the-box. My tiny new kitten was
Gussie’s mouth was frothy with the insides of cattails after our tug-of-war over the long stalk of the cat tail. I cleared out her mouth and we started again, most of the lighter-than-air tendrils clotting in her mouth but others erupting to drift out into the air until we were both covered. Ana laughed. Diane
Eclipses and Visions Read More »
For the most part, the men I have met over the seven years I’ve participated in social introduction sites have fizzled out – either through lack of interest, lack of memory or just plain lack of fuel to keep a long-distance relationship going. There is just one who has lasted as our relationship has evolved from friendship to seduction to
The first heart had been sitting on my kitchen steps on the morning of the first Valentines Day after my husband Bob’s death. I’d brushed it off the step as I opened the back door to feed the cats but had seen a flash of silver and retrieved it from the yerba buena. It would
First of all, in Mexico, almost everyone has them: flat rooftops. They are reached by stairs or by wrought iron ladders attached to the side of the buildings or by tightly spiraled metal staircases. Many serve the purpose of a security system by serving as home for the family “roof dog.” These dogs, not as plentiful nor as
The Rooftops of San Miguel Read More »
My closet rattles. One door is slightly ajar. Something is being batted about on the floor inside. A paw is visible now and then when it comes close to the bottom edge of the door. Once a nose with white whiskers peeks out, then shoots back in like a jack-in-the-box. My tiny new kitten was
An Intimate Encounter With Huichol Art The Huichols (who call themselves the Wixarika, meaning “prophets” or “healers) are one of the oldest indigenous cultures in Mexico and are said to be the one least touched by the modern world. Although it is often said that they are descendants of the Aztecs, the Huichols actually predate
Holding the World Together WithBeads and Wax: Read More »
Poems of Metamorphosis By Margaret Van Every A fan of Margaret Van Every’s poetry for many years (I read her book Saying Her Name three times), I am delighted to review her new poetry collection In a Better Place: Poems of Metamorphosis (February ’24). Here the word “metamorphosis” refers to our final transition. This book
