in Africa — A number of years ago I followed my eldest daughter to Uganda where she was working with an NGO in Kampala. My plan had been to lend a hand in any way needed. …

The animals I have known — Though I cherish the quiet I have earned there are days I miss the whisper of animals all around me Youthful energy, bounding in I’m easy to please I’m easy to forgive nervous purr, saying do what you must just be quick just be gentle Next come the sick, cradled…

Is this what it means to be a poet? — In that other time I spoke in prose, ordered phrases falling line after line, on to the page I thought of myself not as a writer, merely a cypher documenting the pain of others Then the words slowed to a trickle, syllables wrapped me in warm confusion until finally, I emerged heart in hand…

A prompted poem — I search the white expanse for signs of life but find none no criss-cross from machines wreaking havoc in this quiet place no solitary footprint hinting at some untold mystery hiding just out of reach no deer tracks tracing a meandering path like unformed thoughts no evidence of predator stalking prey like…

And Strangers in a Car — It had been some time since I had introduced myself as a veterinarian to a stranger — four years away from daily practice, two years under Covid restrictions, it didn’t seem to matter anymore. But a frigid night and an Uber driver changed that. We had just finished a wonderful…

That Keep Me Awake —

Nora — When I was eleven I went to a movie convention with my friend and her father, who owned a chain of theatres. At the MGM booth was a tamed cheetah who people were allowed to see up close and Mr. …

Part Two — I’m publishing a book and it’s all Roz Warren’s fault! Last September, after reading an article she posted, I submitted a cat story to the publisher, Austin MacCauley, Writers! Chicken Soup for the Soul is Looking for Essays on Topics from Cats to Eldercare Here’s What You Need to Knowmedium.com Accidently, I sent it to general submissions, not Chicken Soup. A few weeks later, to my shock, I received an email asking…