A poem —

After the Guatemala Earthquake —

A metaphor for life —

The righteous begging for bread — As a postgrad student, I had decided not to depend on my parents anymore, as I prepared for faith-missions work. I was in the U.S. but, as an alien, was only allowed to work on campus. A bit of slopping food from trays for the cafeteria dishwasher and throwing mail…

Choosing a college — I blew it. I was a New England boarding school senior, just 16, and everyone was applying to several colleges. I only applied to one, Middlebury College, because it was renowned for languages and I thought I could study a Spanish major. During my interview there, they asked me a…

A short list —

Crow’s Feet Prompt #39: Treasured Items — “The teacup isn’t your mother. The clock isn’t your Dad.” Words such as these were spoken by our clutter-busting teacher online during the pandemic. …

Several years ago I lost my life companion of almost 37 years after long months of illness. Nothing prepares you to face grief. You may have observed that of others and read about the process of grief, but living it is another story. Although my parents had already died —…

It’s summer in Canada. At home in Mexico, it’s almost always summer, especially now that I am supposedly retired. I am far from my Mexican home, far from the houses enclosed by walls, with gardens seldom visible to the public, and with few yards except in more wealthy neighborhoods. Here…