Winter Arrived in October

I watch the snowfall for a third time this month.I can’t remember the last time it snowed three times before Halloween.But here I am, watching it float down once more.It stopped snowing in late May,only to return in early October.Is this just a weird year?The new normal?A sign of how climate change has impacted theContinue reading “Winter Arrived in October”

Close Focus

Lately, my eyes have been focusing differently.Whenever anything is near my eyes, ie a book or phone screen, my eyes will innately focus on that one thing while everything beyond what I’m focusing on blurs. It’s like focusing in portrait mode, the background becomes fuzzy while the words I’m reading become better than crystal clear.ThisContinue reading “Close Focus”

The Power of Mindful Breathing

I have found comfort in my breath. Inhaling and exhaling are often done without thought. The body knows how to breathe without the mind getting involved. But there is something about getting my mind involved with my breathing that has helped calm my thoughts and body. Learning how to belly breathe can change the body’s way ofContinue reading “The Power of Mindful Breathing”

Saturday Drive

I go on a drive looking for my old self.I listen to old music and sing along. Dixie Chicks and Bob Dylan,Songs from my childhood that have bled into my young adult years.The leaves have barely changedAs the season of summer is about to leave for the year.Saturday, 79 degrees, and endless blue skiesGuide myContinue reading “Saturday Drive”

No Fireworks in September

A single sound shoots through the summer night. It’s loud and fast and gone before I can comprehend what is happening. There are no rippling sounds that fade into the darkness. No colors flying across the sky. No screams for help. As I’m writing this on a Sunday afternoon, I’ve only heard this sound twice,Continue reading “No Fireworks in September”

One Year with Abnormally Puffy Eyes

I was in a McDonald’s bathroom somewhere in Iowa.I was exhausted from a weekend full of family time and walking around the Minnesota State Fair.My dad and I had left a few hours before dawn and began the long drive back home.As soon as we got on the road, I instantly fell back asleep, holdingContinue reading “One Year with Abnormally Puffy Eyes”

XXVI

I’m older than I was but I still feel quite young.Birthdays aren’t as celebratory the older I get. It’s just another age that takes a whole yearTo adjust to saying, only to have to change itWhen my birthday comes along again.There’s nothing special about turning 26 Except for health insurance and my license expires.As aContinue reading “XXVI”

I Don’t Remember Your Name But I Do Remember Where You Live

If you take to me some place new, then tell me to find my way backwithout using a map or phone, I can do it.I could not be paying attention,distracted by the screen in my handor the music I’m listening to,and I’d still be able to find the streetI’ve only been on once before.I canContinue reading “I Don’t Remember Your Name But I Do Remember Where You Live”

Morning Crossword

The open screen door lets the cool morning air into the kitchen. Water is heating in a pot that’s on a circle plugged into the wall sitting on the counter. I open my computer and do a New York Times’ crossword puzzle as I wait for the boiling point. When I hear the circle turnContinue reading “Morning Crossword”

Patterns of Summer Rain

I look out to the west to see  the mountains have vanished  underneath a blanket of heavy  rain clouds. For hours, I wait for  the rain to fall. Sometimes, it comes  and passes within minutes. Other times,  like today, it lingers for hours, teasing  its arrival while never actually  making its way to the plains.