As far as I could see, the gravel road stretched into the expanse of the dreary midday. The road seemed to lead to nowhere, but I felt as though I knew where I was going. I must have waited at the edge of the road for at least twenty minutes. The wild grasses were soContinue reading “Raccoon Vs. Chicken Vs. Me”
Tag Archives: mental illness
Circus Freaks and an Animal Parade
I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. I had no idea what to do, so I did nothing. Still, the days passed, and there was another sunrise, a ball of red-orange casting a spell of yellow softness onto the white snow, but only for a short time. The hours pass withContinue reading “Circus Freaks and an Animal Parade”
Open My Eyes; Take Me To My People
It sure is cold outside. She was as sweet a baby as ever I have known, and I was so happy that she was mine. But actually, she wasn’t mine. The first time I took her to the social services office to visit with her mom, I had dressed her in my daughter’s outfit, theContinue reading “Open My Eyes; Take Me To My People”
Luke Ate The Snowstorm
“Last year, at this place in Michigan, they got FIFTY-THREE FEET of snow IN ONE DAY.” The words spilled emphatically from his mouth and sent forth little drops of spit that distracted me, but only slightly, as I imagined this extraordinary snow occurrence which, in his mind, had certainly happened. “Maybe you mean fifty-three inches?Continue reading “Luke Ate The Snowstorm”
Laughing
Sometimes, I can see it getting closer, But mostly, it’s really far away. I try hard to keep it from coming back, but I can’t. It’s fierce, lively, bright, sharp, glorious, and terribly sad, all at the same time. Even from a distance, its force brings me to my knees. I try to catch it,Continue reading “Laughing”
See Ya, Buttheads
It was the wax bottles, the Maryjanes, the sixlets, and the caramel bullseyes, along with a vast array of other vintage candies that held my attention until I looked to the direction of my son. We were at a downtown sweet shop, and he was engaged in conversation with a young girl who looked toContinue reading “See Ya, Buttheads”
True Story: A Crack in the Egg
The sun was just beginning to set as I finally made my way out into the evening, leaving the confining walls of the hospital, alone, as I had done more times than I might like to recall. Hoping, beckoning, begging, crying out that this will be the end, the catharsis, the transcendence, the awakening…the timeContinue reading “True Story: A Crack in the Egg”
What I Hope You Will Know
“And just as the darkness got very dark, he bumped into his big fur mother, and she took her little fur child home in her arms and gave him his supper.” –from “Little Fur Family” by Margaret Wise Brown Here is what I hope you will know: it is different. Raising babies that IContinue reading “What I Hope You Will Know”
Going Home
It could have been a driving snowstorm, or maybe the thickest, most dense fog that I had experienced; I don’t remember the precise conditions, but the fear will never leave my memory. I’m a nervous driver anyway, but this night, travel would have been unsafe even for the seasoned race car driver. I should haveContinue reading “Going Home”
Words
I was so distracted by what she had said that the rest of her words swirled together and floated in an elusive ring through the air, mingling with the incense before fading to a place where there are no words, only the deep sense that something indiscernible has happened. What she said must haveContinue reading “Words “
