Basement Dreams

Basement Dreams

The recent flood in my St. Louis house has put me in mind of other houses I have lived in along the way. Houses are so much more than shelters. They are more than prized possessions. They are containers of memories. The houses we have lived in and left shape the...
Mountain Treasure

Mountain Treasure

“Come here,” my father said as he stepped off the path. “I have something to show you.” We ducked under branches and tore through brambles. He was always careful to hold the twigs and branches so that they wouldn’t swish back and slap me in the face. We crept down the...
Autumn is for Parting

Autumn is for Parting

The trees were brilliant just a few days ago, their branches a shimmer of scarlet and amber.  As I set out for my morning run, I notice they have grown more subdued. The scarlet has faded to russet. I hold out my hand and catch an ocher leaf as it plummets...
The Last Time I Saw My Father

The Last Time I Saw My Father

My father’s later years were difficult. He bounced from one nursing home to another, his peripatetic life precipitated by his refusal to stay where he was put. By the time my father entered his first nursing home, he was losing his ability to walk. He had nearly lost...