Beautiful Dust

“I’m beginning to recognize that real happiness isn’t something large and looming on the horizon ahead but something small, numerous and already here. The smile of someone you love. A decent breakfast. The warm sunset. Your little everyday joys all lined up in a row.” – Beau Taplin I’ve been thinking about little joys ever Continue reading

I would like gasping happiness like driving fast in summertime. I would like steadiness through change, to be standing still even on sand. I would like clarity for repentance. I would like peace enough to rest and be unashamed of breathing. I would like wisdom with assurance for when I know only this step and not the Continue reading

I like where I am right now. I’m speaking very literally here. I like where I am sitting. It used to be a street, I think; now it’s essentially a giant patio. There are paving bricks instead of asphalt, which I think adds a charming flair to the feel of the thing. The most pleasant Continue reading

I’m in Georgetown sitting by the river right now. Georgetown is where you have the option to sit under a tree by the canal or in the sun on the edge of the Potomac. I like that. I chose the river today for the breeze and for the view. I walked over the Key Bridge Continue reading

I said goodbye to a dear friend this week. I said goodbye once already, but as my fantastic luck would have it, he came back and we had to repeat the process. I cried a lot less this time, which was helpful. Saying goodbye was different this time than it was before. A few months Continue reading

I love my bookstore. Yes, it’s mine. I’ll take you there someday. Once we go, it could be your bookstore too. But it was mine first. Yes, I’m being that way about it. Those shelves are stocked specifically for my perusal because that’s the only way my exorbitant spending habits are justified. I’m a hapless Continue reading

This week, my brother is visiting D.C. for the first time. I took him to the memorials today. The Lincoln Memorial was my brother’s favorite. “Lincoln is bigger than I thought,” he said, just as he said the Washington Monument was larger than he’d imagined. Together we looked at the statue and then we started Continue reading

You Are Forever Like Oceans My toes curl into sand, Establishing myself between the waves. I tell you my dreams Of a kitchen with curtains framing sunshine And lemon cake with frosting. Around my ankles the splashes remind me of the sequins On my first really truly ballerina tutu. I give you my secret About Continue reading

Another school year is drawing to a close this week. This year I had to teach my students so many things I have yet to master. How to handle those who make them feel less than loved. Finding patience for the people who need more time to grow. Understanding that identity is not grade point Continue reading

We’ll Be Here When We’ve Repeated Everything 1-2-3 you said. A-B-C. Over and over and over. Last year you measured out syllables in triplet Bursting away from your work in raucous but predictable beats. But you’ve grown so tall this year; Just one way I’ve seen you change From the squirming boy I met two Continue reading