I ran out the door Unmindful of weather And the rain soaked my hair, Running down my back. I felt nothing. I saw nothing. I heard nothing. My thoughts whirled and twirled Your words making no sense Because I knew the truth And you are a liar....

I learned of the board when I was three Jumping each step to the first floor. “Listen, Mommy!” I shouted with glee And of course stomped on it once more.

At sixteen I avoided that fifth step Creeping out when the house was asleep. Walking on the very edge made me very adept, Just like the lies my sister promised to keep.

I still live in that house but I am old now And slowly maneuver those old s...

I was the last of five. The ending. The eternal baby. Life set me up for the last And has spun out that way. A name clinched it Even in kindergarten. Zoe Zefir. Last table. Last desk and last in line. The last shall be first A total lie it seemed.

Dancing class in middle school Lined up alphabetically, Coupled with the last boy Who was always shorter Than me and instantly Hated my tall, lanky fr...

The cabin is a rental disaster. The rain pounds on the tin roof And seeps through cracked windows. We hunker down on the lumpy couch With the century old quilt on us, Drinking hot toddies with graham crackers. You pull up an ancient playlist And suddenly there it is . The forgotten song, the old memories. “Oh no,” I say. “Please! No ear worms!” You laugh and turn up the volume And suddenly it’s wa...

He is sitting at his desk, book open. “I love you,” I say, kissing him on the cheek. He grunts, turns a page, and I laugh.

“I’m headed to the store,” I say, And head down to the garage. I start the car and smile At the full tank of gas and a clean windshield.

He comes up to bed and slips in. I roll over, and curl up against him. “You smell good,” I mumble. He wraps his arm around me, Kisses my h...

I check the calendar as I always do Checking that it is a Tuesday, Not that I didn’t know that already But the days run together. I wend my way up the stairs Avoiding the one with the creak That I really should get fixed, But there is a strange comfort In such a well-known sound. In the bedroom I pull out jeans And the underwear you laughed at, The cotton granny pants, the bra With the one small ...

I know her well. How many years known her? Should I tell? No, no, not in detail. She was my friend. That’s the beginning And even the end. Her face changed, She lived so many times So many places; Different towns and climes. Men came and went And she changed for them. Still I remained Always there unnamed. I know her well. Don’t I?...

Luanne dragged herself up to the door and pushed the button. The big doors of the clinic swooshed open, and she cautiously made her way in. The receptionist (what was her name?) waved and Luanne plopped heavily into the nearest chair to catch her breath.

“Mrs. Dawson, please check in. You’ll need your ID and insurance card. Sorry. New system”.

The woman smiled at her and her name popped into L...

When days shorten As happens this season Then darkness comes so quickly And the night stretches To great lengths And seems endless As we hunker down with Books and warm soups And the flannel sheets From the chest Where they have slept For months un-thought of Sweaters appear and knit caps And the barely worn wools We venture out rarely Into the black and the cold Forgetting too often That with t...

Oh no! I hear her shoes! Today she has the Mary Janes and probably her twirly dress. She’ll want to dance and…..

Oh god! The lights, and now I’m unbending.

Ow!! Ow! Ow! Damn but that pulls my back but it does feel good to stand up and stretch and..

Wait! She’s going to wind me up, I just know it.Here we go, around and around and around.

Does she have any idea how dizzy this makes me? If I had...