I’ve been thinking about Frida Kahlo lately. The brilliant Mexican artist turned to painting in the wake of a traumatic event in her then young life. At the age of 18, she was riding home from school on a bus when a trolley crashed into it. Frida’s injuries were extensive. For the rest of herContinue reading “See you soon”

That was certainly true at the Write/Angles Conference, held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, on October 18th. During the lunch hour, several of us attendees stepped outside to participate in the national No Kings protest. These photos, taken by Nick Smith-Koblitz, illustrate the joy and camaraderie we shared. They also reflect the beliefContinue reading “Sometimes pictures speak a thousand words”

Why search for sea glass? For as long as I can remember, summer after summer I’ve embraced this ritual. Like many neighbors, on many mornings I zig zag the length of the beach across the street in two directions. With my head tipped to the sand, my gaze alert to any aberration from the musselContinue reading “Searching for Sea Glass”

This exquisite creature visited our butterfly bush yesterday, lingering to savor its flower’s nectar. I sat nearby, watching in wonder as it drank, flitted off across the backyard, then returned to this same flower, repeated it many times as I marveled. I watched in sheer delight and awe. All the while, I struggled not toContinue reading “This Butterfly Knows “

For the month of June, I’d like to share a poem by one of my favorite poets, Naomi Shihab Nye. Her reminder in OVER THE WEATHER is just what I need to read, again and again, on these days when the cliff of despair feels so threateningly close. I hope you both enjoy and takeContinue reading “OVER THE WEATHER”

Here’s a letter I just wrote and sent to the Senator after watching his news conference upon his return from El Salvador. Unfortunately, within minutes I received the disappointing news that since I’m not one of his Md. constituents, he’s too busy to read it. Since the sentiments might resonate with some of my readers,Continue reading “Dear Senator Van Hollen”

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico–February 2025

I’d never heard of Jehanne Dubrow or her poetry before someone recently posted the poem below on Facebook. I copied and pasted it immediately into a folder on my desktop that I titled “Poems for Dark Times.” Reading the poem weeks after its first posting, I’m even more emotionally moved by it. Lately, I findContinue reading “A Syllabus for the Dark Ahead”

The Well of Grief Those who will not slip beneaththe still surface on the well of grief, turning down through its black waterto the place we cannot breathe, will never know the source from which we drink,the secret water, cold and clear, nor find in the darkness glimmering, the small round coins,thrown byContinue reading “The Well of Grief “

Suffering a post-election plunge of mood and spirit, I considered skipping November’s blog post––even abandoning my monthly posts altogether. Then it occurred to me that by doing so, I’d be yielding to the intentions of the winning cabal––to silence those of us whose beliefs, values, hopes and aspirations contradict theirs––wholeheartedly. More than ever, we’re calledContinue reading “Finding Light in Dark Times: Reflections and Prescriptions Post-Election”

I’m struggling to find a topic for this monthly blog post. With the election just weeks away, I’m in no way tempted to head down a political rabbit hole. Similarly, the two recent jaw-dropping hurricanes, Helene and Milton (still in force), speak for themselves, without comment from me. *********** According to the Jewish calendar, weContinue reading “Reflections on “The Days of Awe””

Publication in the “Readers Write” section of The Sun magazine has been a long-held aspiration of mine. Months ago, when I saw the theme for a future issue was “misunderstandings,” I knew what I had to do–write and submit a short essay. I couldn’t be more pleased that this particular essay has found its way intoContinue reading “Misunderstandings”

“Have you ever felt the need to write your story and share it with others? What if you believed breaking the silence would heal you, but family members want you to keep certain stories private? Could you find a way to respect their wishes while honoring your truth?” **************** On July 11, I hadContinue reading “Should I Honor Their Privacy or Break the Silence by Publishing My Memoir?”

On this last day of June, when the ground under my proverbial feet feels less than solid, I remember with gratitude the visitation from a deer a few weeks ago. It was a rare sighting, to say the least, since I was nowhere near woods. In fact, the Atlantic Ocean surrounded me on three sides,Continue reading “A Visitation”

Published in the May issue of “The Bluebird Word.”

This question surfaced in my consciousness this winter, during two glorious weeks on the Puerto Rican Island of Vieques, side-by-side chickens and cats as companions and meal mates. The house we rented in Esperanza had two large buckets by the door leading to this deck—one labeled “for chickens,” the other “for cats.” Just as lastContinue reading “IF CONVIVIALITY AND PEACE IS POSSIBLE BETWEEN SPECIES, WHY IS IT SUCH A CHALLENGE FOR HUMANKIND?”

For three generations, my family has summered on Boston’s south shore, at the tip of Nantasket’s Peninsula. Both the cottage where my mother’s family spent summers and the near-by one where I spent mine (and have summered since 2003) are located at the tip of this tongue-shaped strip of land called Hull. The narrow channelContinue reading “NOTHING LASTS FOREVER”

For those of you who missed the Smith Alum Poetry Reading, it’s not too late toenjoy the six poets (yours truly included) who read from their original work thatevening. What a wonderful mix of ages, poetic sensibilities, Smith experiences,and more!I was honored to accept the invitation from the Boutelle-Day Poetry Center toorganize and host thisContinue reading “Boutelle-Day Poetry Center – Smith Alumn Reading”

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My mother lived a long life—slightly more than nine decades. Ours was a complicated relationship for a slew of reasons; my mother’s desperate attempts to keep my normal separation process at bay and my corresponding lurches toward independence and liberation, for instance; and most disappointing, her inability to offer comfort and support to ten-year-old meContinue reading “It’s Never Too Late”