My guys

Chest Top

porcelain ballerina

tiny wound tight

turn to clicking notes

that tring flick tock

shoulder chipped

off

tring

tic

stop

It's late in March

the window's cracked

the air is new but I think back.

A siren calls

the dog looks up,

the ghost tip toes but knocks the cup.

The dog lays back

the siren small

the cup remembers not its fall

The ghost ascends

the staircase air

and I tie back my messy hair.

"Mom, I can I make gingersnaps?"

This was my trusty cookbook, and its pages are stained with flour, molasses, ginger, even crusty pieces of dough. It is torn, worn and well loved. Baking was so fun!

Ok, so by the third tray of cookies one became a bit tired of rolling little balls and pressing each with a sugar-dipped fork. The Clara Barton recipe made an enormous batch of cookies. But they sure were good. The key was to rescue them from the oven when they were about 95% cooked, and to let them finish baking right on the rack.

No, if I'm keeping it real I will tell you that I laid the cookies directly on the counter top. I will tell you, too, that at that point I had consumed so much of the batter that I could care less about tasting the cookies. Not to worry. There were lots of willing Samplers nearby. Gingersnaps. I could go for some now.

When Lubna Prays

A stone pulled to earth

a flower bowed to sun

with solemness of snow

as particles make One

Inching over oceans

her ship is eastward bound

and what will be is inshallah

lost and lost then found

Her whispers hit her fingertips

her eyes of steady gaze

a bowing flower

rooted stone

is Lubna when she prays.

What's new?

Hello friends and family! I am in a great mood this afternoon! Left work at 2:30 to go pick up my little man at his A-Mah and Yeh-Yeh's house. Now he is home taking an overdue nap in his crib, and I am spending some quality time with Roxie.

I am at the very tip of a much needed long weekend. Here is what I am thinking about:

I love baby food. I just had a bowl of hot rice cereal with butter and salt. When Rowen is done I finish off his pureed carrots, sweet potatoes, even peas. When was I ever interested in a pea?I draw the line at prunes. Bananas too. But everything else is fair game. You are right, it is strange.

I watched in horror yesterday as a 17 year old kid who slowly made his way down to the road from the Liberty Tax office in a cumbersome and floppy Statue of Liberty costume. It is that time of year again, and we will be passing this gentleman and several of his "enthusiastic" peers every day for the next few months. Don't forget to wave.

We are going to Chinatown NYC tomorrow to meet Rowen's Great Grandma, Roger's Paw Paw. It will be his first mini road trip. What should he wear? It must be red, for good luck. It will be a quick trip, but hopefully we can make time for some dim sum or at least bubble tea!

That is about it. I hope you have a wonderful MLK weekend! As my friend Lisa always says, tell a loved one how much they mean to you.

xoxox

me

"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.

'Pooh?', he whispered.

'Yes, Piglet?'

'Nothing,' said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. 'I just wanted to be sure of you.'"

-A.A. Milne