free

He swings high and jumps off on three, sand flying when his feet land. He’s seven now, hair lightened from the sun. He runs across the playground to jump off something else. I walk to the swings, settle into the seat. They make them smaller now, you know....

together

Two play in the water while our third draws lines in the sand. The surprise rain sent the crowds away even though it left as quickly as it came. We remain with a few all-dayers and their puppies. The tide is out, the sun sets, and the wind plays in circles around my...

light

When I see a lamp post, I have a hard time not taking a photo of it. Like trees, lamp posts bear witness to stories that happen beneath them. They are interesting to me. I feel the same way about the moon. So when I see a lamp post and the moon at the same time, I...

how to be a better storyteller

They stood on the corner of Elm and McGee, laughing over flirt-heavy secrets and the funny things of nerves or love. Or maybe both. She was dressed for a date — ballet flats, strapless dress, a smile wide enough to connect the mountains to the sea. He had on...

the magic of light

We have a dog who ate the couch so now we have an empty-ish sunroom. He can’t reach the twinkle lights, so even though it’s kind of dorm room-y to nail lights to the walls and probably breaks every real-person decorating rule, I’m keeping them up...