I am a parent, a teacher, and a poet. I grew up in Santa Rosa, CA. I’ve lived in Lake County for 15 years. I love to swim, and I was a competitive swimmer for many years. I also like to hike and run with my boyfriend and my son. I’m influenced by a wide array of poets including: Homer, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, Armando Garcia-Davila, and Lord Byron. I have a narrative style and use natural imagery. I usually write at least two poems every week.
“Isn’t this amazing?” I ask my husband as the clear, crisp blue sky turns pink, purple, and gold. We’re watching a beautiful sunset at Borax Lake. “We should do this more often.” Since neither one of us wants to cook dinner after our short, steep hike, we drive along Sulfur Bank Road to pick up some take-out from Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant and Bar on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks. We’re long-term residents of Lake County, but we’ve never been to Happy Garden. From what I hear, it’s the best Chinese food in Lake County.
It wasn’t fall when he died, closer to winter’s heart, when birds abandon bare trees, dew sets forth its layers. No delicate blossoms lined our path, none of spring’s hopeful renewal, just tired trudging, winter’s dirty boots, a sterile hospital room unfit for a two year old’s play. He unhinged from existence, a blazing gold […]
Let them say the meadow of my heart blossomed in the summer, burst forth in colorful, robust bunches, gleamed– let them say my heart’s woodlands were carpeted and bloomed vividly in the spring. Let them say my heart was a cornucopia, a proud, sturdy host, an open-mouthed vessel which filled itself over and over again. […]
Like all of you, I’m adjusting to this new lifestyle. No facet of my life is unaffected by the pandemic. I’m teaching classes from home. I’m homeschooling a teenager. I’m standing in line for toilet paper at 7:00 a.m. in a mask. I’m dealing with the personal and professional challenges of a “shelter in place” order, and when I get the chance, I’m writing. The following series of poems is dedicated to all of the students who are “sheltered in place” at home.
