No. 8 – The Prom Dress By Nandhini G. Natarajan   It was a special joy, a milestone for my high school Downs Syndrome daughter. She was going to the prom, just like her sister, Anjali the previous year. Her Best Buddy was taking her….

A Crate of Picked Peaches   dappled as summer’s sunset blushed yellow & red, stacked perfectly in a wooden crate   each rounded cheek boasts fuzzy flesh, begs teeth to sink into skin, savor   like Renoir’s velvet still  tells a mouth-watering story of sunshine…

Windshield wipers slap back and forth, Hands gripped white on the wheel, Wall of water in front of me. Life giving, life taking, Water to give, to wash away. Radar fails me, into the beast we go, Angels above protect us!

There are some things that stick with you. some combination of emotion and the senses that keep a memory alive, like the morning I awoke to the Monarchs, mid migration, all the limbs on the trees alive with butterflies flittering like leaves in a breeze….

Nighttime, when strange things happen The full moon shining brightly Gleaming on the surface of the river Tempted was I in this beautiful scenery So, I threw down my anchor from my heavy boat And laid down on the hard surface To gaze at the…

Our Friends Agree (Hour 8 – Half Marathon 2021) After being friends Since childhood After your boyfriend Caught you With another guy Just after he brought up the possibility of marriage And told you he could no longer be with you, And you agreed he…

Hold my hand as we cross the street And never take for granted that your feet Carry you from place to place And always do without a trace Of complaint   Remember this moment as we stroll Along the sidewalk feeling whole Hand in hand…

Sit with it a while. Not many people make honest attempts in doing so. Talk in it without expectation. Hold and be an open space. Move in it. Trust that it is on your side, the same way you need someone else to be. You’d…

Follow me to the pond. We’ll jump in and savour summer. Cool skin brings pleasure. Our eyes wander away to the wide open meadow. Lavender a striking dark purple, having reached peak bloom. Just like us. Dry off and stay awhile longer. We can lie…

Self-Portrait as a Flip Flop   I’m poised and ready for this confession: I prefer to be barefoot. In summers, I’m often searching the house for my sandals, like some do for keys – I kick them off the second I come to a standstill….