Treasures things cherished Over and above all else A mystery why When some seem valueless Look to people Cherish character and Love hard  

“I want to die.” said the suicidal girl “If you have lived go ahead and die.” said grandma.

ANIMALS UNDERSTAND   I know I will never see . . . One as lovely as thee. With your wet nose and wagging tail, Your antics, in my laughter make me wail.   You want to share my food . . . And I want…

Hour Nine: Soda Bread I keep the recipe tucked into a cookbook a cookbook I rarely use, of old Irish recipes. This recipe is written in ballpoint blue ink, just beginning to fade, on a 5×7 sheet of unlined paper, paper I recognize as the…

In Newark Liberty Airport Station, America is two men in airport security uniforms sitting in wheelchairs.  America is hiding in multicolored faces, eyes, hairstyles, standing in line, staring at screens, talking in many languages, complimenting the air and echoing from the concrete pillars and tile…

I’ll never forget that June summer night when I stood on Tower Bridge, looked over the railing, and I wondered what it would be like to fall over, and I would fly for a moment until I hit the water. would I float? would I…

SPAM I laugh uproariously at the amusing song by Cheryl Wheeler, about the cruise ship that got stranded out at sea, and all they had to eat for a couple of weeks was pop tarts and spam, airlifted from the mainland. No one, from the…

  Johnny cake mix, triggers a memory Of the way we were Yes, let’s make a meal Dumplings conjure memories of Childhood days, Back home Fridays my favorite No traditional meals Fried dumplings and saltedcod Every child back then, lived for this day No rice,…

There’s rarely an Indian who will not rave about the ‘achaar’ their Dadi or Nani made. They may also tell you of the strict rules to making of that ‘achaar’ lest it get spoiled! Recipes were passed down from mother-in-law to daughter-in-law Come summertime, raw…

Sweets I was a rambler as a child in the summer, outside dawn to dusk with a sandwich and a book, maybe a friend or two, a thistledown seed on the wind. If nothing sweet was in the house, no candy or cookies around, I…