Mammalia means one who suckles - to feed a baby from a breast or teat. Londa Schiebinger writes that when mammalia was chosen, there were two other terms in contention - aura caviga, meaning hollow-eared, and pilosa, meaning hairy. But nursing one's baby was politicized, in the time of Linnaeus, for noble women who would … Continue reading →

Mortar & pestle

1. You said - my friendship with you is one of the joys of my adult life.or was it- my friendship with you has been one of the joys of my lifeor was it- our friendship is one of the joys of my adult life.We were in the kitchen cooking and talking. I was squatting … Continue reading Mortar & pestle →

Water

I started to fill a bowl with waterIn which to brine a duck for Easter The sound of water falling from the tapFalling into water in the bowlBrought to me the memory of waterFalling into water twenty years ago.

Flashlight

The light glowed in the surf in the dark, brightening and dimming and almost disappearing with the roll and recoil of water. It was too far in to get without committing to fight the waves which had just hit us broadside so high and so hard I reached out to you and clutched your arm … Continue reading Flashlight →

Twist tie

You stepped in and stood behind me, gatheredmy hair loosely and bound it with a twisttie from the drawer. I looked to the left, notunderstanding you were protecting mefrom my task at the sink. I had swung my hair to get it to stay behind my shoulders and you saw that I had orderedthings wrong … Continue reading Twist tie →

Love Notes – #20

July 19 1. I got salt in the mail from you. It reminded me of King Lear and his misunderstanding of his daughter's assertion. So I felt loved, though that was a misunderstanding of your intention. The salt was from Bali. I don't know if it was from the north coast or not but I … Continue reading Love Notes – #20 →

Ceiling – #19

July 17 1. His photographs showed the perimeter of the ceiling of a cheap hotel room. There was something beautiful about them, uncluttered, quiet, almost still (but the gaze shifts). I asked him what was the point of view he was asking the viewer to occupy in order to engage in the investigation of a … Continue reading Ceiling – #19 →

Cempaka – #18

July 12 *Cempaka (Chempahkah) are tiny, white, South and southeast Asian Magnolia flowers that have an extraordinary perfume. Men climb the big trees to pick them in the early morning when the flowers are soft and closed. This is the desirable form. When they open, their petals stiffen and curve up and back. 1. The … Continue reading Cempaka – #18 →

Hair – #13

July 4 1. When I comb my fingers through my hair to pull the knots, long grey hairs come away in my hand. 2. Mom used to touch my head and smooth my hair when I was sick. Sometimes Dad rested his hand on the top of my head, then moved his hand to the … Continue reading Hair – #13 →

Lightning Bug – #11

June 25 1. You and the firefly converged. But then you didn't. 2. I watched the lightning bug and said nothing. You were talking. 3. Each time I thought a firefly would be caught up on you, it was drawn through your stride. 4. I learned to do a lot of things from my elders, … Continue reading Lightning Bug – #11 →