Indian Paintbrush

I am angry. Spread out like an old fly on a dissecting table, unable to move up or down. I am furious at the girls, especially my teenage daughter Diana. If it were not for them, I would not be stretched out on this rocky slope, with the rocks sliding beneath me, and the birds—areContinue reading “Indian Paintbrush”

For Such a Time as This

She was ten years old when she was captured by enemies and carried away into captivity. There she was raised as a servant, learning the language and skills of her new people. At the age of sixteen, she was sold to a white trader who made her his wife. It was at that time whenContinue reading “For Such a Time as This”

The Night the Sky Exploded

Vicenza, Italy military housing complex Fall 1984 ‘Even the cornstalks seem menacing,’ I thought as we followed the narrow path through them toward the military housing. The cornfields back home had never seemed as tall or as threatening. They hadn’t blocked out the sun or shed strange menacing shadows as these did. I tried toContinue reading “The Night the Sky Exploded”