On July 6, 2022, my family gathered to mourn the loss of my Grandpa and lay him to rest. This is the eulogy I delivered. Â Last Friday I went to see my Grandpa, not knowing that I was there to say goodbye. He took his last breath as my dad and I stood on …
Shabbat Shalom! I am remembering the first kidney stone that sent me to the hospital today. I woke up in excruciating pain that morning but managed to type out a few pages of my English thesis. Curled around my laptop and writhing in pain, as I recall, I had my main character fall and split …
This poem is based on an article I read in a small town newspaper back in 2008. While this isn’t one of my best poems, I do enjoy the movement created by the punctuation and flow of words. As much as poetry is an oral tradition, it is also an extremely visual art form. Small …
There is something wonderful about taking a shovel and digging a hole, the start of some project, or, in my case, the continuation of a very drawn out project. This week I have been digging the future wetland filter for our future backyard pond. The pond is a hole I started digging in my preteen …
The summer of 2011 I stumbled upon Austin Kleon‘s work sitting on a shelf in a bookstore. Not heeding the title of one of his books, Steal Like an Artist, I immediately purchased that along with his work of poetry, Newspaper Blackout. I loved the poems he created with a permanent marker and the restrictions …
Shabbat Shalom! My favorite childhood memories take place on the dusty back roads and waters of the Pathfinder Wildlife Refuge. Listening to Prairie Home Companion or singing along to a John Prine song as our little white pickup bounced along the gravel roads, we explored each of the back roads. Some nights we would sleep …
Today I hope to pay a family of eagles a visit. For the last several years, my family has enjoyed watching the growth and home-improvements of a pair of bald eagles living on the Pathfinder Wildlife Refuge. I could see myself becoming an avid birder, if I could ever find the time. Today I thought …
Shabbat Shalom! This morning two young squirrels are playing in the cherry blossom tree outside of my window as I think over my week, ahead and behind me. They flick their tails and make noises that sound muffled in their throats, bouncing on the thinner branches and learning how to balance. I see myself in …
This is a poem pieced together from notes and lines in a notebook I used while serving as the teaching assistant for the Holocaust course offered at the University of Nebraska. During my time with the class, I was able to schedule some survivors to come speak with our students. I tried my best to …
Shabbat Shalom! This week my parents celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary and each day since they have been teasing each other by recalling where they would be on their road trip honeymoon. “Meet you in Colorado Springs,” my dad calls out to my mom as he heads to his chiropractor appointment. Their celebration makes me …
