In honor of Memorial Day (a federal holiday that honors military personnel who have died while serving in the U.S. armed forces), I am sharing a third letter written by my grandfather, Sgt. Charles L. Wilcox, during WWII. I settled in for my grandpa reading prepared to devote a few hours, if needed, when something …
Category: Reading
Her Cottage by the Sea (audio excerpt)
She squeezed her eyes tighter, but the image of kissing him goodbye was seared inside her. She wanted to fracture herself into a million pieces and scatter herself across the sand, let it absorb her, let it transform her. Broken pieces of her, shaped into polished sea glass that captured the rising rays, smoothing her …
“Alone” ~ by Poe (video reading)
"Alone" by Edgar Allan Poe From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were—I have not seen As others saw—I could not bring My passions from a common spring— From the same source I have not taken My sorrow—I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone— And all I lov’d—I …
Story time (video)
Like many people, my love affair with words and stories began with picture books. An adoration that has never left me. I am grateful to my mom for reading to me and my brother before we started kindergarten and to my first-grade teacher for calling on me, frequently, to read aloud during story time. Those …
Burn Brightly (w/audio)
Burn Brightly (poetic prose) It supports life. Without it we would cease to be. Too much of this life-giver and we would be burned to smithereens. A just right balance gives us daily light and nature’s harmony. We feel its heat, but for us and billions of future generations, its greatest intensity will remain out …
Do not go gentle into that good night (video)
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the …
Continue reading Do not go gentle into that good night (video)
Sunflower Structure (audio poem)
Sunflower Structure - audio poem Your yellow gone your seeds mostly released the few that remained fascinated me Torn, I was, between wanting to pluck each one crack them open and swallow them whole or leave each shell in its protective bed perfectly secure I found you fallen from your tall sturdy stem no sign …
Imagine this
We cannot standardize test our way out of this mess. We need less desks in uniform rows crammed with young bound bodies cracking from the conforming stress. Every other answer a bubbled-in guess. More creative thinkers are needed to get us out of this mess. Shred the excessive expensive tests! Give young minds more tools …
The Giver by James Baldwin (audio poem)
James Arthur Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924 in New York City’s Harlem. Baldwin had a difficult upbringing, which included an evangelical preacher stepfather who struggled financially and who demanded rigorous religious behavior from his nine children. Baldwin’s personal challenges are reflected in his writings, especially in Go Tell It on the Mountain. Baldwin was …
A Simple Poem, A Simple Life
As a child I wanted things. As a teenager I had irreplaceable things stolen. As a young woman I acquired more and more things. I am no longer any of those things. I now give away things. I like the space created by giving away things. I gave away a classroom full of teacher things. …
My Inspired Life 