Tribulations

May 2, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

Preoccupation with my own woes blinded me to my husband’s suffering, which culminated in a heart attack on Saturday night. We are shell-shocked. “That’s what happens to caregivers,” a callous nurse commented. Am I supposed to feel guilty? Unable to either drive myself, or push my own wheelchair, I am reliant on the goodwill of […]

Alright Already!

April 24, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

There’s that moment, just after having been flat-lined by a wicked cold or the flu, when you know you are on the mend, even though your energy is still low: a restless impatience to be ‘done with it’ so you can get back to life. I find myself feeling that way often, only I don’t […]

Anniversary of a Diagnosis

February 20, 2016.Reading time 2 minutes.

It has been two years now since the diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) changed my life. The disease, recently renamed Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disorder (SEID), has also been known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, although the latter is really a misnomer. ME affects muscles, the spinal cord (nervous system), and the brain stem. I wrote about […]

Where Are The Dogs?

Contemplating risk –a reunion with a former selflooking for an exit When did I become a snakerestrained?When did I become persona non grata? I slither between storiesconvince myself I can flydistraction a ruse I have big cat energyoverstepping boundariessocially adverse A faulty jeweldreaming of abundance but there’s a dragon to disarm My mother’s burden on my […]

Turning (tanka)

Mother

When I had a mothermy hair would cascadein curls of auburn perfectiona red velvet bow to accentuate the wave And I’d wear my bestnewly sewn frockwith lace at the neckand fishnet stockingsand patent Mary Janes And the girls giggling with delightwould skip hand-in-handto the school promand the boys shyly perchedagainst the back wall would wonderhow […]