The Pause

The tress across the street grows at a slant. I love the view outside my window: the tall cypress tree the pink roses 4 Subaru’s black bees with a touch of yellow hummingbirds, crows, bright flowers. The coffee pot hisses. This Sunday prayer of mine; I praise my view, lukewarm coffee, a dog curled into […]

Growth

It’s strange to be in my office working. Strange to look at my bulletin boards: quotes and drawings and pictures of my family. There’s a painting by Chris that sits at my eye-level. It’s a woman looking down, intent on her work. I am intent about my work. I carefully place these quotes and drawings […]

Gratitude

I want to slow down enough to write a pantoum. But my mind is made up of lists. Lists and the need to reach through a touch of fear as I tackle task after task. I know I just have to dive into the new, that I’ve written at least a thousand articles. Writing an […]

Love Song

Love Song  by Nancy Schatz Alton I write my own love song equal parts poetry & sorrows every experience that shattered me sits next to my strength. The rain slants & this is still the perfect phrase reused like sorrow & sadness as familiar as rage & grief. We seek new ways to describe the […]

Author

I’m one of those humans who doesn’t give myself enough credit. I like to mention my mentors, the people who make me feel like my work is worthy. The people who’ve helped me become a better writer or who helped me believe more in my writing skills. I don’t think of myself as a mentor, […]

May

May in Seattle is as green as the greenest green. If you see the color Kelly green when you read that, you are partially right. But add more greens: wet grass green during a rainy spring day. The way green looks as the sunlight hits it at 7pm, just as the light starts to dim. […]

This Week

I want to write you another perfect poem. As perfect as every poem is right after you write it: all my desire and language in a box on a page, playing with the white space. But here I am with a list of to do’s, a need to prep for class and pick up a […]

May Blooms

At our house, this time of year is known as the best time of the year. I mean: sunlight, daylight growing longer every day. Fishing season begins. You could probably finish this list by yourself; add blooming plants and green, green grass. This year, I feel this blooming in a different way. On Friday, I […]

Full Moon Ahead

Oh, it’s an update day. Where am I at? I’m immersed in the work week and it’s the morning after my class. It’s no secret to let you know some nights I am teaching to myself. That’s kind of a vulnerable thing to put out there though: no one shows up to my class. Don’t […]