The Wave
The family of three heads for seats in the tram. The mother has a toy for her toddler, who refuses to remain in one place. The father tries to wrangle … Continue reading
Super Süpürgeci
He’s sweeping while others are sleeping. I know the Turkish word “to sweep”–süpürüyor–so I am conjugating his every move, his plan for tomorrow, and yesterday’s business. I must admit it was … Continue reading
Benim Kızım and Other Cures for Airsickness
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
The general rustling of reading material charges through the airplane. Everyone shifts in their seat, digs through the belongings that should be…
Brotherly Love
It’s such an early shuttle to the airport. Two brothers wear green plaid shirts, grey sandals, black cargo pants in larger and smaller sizes, respectively. Groggy as they board, their mother … Continue reading
I Spy
A couple and their toddler toddle through the hip Vienna neighborhood. As they come into an area with shops, cafes, and restaurants, the father lifts the tiny girl up onto … Continue reading
How Little I Know
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Kotor, Montenegro He looked at the snail. Can it see me? He wondered. Then he felt, how little I know, and how…
Take Me
I’m renting an apartment in Budapest for a week. It’s an adorable building in a great location. The apartment has the amenities I sought, it is quiet and clean. However, … Continue reading
Eye-Catching
A woman in a neon yellow button-up shirt, a white sweater, and neon yellow slacks catches the attention of a middle-aged man who suddenly can’t remove his backpack properly. He … Continue reading
Any Day Now…
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
All that he had now was an idea that one day something would happen. And he would be taken by a set…
The Storyteller
The man in the red Hawaiian shirt is telling a huge story to his friend while they wait at the bus stop. His gestures make it seem like a fish … Continue reading
Groove, Death, Italians
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Nervous Italian Tourist holds on for dear life with both hands. “Groove is in the Heart” is on the radio and the…
Used Book
Someone in Stonybrook, New York paid cash for this book in 2007. The past owner left their receipt as a bookmark for the title poem from Billy Collins’ “The Trouble … Continue reading
A Coastal Renewal
I spent the last week on the Oregon coast with my aunt, sister, and niece. It was a gift to watch my niece as she experienced the ocean for the … Continue reading
Lightbulb in the Lighthouse
Before taking the lighthouse tour, visitors loiter at the Interpretive Center. A family with four children waits for the 1 pm tour. In the meantime, they explore the exhibits and … Continue reading
Parking Lot Pep Talk
I’m not looking forward to shopping. I am almost never looking forward to shopping. This is a benefit of living abroad with one suitcase– I can’t acquire new things since … Continue reading
Mr. Independent
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
A little boy in a blue t-shirt acts tough, strong, fearless. He clutches a toy truck low at his side and eyes…
From the Subjects of my Blog, Perhaps
Vade Mecum I want the scissors to be sharp and the table perfectly level when you cut me out of my life and paste me in that book you always … Continue reading
The Lunch Date
The little old man settles into the booth with his wife. He sits on the same side with her, though the waitress set the menu on the left, expecting them … Continue reading
Unrecognizable
A great deal has been said about love at first sight; I am perfectly aware of love’s retrospective tendency to make a legend of itself, turn its beginnings into myth; … Continue reading
Serenade for the Sheepish
From the moment she and her husband are seated, they eat and drink in silence. They don’t discuss the menu. They order by pointing. He looks through photos on his … Continue reading
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