Park for the Undeterred

Basalt boulders pried from farmland Shouldered by optimistic mid-century Kiwanis Under a high desert sky Stacked and cemented An outsized barbecue Centrepoint of a scorched-earth park Tolerable only twice a year During equinox Otherwise too hot  too cold too windy for any except An Andean mummy Grey wooden picnic tables splintering and brittle Easy pickings for wasps Cheerfully nesting under … Read morePark for the Undeterred

Risky Business

I want to open a restaurant. Where? Halfway between Boise and Lucky Peak. What’s the name? The Crow Inn. So, it’s a motel? No. That’s sort of confusing. Maybe you’re right.  I’ll call it Ben’s Crow Inn. What’s the specialty? Specialty? Yes. Why do people stop? I’m going to serve clams. Clams? In the desert? … Read moreRisky Business

The Indignity of Aging

1918 Midwestern farm bank Greek revival In white brick Oversized windows Brightened the space Until in 1929 Everything went dark Decades later Out of bankruptcy limbo A ready return to the marketplace A barber college Then an upholstery shop A daycare A carpet store A judo studio A vape shop Until in the go-go Subprime … Read moreThe Indignity of Aging