your feet in the sand. your feet in the water. in the soil. in the grass. slipped deep into mounds of water-worn pebbles. your feet on the hot wood of your rooftop. your feet held. caressed. your feet in the couch cushions. in the air. your curled toes digging, pushing, eager...

تولدت مبارک

warmest wishes, happiest birthdays

to our loveliest boy
and to our baby, now 11

عشق شوری در نهاد ما نهاد
جان ما در بوته سودا نهاد

how my heart collapsed with the memory: a dear, dear friend, who taught me to read in Persian, writing out the lyrics so i could follow along.. chosen for its beauty, its slow pace, and Eftekhari's excellent enunciation

hearing it suddenly, all these years later.. the trembling in my bones

It was Will who noticed the striking image: row upon row of stones in varying shades of grey/black, stern and hard against the sunlight and the heat.

Since flowers are not a Jewish tradition, little towers of rock perched precariously on those hard edges, casting long shadows over the newly turned soil...

Hello, 3:00 a.m. reader.
I do hope you're overseas.