**On a mobile device, this poem is best viewed using landscape orientation. As a child raised right on the buckle of the bible belt, each June I could be found buried in the basement of a church singing Jesus loves me, and stringing salvation bracelets. One strand of leather, 6Continue Reading
Kin Takahashi was a five-feet-two-inch, 123-pound ball of joyous energy whose fire burned brightly for only thirty-six short years. But Mr. Takahashi shared his energy with all those around him willingly and without hesitation. It could be said that his life was so brief because he gave everything of himself,Continue Reading
Writing about fifteen years of practicing Universal Sufism gives me pause. For one, keeping personal matters personal–a tacit cultural feature of this region–seems polite and practical. Especially with spiritual matters, staying mum averts misunderstandings. Another reason I hesitate is that the essence of Sufism, an ancient form of mysticism, isContinue Reading
The ornaments on my Christmas tree tell the story of my life. Fisherman for Mamaw hangs at the top, she’s gone now, but that man smiles like she did when she saw me opening my gifts. Red hope, an ornament for losing her and remembering her a year later whenContinue Reading