155/366
it perplexes her
his enthusiasm for
these interactions

156/366
procrastinator’s
motto. if there’s one more sleep
there’s lots of time left

157/366
every time I grade
try a different strategy
with the same outcome

158/366
all papers graded!
three cheers and a tiger for
me! I have won! grr!

159/366
this bit of news that
makes you catch your breath is the
seed of a story

160/366
you work until late
consider skipping a run
are glad when you go

161/366
the sun is shining
and my tax refund arrived
what an awesome day

148/366
Joan better get a
partnership out of this,
I said. And she did.

149/366
taunted by a stack
of shiny 2012 coins
need to do laundry

150/366
deciding to purge
old email is like being
sucked into a vortex

151/366
says he has 12 sons
skates 100 miles a day,
made and lost millions

152/366
visions of severed
feet dance in your head as you
dodge a pool of blood

153/366
a chat window pings
“it’s not the same without you”
there is no response.

154/366
doing yoga while
inhaling neighbor’s pot smoke
this is Vancouver

141/366
people partying
in the rain on Sunday night
it’s May long weekend

142/366
spring greens glow, backlit
against layers of slate gray
clouds weighted by rain

143/366
tasks half-finished are
so unsatisfying; can’t
cross them off my list

144/366
early morning line
snakes outside Service Canada
waiting patiently

145/366
light a fire under
me. kick me, push me under
fire. set me alight.

146/366
fresh crusty baguette
peppery brie, chilled glass of
gewurztraminer.

147/366
my new neighbor is
hacking up a lung again
smoking for the win

134/366
running on sunshine
today it’s actually warm
summer illusion

135/366
dusk revelation
it’s still warm enough to sleep
with windows open

136/366
morning. construction
birds chirping, neighbors chatting,
bottles clattering.

137/366
when did showing up
for the semester’s first class
become optional?

138/366
work, in its own way,
is a seductive form of
procrastination

139/366
a good run equals
momentary transcendence
fleeting perfection

140/366
a walk around  the
neighborhood in the sunshine
a tease of summer

127/366
Sunday afternoon
perfection is curling up
with blanket and book

128/366
he spends long hours at
his laptop by the window
working… or playing?

129/366
to the west pink light
interwoven with puffy
blue-gray clouds. sunset.

130/366
a wall of windows
this building is new to me
sunny beginning

131/366
calendar. may 10
so early and yet it’s true:
I’m running in shorts!

132/366
shop, clean, bake: prepping
for the parental units’
weekend arrival

133/366
the weather network
warns of hot temperatures
(20 Celsius!)

120/366
a spring ritual
put away the flannel sheets
time for crisp cotton

121/366
if I smash my toe
many more times I think it’s
going to fall off

122/366
picking and choosing
weighing the merits of this,
that, and the other

123/366
an editor’s wish
finding a gem in the slush
it happens sometimes

124/366
why is it so cold?
it’s because I put the summer
sheets on the bed, right?

125/366
you are already
further than most who want to
write will ever be

126/366
first, the nursery
for plants, then fingers in dirt
planting and scrubbing

113/366
a mid-grading lull
exams done, papers await
for a moment: pause.

114/366
runniversary!
10 years ago, a decade
I started to run

115/366
o. m. g. I just
want to be done already
so very boring

116/366
framing in the rain
fresh-cut lumber permeates
the damp nostalgia

117/366
they enter at back
“you’re not used to this?” he says
“you’re a bad-ass now.”

118/366
just one snafu and
you feel like an idiot
even though you’re not

119/366
walking down this street
so much has changed in 10 years
petals fall from trees

106/366
my superpower
I am stronger than I look
just test me. you’ll see.

107/366
when I read the card
enclosed with Phoebe’s ashes
my tears flowed again

108/366
“it’s been too long,” we
say and it has. let’s not let
that happen again.

109/366
light slants from the west
across blackened sky, clouds sink
down the mountainside

110/366
sign: “we will close at
4 until further notice”
time: 4:02. argh.

111/366
off to a good start
satisfaction: reaching goal
before end of day

112/366
strawberry french toast
random delicious breakfast
to start grading day

99/366
frozen reservoir
biting wind, bright sunny sky
Alberta April

100/366
the best thing about
coming home: noticing the
smell of the ocean

101/366
neverending rounds
of chores and errands: that’s what
grown-ups are made of

102/366
on the last day of
the semester, students have
already vanished

103/366
this is what I need:
a photowalk this weekend
sakura in bloom

104/366
Friday the thirteenth
fits perfectly in one line
that’s not unlucky

105/366
“I hope you’re having
a good weekend…” Saturday
emails always start

92/366
I must stop crying
eyes burn, head splits wide open
chest tight with heartache

93/366
this is the one where
I get by with a little
help from my friends. thanks.

94/366
pulling another
all-nighter? I think I can,
I think I can… yep.

95/366
a tatted-out guy o
on the number 3, rocking
to Kelly Clarkson

96/366
finishing grading
means finally facing the
stack of dirty dishes

97/366
train to the airport
makes me feel like I’m living
in a big city

98/366
three generations
baking vegan chocolate-
mint sandwich cookies