Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Tag: death
Elegy
Stand with 10,000 ghosts Hear their last words Hurrying to the river Running into the trees Shedding this life for new Drop your envy and yearning on the ground Nestle your love in the rocks’ mortar Be part of the wall that stays behind… Continue Reading “Elegy”
Elegy
Stand with 10,000 ghostsHear their last wordsHurrying to the riverRunning into the treesShedding this life for new Drop your envy and yearning on the groundNestle your love in the rocks’ mortarBe part of the wall that stays behindShelter the lost and the growingReach your… Continue Reading “Elegy”
My Mother’s Face
After my father died, I found this photo in his bedroom. It was leaning against the mirror of the vanity where my mother had sat painting her nails in a room dark except for the small lamp, her red nails gleaming in the dim… Continue Reading “My Mother’s Face”
A Hard Fall
A lot of people dying. That’s what’s happening. Death is happening. The word “hospice” seems to be on everybody’s lips. “She’s in hospice.” “He’s in hospice.” This is code for it won’t be long. It’s a signal, the yellow light shining before it turns… Continue Reading “A Hard Fall”
Prepare a Place for Me
There was only one reason why my father would be calling me. My mother must be dead. He explained how it happened, how just last week he had given up taking care of her at home, that for the third time, she’d gone limp… Continue Reading “Prepare a Place for Me”
Sallie’s Funeral
I went to Sallie’s funeral today. It was in a very old Episcopal church downtown, the kind where you need to leave your coat on because the heat, what there is of it, will rise to the very top of the vaulted ceiling and… Continue Reading “Sallie’s Funeral”
99 New: I Knew Sallie When
I knew Sallie when She cooked for me, linked arms Taught me to put hard bread in too salty soup To soak up the mistake That’s what she believed Everything could be fixed If we gathered more coats, held candles Welcomed all babies, early… Continue Reading “99 New: I Knew Sallie When”
99 New: The Sunday Obits
The world is full of dead people. Especially so on Sundays. My dad always joked that everyone seemed to die on Sunday because that’s when the paper would be thick with obits. The Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News would have pages of… Continue Reading “99 New: The Sunday Obits”
Failure of Imagination
Last night I dreamed I drowned. No. I dreamed I was writing a story about my drowning. But the details of it were so vivid, red in their terror, that I would have had to actually drown to know how to describe drowning so… Continue Reading “Failure of Imagination”
Good Luck to Me
I’m wondering if it’s a mistake that my husband’s my best friend. I see that in obituaries all the time. The surviving spouse talking about how he or she lost their best friend and I think isn’t it enough that you lost your spouse?… Continue Reading “Good Luck to Me”
Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
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