A Lenten Lesson: Who Is My Neighbor?
Photo by John B. Ashbaugh “Why did they crucify Jesus?” The question came from a boy, probably nine years old, one of the fourth grade students in the group…
The Balcony Gardener: The Sunflower Fusion
Photo by Sonia June had entered its unreasonable phase. The jasmine no longer climbed so much as advanced. During the night, it appeared to make private decisions of its…
Poetry: There, There
Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST The devastation was clear I saw behind your mask To the broken heart beneath You knew how to keep going And to do it over and over…
The Balcony Gardener: A Question of Depth
Photo by Amin Safaripour The Balcony Gardener and Madame Dupont sat side by side on the balcony in the clear light of a Paris spring morning. It was close…
Poetry: Childhood’s Garden
Photo by John Cardamone Back when a star was something to wish on, all I knew was family, friends, home, street, and the-corner-grocer Mr. Wolf. Dogs were dogs and…
Poetry: Introduction to Shorebirds
"Shorebirds" by Juliane McAdam For Norma, my birding guru I arrive in the early morning at The Cloisters, a beach just north of Morro Rock, binoculars and notebook in…
Short Fiction: The Banks of Noon
Photo by Lance Anderson The times I remember us throwing Smiley out the hatch on that plane always come two different ways. In the first, we all heave to…
The Balcony Gardener: A Season of Possibility and Improbability
The Balcony Gardener loved April. Spring had arrived again, and with it came a quiet accumulation of ideas for the new season’s balcony garden. April did not require announcement. It…
Reflections: Visiting a Literary Landmark in Paris
Photo courtesy Shakespeare and Company In preparing for a recent trip to Paris, my first ever, I had my “to do” list pretty well mapped out. Drink Champagne at…
The Balcony Gardener: The Ides of Basil
Photo by Paul Steuber March arrives as it always does—with ambition slightly out of proportion to available space. The Balcony Gardener draws up three lists. Seeds to order. Seeds…