Marcus, in Gail Godwin’s new novel, Grief Cottage, recalls his friendship with Wheezer, whom he’d once beaten up at school because Wheezer had exposed Marcus’ shameful secret about his mom.  Now Marcus, age 10, is an orphan.  His dad has always been unknown to him; and his mom has just died in a car accident. 

Relocated to his aunt’s beach house, Marcus, despite the safety of the place, finds himself in trouble. He’s communicating with a ghost.  He’s having dreams…

I Have a Coin

I have a coin I deem a treasure.

One side bears the sign of extinction,

And the other, an instance of nature.

But it’s not a coin; it’s a seal,

And the meaning of this distinction

Is the unbearable sadness I feel

With experience, or with closure.

It seems like a double exposure,

But the knowledge of impermanence

Bleeds into the ideal likeness

Of mortality in its eminence—

To…

Another riddle, since you liked the first so much

Mickey Mantle

Pete Hill

Rocky Colavito

Dusty Baker

Curt Flood

Mickey Rivers

Cory Snyder

List of baseball outfielders with names that have to do with layers of the earth, in order of sports greatness.

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Tying shoelaces,

Lifting a mug by its handle,

Lifting something that requires all fingers,

Pressing down hard while writing,

Shaking hands:

Things hindered by a bruised forefinger.

I would have had more things to record, but unfortunately my finger healed too quickly.

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