Author Archives: Sharon

About Sharon

Like anyone who lives long enough, I have experienced great loss and survived. I am convinced that my survival depends on my own participation in creating the reality I am living in, and I am determined to be a thoughtful and active participant/creator. These writings are my way of documenting that creation. As the song goes, "I will survive!" I chose the title Staying Vertical because I find that surviving isn't just staying on my feet physically. Keeping my thoughts and emotions on the vertical plane keeps me alive and moving forward. Thanks for joining me!

For My Sister, Barbara

We learned all about metamorphosis from watching frogs go from eggs to tadpoles to polliwogs to frogs in the flood control ditch that ran behind our neighborhood. I get a little nostalgic thinking about how we were probably one rainstorm … Continue reading

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The Voyeur

I hear the long trill like a baby’s high-pitched raspberry my eyes dart to window and there he is moving from side to side up and down pausing slaking his thirst his never-ending hunger now resting drinking deeply in the … Continue reading

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For Monty Python

When Andy died on Flag Day 1970 I was 20 How could I know I would learn to hold back grief choking the fire back until it would rip Exploding the walls with banshee shrieking and howling terrifying Consumed with … Continue reading

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Father’s Day

I remember looking through cards at the neighborhood grocery during one of those times when you and I were so far apart that worlds stood in the space at our kitchen table. I read, sigh, and replace looking for the … Continue reading

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Like a Baby

So many new babies this spring and news of more babies and pictures of minutes old days old week old babies. Imagine seeing through their eyes. Just waking up just now seeing the world just now just now just now … Continue reading

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Cleaning Closets

I cleaned my closet from top to bottom for the first time in four years. I decided that I could get rid of the joint tax returns from 1983-2003 along with all the baggy saggy long winter undies and ball … Continue reading

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The Squatters

A pair of robins have stolen the vireo’s nest under the awning over our porch. Vireos have been nesting there for at least the past four years. The robins moved in while I was away in Maryland. They’ve been nesting … Continue reading

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Another Sunday Haiku

We will spoil the earth hubris unbound not knowing it is but a speck.

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Sabbath Haiku

Please do understand — anything that is not pure love is not close to God.

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Haiku

Cleaning the office — pages torn from school notebooks sharp pencils, new lists.

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