owp05

Our Deepest Fear

It wasn’t hard for this impulsive teenager to pack up and move to Lane County, then to Sun Valley, and back to Lane County. Moving from Patterson St. to Onyx St. to 17th Street wasn’t too bad either. Even moving my newly married life to Greenwich, Connecticut wasn’t too bad, because of the wedding.

Outdoor School

I don't know which was worse, the almost paralyzing fear of being in the woods at night without a light, or the embarrassment of being so afraid in front of my peers.

I Am...

I am a happy yell when coming in the door
I am the "Look at this." coming up the stairs
I am the hugging post
I am the kissing booth
I am the "Chase me" and the "Ride the horse"
I am the reaching hand that says "mere"
I am the tackling dummy and the tickle machine
I am "No ny ny" and "Lay down wif me"
I am the tired, stubborn cry left alone
I am the sprawling, easy sleep of a babe

The Flood

It wasn’t hard for this impulsive teenager to pack up and move to Lane County, then to Sun Valley, and back to Lane County. Moving from Patterson St. to Onyx St. to 17th Street wasn’t too bad either. Even moving my newly married life to Greenwich, Connecticut wasn’t too bad, because of the wedding. But then there was the move back that was a little nerve racking.

The Leaky Post Card

Dear Nat,

Thank you for letting me a part of the Oregon Writing Project this year. I first heard about the project last year, my first year of teaching.

Plastic Pants

When I was little, my mom used to put me in cloth diapers. She kept the diapers from leaking by covering them with plastic pants, so when I had sprung a leak, the mess was kept in a neat package wrapped around my waist. The thought of my plastic pants never really crossed my mind until they almost gave me away during my first great escape.

She said YES!!!

Michael Roemen and I walked in silence through the crisp, hazy December night toward the seventh green. We were alone except for our breath as it left our mouths in large, white clouds and the crunching sound of the frosty grass breaking beneath our feet. We reached the back slope of the green and climbed through the tall pines, the full moon becoming more visible with each step.