Part 1 Prairie Beginnings

Prairie Girl Colorless 50’s photo a child hermetically sealed Fading small against Junoesque pine Cradling basket-less Moses doll Softly smiling sideways glancing Plaid, pleated prairie dress disguising tom-girl legs Honeyed tidy braided hair feigning sweet, demure Clydesdale heavy, clunky shoes claustrophobic feet Drenching in sweet prairie grass Chomping at the bit Shoes shed, running free …

To Do Or To Be

To Do or Be Every morning the first thing I do before my feet slide onto my fluffy rug is talk with God. I ask for help and acknowledge God's goodness to me. I recognize the sound of grinding coffee and pat my dog on his easy chair on the way to the kitchen. Yes, …

Seeds

“If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.” My grandmother sowed seeds of wisdom and in spite of the weeds choking my teenage heart, some have grown deep in the fertile soil that God has watered in my heart. I teetered on my tiptoes as I peeked over …

Teenage years (14-19)

Part I City of Orange California ~ December 1964 I lie in the hall with my legs hanging over the top step outside my bedroom door hugging my chest to suppress my sobs, but there is only a vacuum to absorb them. Mother, Why did you scream at me to never look for you again …

Who Am I?

“Ms. Skarin, you know you are odd, no I guess a better word for that would be unique.” The slender figure of the counselor in the chair across from mine shifted as she folded her arms gently.. She had dark brown hair and kind eyes.  I stared at her blankly as I often did when …

That Was a Simple Procedure-No Problem

"Ms. Skarin, are you with us?" I tried to connect the voice with the face looming over me.  Hi Ms. Skarin, you were out for a long time. Out? Where did I go? My body is heavy against a narrow bed between two metal railings. The machines are making a slow methodical beep and there …

Catastrophic Suffering

I grew up in a fundamentalist religious group in Canada until I turned ten and our family moved to Los Angeles. Our world in Canada was all white with a “Truman Show” atmosphere. I experienced a traumatic culture shock after we moved. I didn’t stand out as being different in our sheltered prairie town but …

Remember Daddy When…

Remember daddy, when you made a radio from scratch. A small light yellow box with an open back containing a fascinating array of tubes, wires, and the string with a safety pin dangling down by a thumbtack so we could tap it back to life with a sizzle. I remember the smell of warm tubes …

I Am From

I am from a sister sandwich, I’m from the middle, the peanut in peanut butter. From a Navy ship gangway, a mother with two arms and three children and a leash that held me in range. I am from two sisters in silk-lined coffins. I will see you in heaven, Heidi and Debbi. I am …

My Grand Adventure

My fingers gripped the cold metal railing as I peered down at the yawning hole in the most amazing sight I had ever laid eyes on. My stomach tightened and I sucked in my breath. My father stood next to me, his thick wavy black hair rippling, his hands  pushed into his pockets. My older …