"Cats" (starring my feral cats) published in the Freshwater Review (The College of St. Scholastica journal)

     This is Oliver, a.k.a. Olive, a sweet feral cat I've fed for 12 years. She's one of four I feed, but she is a regular, visiting daily. Her sister Dusty comes by, 3-4 times per week. Neab old Orange Cat,  with a missing ear and closed eye, visits every so often, just to hiss at me, and then eat. There is one more, House Cat, who visits, but I try to chase her away. After all, she is a house cat belonging to one of my neighbors. No hand-outs for the able-bodied!

    

Olive and Dusty star as themselves in the work of fiction that The Freshwater Review, Volume 28, out of The College of St. Scholastica, generously published in their 28th Volume. The kitties didn't complain or sue me for using their story, which involves a kind woman who fed, and socialized them, before being taken from the world---her partner, Jesse becoming the cat-keeper. 

    The art on the cover is by Paul LaJeunesse, and this is the issue that nominated me for The Rose Warner Prize for Prose. 

    You can read the piece below, but it's much more beautiful in your hand, and cheap at $7. My thumb blocks the first two letters in "stroked," and the letter 's' in "soon". 

(That's All Folks)

My poem, "We" choreographed, spoken and danced to by Betsy Miller at Mass Poetry Festival June 1, 2025

 Mass Poetry Festival is an amazing joining of poets, readings, panels and anything poetry related. The headliners were: Diannely Antigua, Marilyn Chin, Ross Gay, Saeed Jones, Keetje Kuipers, Danez Smith, and Regie Gibson. I saw and hung out with people I hadn't seen for awhile, much too many to name. Fun, fun, weekend. It felt like a vacation. 

I was involved, directing the Poetry-Go-Round which featured rounds of poetry from reading series groups, The Garage Poets, Virtual Dire Series, Speak Up, Pour Me a Poem, Lily Poetry, and Stone Soup. 

I was very moved by the production of my poem "We" which was done by Betsy Miller.  You can view it here, and read it below.