Category Archives: Uncategorized
Gnarly Family Trees
by Sherrie Cassel The tree was beautiful in the fog; it was misshapen, and its branches were gnarled throughout its girth. He’d be asleep like tired children do after a day of learning about how to live in a world that is uncertain – and where parents are not always well enough to love theirContinue reading “Gnarly Family Trees”
The Fruit of the Tree
By Sherrie Cassel Education is important to me; it should be important to a country too. I’ve spent over half my life in academia, first working toward an associate degree, then a bachelor’s degree, and now a master’s degree. I nearly threw in the towel last year, among the toughest intellectually, practically, and in spiritualContinue reading “The Fruit of the Tree”
To Unlikely Teachers and Oblivious Students
By Sherrie Cassel One-hundred years ago a man whose name I can’t remember, so I’ll call him Solomon, gave me some solid advice, and it’s taken me decades to heed it. One-hundred years may have passed him by; he was retired when I met him. He was my first experience with a true empath; I’veContinue reading “To Unlikely Teachers and Oblivious Students”
Sunrays through the Rain
By Sherrie Cassel One of my professors has told me on a few occasions that I have an overdeveloped sense to be liked. Interesting, because early in my life I was a “come closer, go away” kind of person. I prefer community to distance these days. I have a mostly positive outlook on life –Continue reading “Sunrays through the Rain”
Grieving — in the Black
By Sherrie Cassel The lights twinkled on the Xmas tree, a secular tree, but not a secular evening, as she lit the seventh Hannukah candle and chanted her prayer. Incense smoke wafted to the rhythm of the universal energy, and we enjoyed the spiritual nature of our celebration, Hannukah, Christmas, Xmas, or just another dayContinue reading “Grieving — in the Black”
Christmas, Grief, and Oldies
By Sherrie Cassel The lava in the lamp undulates to no sound in particular; it’s rhythm is sure of its random order. No, it’s not oxymoronic. Certainly there is a trend. My husband is unboxing our Christmas ornaments. We have a box he has labeled “Important Ornaments” – Neither of us has an orderly brain,Continue reading “Christmas, Grief, and Oldies”
Moving Day
By Sherrie Cassel They’re moving today, the tempestuous neighbors with their love song of expletives as he beats time on her face, once beautiful and full of life, now beaten — down to the nubs of her nails whose fingers point to bruises, black and purple, yellowing, but never healing. Yes, I called the cops.Continue reading “Moving Day”
Holiday Blues
By Sherrie Cassel No one cares about your stuffy religion; it doesn’t feed the poor, nor does it calm the crazed and crusty people shouting at phantoms, schizophrenics with no access to meds in filthy rags on the sidewalks outside your temples, hoping for crumbs from your king’s table, but there areContinue reading “Holiday Blues”
Tryptophan
By Sherrie Cassel Dishes flying, broken glass, and disorder were not behaviors my dysfunctional family practiced on big holidays, i.e., Thanksgiving and Christmas. Terror was a side dish to our turkey, which we always had. We were “animales” during the other three-hundred and sixty-three days, but presentation is everything and our table always looked beautiful,Continue reading “Tryptophan”
Grief to Gratitude 