The Work of My Hands
Read my essay interview – WOW! Q4 Creative Nonfiction Essay Runner Up My hands appear thin and frail, well-worn, and bony at the knuckles, age spots playing tag on my skin like connect-the-dot puzzles. Blue streaks settle beneath the surface, and new wrinkles line…
Keep readingTREE OF LIGHT
A Braided Essay “What is wrong with me,” she asks. Her caregiver says, “Many are unwell. I’m diabetic and can’t enjoy sugar. For you, dementia means forgetting some things.” They pull into the Tastee Freeze drive-through for an ice cream. She gazes beyond the…
Keep readingPalm Walk
I step outside the conference center to make my way home. One sprinkle, two, then three in quick succession. Rain wasn’t in my plan today. An hour’s drive this morning, followed by eight hours of writing sessions means a longing to get home, especially…
Keep readingMr. Bunny
I can’t stop watching. I sit by the window, binoculars in hand, journal and pen at the ready. A small bunny sneaks under the gate into my backyard where he waits until tree leaves shade the lawn. When all is quiet, he scampers to…
Keep readingThe Keen Scents of Millie
The Keen Scents of Millie What is it that changes the scent of Millie’s fur from one day to the next? All the smells repeat themselves, but not consistently. It’s always a surprise. In thirteen years of Millie’s life, I’ve drawn in eight different…
Keep readingKid Table
I’m a table. Not the kind you would imagine. I’m tiny. And two tiny chairs snuggle up against me most of the time. I wasn’t complete when I first arrived at the lady’s front porch. The box that held me was so dark and…
Keep readingHappy Father’s Day
Jack’s Shadowbox Jack of all trades. Demigod of the garden. Camper extraordinaire. Master of music. Guru of games—rummy, poker, pool, and Wheel of Fortune. He roasted green chilis fresh off the vine, cooked up fresh-caught, deep-fried catfish, served hot chocolate gravy over biscuits for…
Keep readingA Mother’s Legacy
Mom and I talked every day, from the moment she woke up, right before falling asleep each night, and a few times in between. If she didn’t hear from me, she feared for my life. And though we had little news to share, it…
Keep reading8:16 On The Clock
Dad had a curious habit of calling out birth dates from numbers on his digital clock. My children and niece have birthdays in September, on the 12th and 13th. So, at 9:12 (am or pm) on any given day, Dad would say “Look at that.…
Keep readingJob Application Letter
Homebody Craft Vineyards 1046 E. Best Wines Boulevard Paso Robles, CA 93446 RE: Letter of Application for Remote/Telecommuting Position Dear Hiring Manager: Thank you for the opportunity to apply for a customer service position with your distinguished company, Homebody Craft Vineyards. With the holidays upon…
Keep readingGrannie’s Fideo
Imagine yourself as a teenager, dilly-dallying after school. No hurry to get home. You hang out at the bus stop with friends until your stomach starts to growl and you start thinking about dinner. It’s a warm day, and as you’re walking home, you…
Keep readingMountain Chickadee
The mountain chickadee is tiny. She is quick, agile, and curious like me. She’s a songbird, whistling an enchanting tune, like the ones my dad whistled while tending to his garden. Usually, he whistled songs from The Beatles, especially Let It Be. The lyrics are…
Keep readingGirls Trip
Girls’ trip to Port Hadlock, Washington brought together six women and one brave husband for four wondrous days of chatter, inspiration, and adventure. Prior work colleagues, we quickly became forever friends as bonds strengthened. We reminisced, shared personal stories, laughed, cried, and learned more…
Keep readingMonster Road
It was an old dirt road, not much wider than any one car passing over it. After school, my friends and I would pile into Dinky’s mom’s shiny green Chrysler and head to Monster Road. From the back seat, I could only see the…
Keep readingMessages From Heaven
I uncovered this collection of notes during my lowest point of the pandemic, after leaving my career, not seeing family for months, and feeling sorry for myself. One quiet afternoon, I unearthed several boxes of old pictures and greeting cards. Among those treasures was…
Keep readingA Relationship with the Senses
Tonight, my mind is void of words. Like static from a 1960’s television set reverberating a faint hum from one ear to the other. The house is quiet but for the air conditioner and an occasional delivery truck sweeping through the alley. I move…
Keep readingThe “Faulty” Physician
Having retired a few years ago, I have extra time to clean out my garage and reflect on a 35-year career in healthcare professional credentialing. Just out of college, forty years ago, I’d never heard the term “credentialing” and learned about it while on…
Keep readingMaterial Love
Today I started thinking about different kinds of love. Some say it’s not cool to love material things. But as I look around this room, I’m immersed in material things I love. And unlike some of the non-material kinds of love I’ve known, these…
Keep readingSweet Potato Casserole (aka “Leslie’s Camote”)
The holidays are around the corner, and without a doubt, my contribution to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners will be sweet potato casserole. My family calls it “camote.” I can’t recall a time when this casserole wasn’t part of our family’s holiday tradition, and I’m…
Keep readingI’m a Chameleon
I scored a nine (out of nine) on the Enneagram test, a personality type indicator. I’m a peacemaker. A chameleon. A lizard with a highly developed ability to change color according to mood or situation. Black when stressed, green or bright blue when happy,…
Keep readingA Perfect Day
Laundry is put away. Bed made. Floors mopped and house straightened. I prepare dinner to an audiobook, Mad Enchantment, on the life of Claude Monet, by Ross King. Monet, my favorite French impressionist, rests in the company of Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Gaugin. Framed prints…
Keep readingDelayed Influence, a letter to Grannie:
Today, September 10, is my Grannie’s birthday. She was born in 1895. She’s the one person who influenced me the most. I’m sharing with you this letter to her… My life is whole, as yours was, Grannie, though gaps show sorrow peeking through, a…
Keep readingChaco Adventures
Summer Adventures, Part II: Facing My Fears My lifelong dream is in front of me. Sitting on the beach, in solitude, writing among tropical trees and plants of different varieties in hues of green, rust, yellow and white. Adjacent to Kalapaki Bay, just beyond…
Keep readingHeroes on the Salt
Summer Adventures, Part I: Facing My Fears “But I can’t swim. What if I drown and ruin the experience for everyone? I bet the water is freezing cold. And what if I have to use the bathroom?” A slight chill crept along my insides…
Keep readingDistracted
(This year I’m paying tribute to all the “moms” who are “dads” too. Happy Father’s Day to you. And to all the real dads (like mine) and grandpa’s out there who have earned the title.) A baby wakes his mother at 2:00am, and she’s…
Keep readingTrash Bin Anxiety
Today, my garage door blew its spring. Snapped clear in half. So that’s what that loud unidentifiable crash was this morning! I didn’t notice it until deciding to take the trash cans out to the curb. Pressing the garage door button on the wall, I could…
Keep readingPink Balloons
On my morning walk, I passed a certain house and remembered a short story I’d written Memorial Day weekend, 2020. I’m sharing this now, as a reminder about pool safety. Backing out of my driveway, I noticed a sunshine yellow fire truck rounding the…
Keep readingBookend
From the moment I walk through automatic doors of the antique mall, my senses stir causing my insides to rumble and I’m relieved to see restrooms nearby. This usually happens when I enter a Hallmark store, seeing too many cards of different varieties in one…
Keep readingFinding Peace in the Senses
I feel peace. In the warmth that settles on my skin. A light breeze teasing my hair. My heart throbs with love overflowing. I hear peace. In leaves that sway, chimes that ring, and a waterfall sending ripples into a bright pool of water. I smell peace. In freshly mowed grass, a baby’s…
Keep readingLife is a Puzzle
Life is like a puzzle, with all its loops and sockets, edges and corners. Colorful and shiny on the surface, gray and drab underneath. Deceiving you in an artful way. At times complex, misshapen, or crumbling from decay. A good amount of trickery and…
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Writer Leslie Cox 