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~ Susan Knoppow ~ Leave a comment

Joe and I hatched the idea for  Friday poems over coffee in Ferndale one afternoon. Let’s just write, we agreed. No comments, no praise. Just send a poem every Friday. See where it takes you.

favoritesThree months into the experiment, I’m hooked. Even when I put the piece together just before lighting Shabbat candles or grab a stanza from three years ago and polish it into something more presentable, the Friday poem always refreshes me for the week. It reminds me that I’m a writer.

Here’s this week’s contribution, composed in a parking lot between a doctor’s appointment and Josh’s archery day camp awards ceremony.

May all your favorite bands stay together
– Dawes, “All Your Favorite Bands”

May you get to the bottom
of the strawberry box
without a single moldy surprise

May you catch a firefly
on a balmy night full of fireworks
over the wide green golf course

May you finish your favorite book
sprawled across the hammock
in that shady spot behind the garage

May your dog snuggle
close in your bed
without hogging the covers

May your chocolate chip cookies
emerge from the oven
with crisp edges and gooey centers

May you hear “I love you”
every day of your life
the way I mean it this morning

One Thing at a Time

~ Susan Knoppow ~ 1 Comment

My six-year-old walked into the kitchen with a box of dominoes in both hands, the cordless phone cradled between left ear and shoulder.

“I love you, too, Daddy. Here’s Sammy,” he said as he navigated the dog gate and handed the phone to his brother.

Like mother like son, I suppose. And I laughed; but I also stopped short. I am trying to re-learn to do one thing at a time. For an inveterate  multi-tasker, this can be painful. Continue reading →

Fragrance

~ Susan Knoppow ~ 2 Comments

I kiss Miriam goodnight and am overwhelmed by scent: Midnight Pomegranate hand lotion, mint foot cream, tea tree shampoo. The fragrance is fruity and woodsy, surface and substance, the tangle of possibility and promise embodied by a 12 year-old girl. Continue reading →

Happy Birthday To Me

~ Susan Knoppow ~ 1 Comment

Josh wants a space pirate party for his sixth birthday. I’m working out the details. In the meantime, I celebrated the big 4-3 yesterday. It was quite an extravaganza. When you’re a grown up, you have to squeeze your birthday into the rest of an adult day. You don’t get 24 hours off from being the mom.

Here are some highlights: Continue reading →