Sunshine Cookies

Faded

The light spills out, warm:
a spot in darkness,
a pool of safety
gleaming bright against
the shadow-night world.

Laughter spills through
double-paned glass,
echoes of what
life could have been.

The cold wraps
around me
like a hug.

I breathe,
and then

turn.

Natural Yeast Sweet Rolls

Time: total rising time 8-10 hours, cooking time about 35 minutes

Makes: 12-13 rolls, one 9x13" pan

A Thousand

Life is a thousand needles falling,
wounding flesh.
Raining from heaven as
fiery darts,
they rend hope and shred faith.

Through days, they fall at times
hard or soft.
Never ending, they arrow to earth
in whispers,
becoming a soft pine bed of wisdom.

When it rains on a July day

When it rains on a July day,
they huddle their shoulders,
hide their children and their faces.

Focused on where they go,
they avoid where they are.

When it rains on a July day,
the air is hot and muggy,
crowding close as a subway stranger.

Filling their throats and lungs,
it pushes them to shelter.

When it rains on a July day,
I lift my eyes to the grey skies,
I take deep breaths of clean air.

The birds and I know that
when it rains on a July day,
it rains for me.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is adapted from other recipes. It is my favorite because it makes a smooth, dense filling with just the right flavor of pumpkin and spice.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

So this is another recipe I developed myself, loosely inspired by a layered lemon pudding dessert my mom used to make. You can use any crust recipe you like, but I suggest the nut crust. If you are in the tragic circumstances of possessing a nut allergy, pretzel crust works well, too. Any fresh lemon curd will work, but this microwave version is easy and fast.