Feb 9, 2013 | Last Line First
From the Alzheimer’s Diary How your mother died, or said she might, The day she learned you were a lesbian— You’d hoped as you’d been hoping all your 30-something years, She wouldn’t see it as a failure of her parenting, That she could hold you steady as you stumbled...
Feb 5, 2013 | A Filament of Hope
Because the elevator’s out, the woman, drenched in sweat and winded after climbing up 5 flights of stairs with heavy bags of groceries, mumbles curses to herself. All the years of waiting to rebuild her quads and abs and stamina — she gasps for breath and feels...
Sep 12, 2012 | Last Line First
The body, when it’s finished, Knows exactly what to do, and Will do it with efficiency and grace If you have the grit and guts to let it. It knows it doesn’t need to eat or drink. Even when the mind no longer Understands, the body’s wisdom Stays intact and goes about...
Aug 21, 2012 | Last Line First
All there is: The cushion, The breath, The body. Returning thoughts To their rightful status: The mouth waters, The gut farts, The brain thinks. There is no Primacy here Only The cushion, The breath, The...
Aug 12, 2012 | Last Line First
Out to dinner with a friend, You notice that your heart’s not broken: Sushi, the simple beauty of the Ginger pile, wasabi mound, the Little dish for dipping. And Companionship: its Warm embrace, the Depth of conversation, Topics ranging from What bike to buy to...
Aug 11, 2012 | Notes On The Journey
Halfway through the journey You forget which way You meant to go. You Stop, and slowly turn toward Each direction till you feel A tug. It’s this way: North. And though you dread the Darkness and the cold, You know by now it’s Better just to listen when You’re called....
Whether through Shamanic practice, through ministry, or through art, Riva finds peace and practice in spreading love, compassion, and empathy for the self and others. 