At the Foot of the Stairs

Several months ago, my friend John told me that he had a belated birthday present for me from last year's birthday: He had tickets to go see Avenue Q in Cedar Falls, Iowa. At the time, that seemed very far off. We had an entire winter to endure and survive first. John is the friend who turned me on to both Rent and Wicked . He had a long grudge against Avenue Q when it beat Wicked for the Tony. We stayed with John's parents. I felt like a kid again, because his mother made us dinner (bacon/shrimp quiche, strawberry pie!!!) and we went with them, in the back of their mini-van, to the show. His mother also baked us cookies to take home with us. But John stole my cookies. I had had reservations (no pun intended) about the show, which I shared with John ahead of time, because all I really knew was that there were muppets. I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy it, because I don't like cartoons, generally (i.e., The Simpsons ). I needn't have worried-- I loved i

My six-year-old passes seasons by their bugs and tells us April is the time of roly polies. My three sons and I walk down to the lagoon, stop for newborn leaves curled around their branches like the inner petals of the artichoke heavy with butter we ate for supper last night. The two older boys run to hide til I burst after them, an elephant, clump through yellow grasses, boom and bellow, swipe with open hands. Overgrown bushes and clumps of young elms stand to watch around the dried and leafy oval. Across the clearing, the spot I just left, green and white cloth moves against the gray-barked trunks. Two-year-old Tommy, lonely with the sentry trees, strips his shirt sleeve, calls me back with one bare arm, pale as the artichoke cut at its alabaster heart.

Often you wake surrounded by sleeping forms husband, baby, child and it is dark. Wind is blowing from the back of the house, you hear bells on the front porch, windows shut, front door locked your bedroom door is closed. No one answers when you speak sees you sitting in darkness. What you hear is sleep breath and chimes sound the wind carries all the way over to the house to you.