Search Results for: Balistreri

Jo Balistreri Emperor’s Kitchen An early evening in October. The six of us sit around a table, my husband in a wheelchair. He faces the windows, listens to our exclamations about color; how the yellow leaves are like Christmas tree lights as sundown dapples the scene. I chat with our friends though part of me … Read more

Jo Balistreri Two Favorite Haibun Visions of fatherhood, and the opening of new worlds Photo by Lucas Pezeta: Pixels One of my favorite haibun is “Winter Gift” by Doris Lynch, in which Lynch remembers how her father opened up the universe to her. I appreciate not only its theme of wonder, which she evokes beautifully, … Read more

Jo Balistreri Second Chances From a girl’s arm, a tin pail swings like a silver minnow darting through warm currents. Fields of buttercups wave in the breeze, an outrageous explosion of yellow in an early summer meadow. Following the smell of ripe strawberries, the child weaves through long grasses to the woods. There, they grow … Read more

Mary Jo Balistreri Breakthrough A belly laugh erupts from the living room. It’s Uncle Iggy’s birthday. He’s ninety-one today and celebrating with a young oboist from Juilliard. The student, at first cowed by Iggy’s legendary oboe career, relaxes. They have forgotten the running recorder, interrupting each other as they trade stories. Another guffaw. They have … Read more

Mary Jo Balistreri Promises Each morning a woman opens the shades, sets plants on the sill, and sits in an armchair. With French roast and a bran muffin, she scans the sky, waits for black to turn into that deep dark blue, her favorite part of sunrise. Relaxing into the coo of a mourning dove … Read more

Mary Jo Balistreri Turf Wars Dad attaches a Slinky to the bird feeder pole. This one is a winner, he thinks. The squirrel proves otherwise, figures out how to spring from a coil onto the seed tray. Disgusted, Dad opens the basement door. Slinky drops with a thud on the stairs, walks the rest of … Read more