“Love Will Keep Us Alive”

It’s summertime, and the livin’ ain’t always easy. Take a break from the insanities of war, politics, Covid, and climate change. Listen to some tunes. Music heals. With thank to my playlist contributors: Bumble Bee; (@Bumble6671); Nicolas Eckerson; Dewi Hargreaves (@Dewiwrites); William Heyen; Taren Hillger; Julie Holmes, Mr. Kurt, and Numero Uno. And please feel

From the Never-Ending Stack of Books—Three Sizzlers

As I am by no means a trendsetter, I was about ten years late getting to the Shades of Gray series. Maybe it’s just that books come into our lives (like teachers) when the student is ready. Since I’ve been writing more erotica lately, it seemed time to tackle these. And I’m so glad I

Advice from a Molecular Biologist

I am a fortunate woman. I’ve said it many times and I’ll probably keep saying it. Today, I’m celebrating the good fortune of having a friend, one Craig Hordlow, who’s not only a molecular biologist, but one who specialize in the aging process. What a gift from the Universe to this woman of a certain

Strolling Down Memory Lane with My Oldest Friend

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. And again. No doubt until I die: I am a fortunate woman. And this playlist post celebrates one of the reasons I have been so blessed in my life: friendship. This playlist celebrates my oldest continuing friendship, one that dates back to spring of 1965, when I

My Pet Anolis sagrei

Now to the body of this blog post–listen up for the next seven minutes! And take care out there!

Two Friends, Two Fine Non-Fiction Finds

I first met Dan Giancola in August 2018, thanks to an introduction by his longtime friend and fellow poet William Heyen who’s one of my closest friends and a fellow neighbor in the Village of Brockport where I make my home. I became an instant fan of Dan’s poetry and a new friendship blossomed. Dan

Shaking Hands

In my previous blog, “The Hands of a Poet, the Hand of a Poet,” I issued my readers a challenge:  Write a 50-word piece in any genre—flash fiction, poetry (haiku, tanka, etc. welcome), memoir—that tells the story of the photograph. The most moving response came from my sister-in-law, Patti Bourne, who lives in Lyons, NY.

Hands of a Poet, Hand of a Poet

Once upon a time there was a blog I created, Vagabond Poet, which after several years became for a short while Vagabond Poet Redux. Not too long after my husband Roger died in 2017, I discontinued the blog. But its still there at http://karlalinn.blogspot.com/, if you’re curious. Then, in deep Covid era in mid-2021, I

I Feel your Pain

“What’s wrong with her?” my father might have asked. “Nothing. She’s just very sad about the dead raccoon,” my mother might have answered on any number of occasions when our 1960 Ford station wagon sped by roadside carnage, and I curled up in the back seat, whimpering, disconsolate. Same reaction on the beach during summer

Taking It to the Limit for Springtime

Ahhh, Spring is just around the corner and no doubt you’re seeing signs of it everywhere, even if a new blast of snow is due to blast through. In the north, daffodils are beginning to show their faces and the raucous calls of migrating flocks of Canada geese fill the skies. Here in Florida, it’s