​POETRY  -  
          With a Theme of Time 

"Text your best friend Heather, invite her to have tea"
                              Photo by Weebly                                    

Things to Do When You Don’t Want to Leave
by Kathryn Santana Goldman

Pick up your toothbrush
and brush your teeth.

Take a hot shower. Use lavender soap, 
believe it has soothing powers.

Scrub between your toes
and loofah your heels.

Use a safety razor and shave your legs.
Ignore the scraping sensation of metal against skin.

Get dressed. Snuggle into your dad’s sweater,
the one you rescued from the Goodwill pile.

Put on a pair of thick wool socks, 
the purple ones.

Head out the door you painted blue
when you first moved in.

Walk past the Sabella’s old house. Imagine their five children
you watched grow up, climb the fence and shout hello.

Go to the hardware store next to Pete’s coffee. 
Buy spackle and 2” Packing tape.  

Text your best friend Heather, invite her to have tea
or drop off a muffin from the bakery. The kind you shared

when her grandchildren were born 
and your father was dying.

Take the uphill route back.
Notice your labored breath as you climb.

Settle back home, the one that is yours 
for 20 more days.

Make a cup of tea. Sit in the remaining chair.
Pack tomorrow.

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​A native of San Francisco, Kathryn Santana Goldman’s interest in poetry began when she was working in ICU as a registered nurse. She used this practice to process the variety of stressful scenarios experienced. Over the years, she has continued to experiment with different types of writing such as short stories and plays. As an avid traveler, Kathryn has become skilled at capturing photographs about the diversity she encounters. Three years ago, she began to combine her love of photography with her writing by using the images she captures as seeds for her poems. She continues to explore new ways to use these two art forms to share her experience with family and friends.

Other works in this issue:
Poetry
​Kintsugi Friendship

Moroccan Mirage

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