Hill
I live on a hill. A very steep hill. On the east bench, above campus, overlooking the neighborhood in which I used to live. Instead of shoveling, we blow the snow here. When I look out of my dining room window, I see my neighbor’s car pulling out of her driveway and for a moment I’m disoriented, picturing her pulling out of my second-floor office and driving through our house. I feel dizzy. Will she fall off? Will I? Then I remember that I live on a hill. A very steep hill.
Too many options
- – short sleeve or long sleeve
- – capped or tank
- – turtle, tee, or button-down
- – crew, scoop, or V-neck
- – plaid, print, or solid
- – offset
- – flannel, poplin, chambray, corduroy, gingham, madras
- – 3/4 sleeve, mock turtle
- – plain or logo
- – 100% cotton; cotton blend
- – dress, casual, formal, workout, active
- – linen or viscose
- – ribbed, slubbed, brushed, fleeced, bleached
- – wrinkle-resistant, moisture-wicking
- – vegan, cruelty free, eco-friendly, fair-trade, sweatshop-free
- – sustainable, upcycled, recycled
- – bamboo, vegetable, plant-based
- – stonewashed
Shoulder season
When the tourists have yet to arrive; when the locals have the park and the town to themselves. Campus between semesters, when students haven’t yet returned, when staff and faculty have the vast landscape to themselves. The sounds of nature resume. A hush falls over a place that typically teems with crowds, voices, music, bells. Bryce Canyon in April and October—cold, empty, still. The before; the after. The in-between times. The liminal space. I retreat to the desert to recapture it. Away, by myself, apart.
Becky Jo Gesteland lives in Ogden, Utah, where she is a professor of English at Weber State University. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Brevity Blog, Gravel, Palaver, Rathalla Review, Role Reboot, Plateau Journal, So to Speak, Visitant, Weber: The Contemporary West, and various scholarly books and journals. For more information, please visit jomamabecky.org