Al Ortolani: Prayer Boat
Each night I say a prayer of thanks
to some higher power, a thanks for
the chance to be alive as a thinking
being, for the family and friends
that surround me
March 22, 2026 · 25 Comments
Al Ortolani: Two Poems
I imagined my mother by a fishpond
with garden rocks and submerged reeds,
a pool stocked with orange comets,
fantails, and spotted carp.
July 17, 2025 · 19 Comments
Al Ortolani: Picking Ticks Off the Dog
Pulling ticks is not for the faint at heart.
May 31, 2023 · 9 Comments
Al Ortolani: Paper Birds Don’t Fly
Sitting at the table with the paper birds,
she unfolded mine and began to read.
I couldn’t make out a word
she was saying.
December 7, 2021 · 1 Comment
Al Ortolani: The Taco Boat
Last night, I bought a 12-pack of tacos
at Taco Bell, not because I was
especially hungry, but because I could.
November 9, 2021 · 3 Comments
