Tag: Julie Wilder-Sherman

Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.

Ode to a Table

By Julie Wilder-Sherman

Lined with age, scratched without intent, indentations of mountain ranges from 7th grade homework reside in her second panel.

Rings of white from overly hot cups and larger spheres from sizzling casserole dishes placed upon hot pads too thin.

Dents on corners from swift, careless movement, black pen lines etched through paper, bleeding into the wood. 

The long, suffering life of my dining room table, surviving, still standing with the family that unthinkingly scarred her.

Julie Wilder-Sherman began reading books at an early age, encouraged by her mother who would allow her to take books to bed when she was as young as two years old. Raised in a family of readers, writers, performers, musicians, and political activists, Julie followed her dream of singing professionally and met her husband, bassist Jeff Sherman, while singing on The Love Boat. Together they enjoy cooking, eating, reading, and traveling to all corners of the world. Julie remains politically active and helps to manage the Petaluma Postcard Pod supporting democratic candidates, issues, and policies. 

By Julie Wilder-Sherman

Well, what am I going to do with all these masks?

Store-bought.

Handmade.

Giants-themed.

Kitty cats.

Bejeweled.

Blue flowers with yellow backgrounds.

Yellow flowers with blue backgrounds.

Plain, monochromatic.

Busy, colorful.

Cloth mosaic.

A quilt of masks.

Wait!

That’s it.

A Quilt. Of. Masks.

Imagine millions of masks sewn together like the AIDS quilt, honoring what we have survived and what we have lost. A memorial, a tribute and dedication to what we have endured.  

I’m ready to let go of seeing half-faces. Of asking people to repeat themselves. At nodding to those speaking, pretending to understand. At straining to hear the muffled words behind the shield.

I’m ready to let go of images of cops and robbers. Of old movies with lepers, their faces partially covered. Of images of Isis terrorists with covered faces holding rifles over captives kneeling in front of them. 

I’m ready to let go of the anger.

The anger.

The anger.

He did this to our nation. You know who I mean, and I won’t say his name. He prolonged it due to his stupidity and ignorance and narcissism and . . .

But.

Back to the masks.

I’m ready to let go and make peace with the memory of the masks. 

I’ll bundle them up, put them in a bag and wait. 

Someone will have the fortitude and talent to weave these cloths together and create something beautiful and meaningful out of something so horrific and ugly.

San Francisco native Julie Wilder- Sherman is a long-time resident of Petaluma, California. She began reading books at an early age, encouraged by her mother, who would allow her to take books to bed when she was as young as two-years- old. Julie would “read” them until she was ready to go to sleep. To this day, Julie reads every night before turning out the lights.