Wedged between cattle country and sheepherders is an oft overlooked patch of land at the base of the Crazy Mountains where the elementary school in Melville, Montana stands as one of only 60 rural schools still open in Montana. With a density estimate of one person per square mile, Melville easily fits the label of rural. It might sound like I’m bragging, but I attended second and third grades in Melville’s two-room schoolhouse. My mother taught grades fifth through eighth in

The Diamond S Ranchotel is more than a place to me. It’s a character in BOOTSTRAP. Surrounded by creaky floors, dusty carpets, and aged wood paneling, I learned to navigate adult challenges that, up until I was sixteen, were unbeknownst to me. Located three and a half miles south of Boulder, Montana, the Victorian ala mission-inspired architecture once attracted politicians, wealthy businessmen, and celebrities to its natural hot springs. The three-story building was built, e

While practicing the dog trick, Leave It, with my seven-year old pup, I unexpectedly learned to regulate my own impulsive reactions and...

Read the poem here.