I was in California when this journalist made a blanket statement about the fact that she did not think that black men and women had the kind of love relationship that Rebecca and Nathan had in Sounder.

Wanted: a needle swift enough to sew this poem into a blanket.

In Rio Bravo when Duke makes love to Feathers the scene dissolves to the next morning where we see him putting on his vest and almost humming. It was subtle but you knew what happened. Give me a towel and some blankets any day!

I'm a soccer mom. I'm T-ball soccer karate homework keeping them on their schedules. I love being the snack mom when I get to bring the cut oranges. I have one of those coolers with wheels. I'm at every game every practice sitting on my blanket. I love it.

The cool kindliness of sheets that soon smooth away trouble and the rough male kiss of blankets.

I have to say that anger is the blanket that comes around me and that blunts and blurs my sense of proportion.