Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora? When I walked through the mountain, I saw a million shards of glass Each a mirror and a face. Their names: … … &etc and […]
Time has taught me that skin is the last partof the human body to stop growing.At twenty, the rest is finished. At twenty my epidermis fit my form quite nicely,but […]
The white gambrel house on Heath Creek Roadwith the big Maple tree out frontthat I would climb up as far as my bravery would take me.Sitting on my perch, like […]
Thank you for gracing me with this place,This space of spirits and wind whispersWhere falling leaves are gentle driftersTo the ground, where I am groundedAnd surrounded by you.Thank you for […]
Swipe, swipe, swipe, swipe… Pause. Aw, cute puppy! Double-tap. swipe, swipe, swipe… Pause. Tragedy. Reshare? Wait. More research is needed. Swipe, swipe, Swipe, Murder. swipe, swipe, Swipe, Missing children. Swipe […]
Blood falls on the clean, white floor. The doctors say this is normal. The doctors say we are dramatic. It is a monthly occurrence, nothing new. Spilling our blood, a […]
Diamonique is the name my parents gifted me.Not Dominique or Deeominque or Diamondeek or any other name I’ve been called in place of my own.I am their diamond, their precious […]
I still call my Dad “Dada”.Phonetically, it was easy for me as a child, the name just stuck.I feel a bit silly reminiscing that this nickname I concocted when I […]
She did it to keep me safeI understand whyAmerica said “assimilate them”And she only asked “how” Learn EnglishKnow every wordDon’t worry about our languageThat won’t help you here Bring this […]
The heat of the sweltering August day made the sweat gather at the nape of my neck, running down my back like a trickling spring. Unfortunately there was no breeze […]
I have learned to love him waking up. The vulnerability of his half-lidded eyes, the shadows that lay across his naked features as he turns over are all so interesting […]
Wabi-sabi? When I first heard this term I remember suspicioning it was some relative to the mouth-scorching green stuff that comes with sushi. But it’s not. This is a conceptual […]
Moving to America In life, never settle for crumbs. Become educated and informed; do not let the ignorance of the law or society’s rules suffocate you. There are no borders […]
Perspective is defined as a particular attitude toward something or a point of view. A statistic is defined as a fact or piece of data. At eight years old I […]
What is a Girl Scout? This is a seemingly simple question. A Girl Scout is a member of an organization called Girl Scouts. And, well, the organization is made up […]
Standing in the checkout line at Dollar Tree, my gaze fixated on the forbidden treasures Mama always warned me not to touch. Colorful lighters, lollipops in a myriad of flavors, […]
The acronym V.I.P. has various connotations to different people; to me, V.I.P. means “Very Important Pig.” It all started with me seeing some piggies on the internet. After countless months […]
I hate doors. I hated them ever since I stepped out the door to say bye to my father for four and a half years, sixteen hours away from each […]
I remember standing in front of that Jack in the Box when I made the decision to go into the alley and slam the rest of the heroin that I […]
Dedicated to my mother; I wear your sweet smile on my face every day When you smile, your nose crinkles up like tissue paper Your bangs are long enough to […]
Desde niños, our parents, mentioned the American Dream The dream where freedom and equality are the flock of birds settling above the heavens But name-call us “criminals” and “aliens” of […]
It was six days ago that I saw it for the first time. Just before my college classes. I had been practicing my singing–probing the metal notes of my new […]
This is inspired by the Native people of this country and the diluted history that has served to cover up the truth behind European Colonization. The Great Plains are a […]
I can taste the music in my mouth The strums of the guitar Taste like silver The sky bleeds blue and blushes terrible red Like bleeding a rose– Here the […]
Someone is in my home They enter the front door, stepping into the dark And do not notice me They take off our shoes, worn leather, placing them with mine […]
Lalla rose with the sun, the birds bathing her in their song’s glory. She was free of cloth, not worrying about the senseless weights of civility. Lalla wandered open hills, […]
I remember that time we chewed gum together. Sweet and minty, we mouthed and tongued the stretchy stickiness How the flavor burst! Even stung a little, as strong mints do […]
The ability to physically discipline our children has been praised as an effective form of teaching, with realistic and reputable results. And why wouldn’t it be? The rationale, “Because… I’m […]
Abby and Seth locked eyes at a bar. One look, that’s all it took, six months later they were married and a year later they were stationed in Okinawa. Abby […]
Faye Stuart wanted to believe in ghosts. She wanted to believe so badly that she found herself staring desperately into the dark corners of her new apartment, waiting for a […]
Chapter 1 *Presently* Nobody believes you. Those three words echo in my head as I sit in the chair of an empty, dull-looking waiting room. I anxiously await my first […]
We were finally getting new work assignments today. Staring up at the sterile gray drywall from my cot on the concrete floor, I glowed with anticipation even though I could […]
Come in, let’s go out to the back porch. Watch your step. Slam that door or it won’t stay shut. It looks heavy but the lock freezes and you have […]
Britney Spears isn’t Mexican, neither is Bloom from Winx, neither is Kim Possible, neither is Barbie, neither is Lizzie McGuire, and neither is Hannah Montana. Picking at my skin. Concoctions […]
“Where’s your favorite place in the whole world?” my twelve-year-old brother, Max, asks as we careen down a snow-covered mountain in our leaking, rusty, beat-up 1997 white Ford Expedition. That […]
I choke out a laugh and paste on a wobbly smile as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. When did it get this way? I’m in the privacy […]
My dad always used to get upset with me when I cried. After a while, I tried everything to avoid tears. Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth, […]
“My father had the kind of anger all fathers do. Loud and terrible. It lingers for your whole life.” – Katie Maria’s “It lingers for your whole life” “I am […]
I hated my sisters for the humiliation I had to suffer while standing on the stool as I was wearing one of their latest creations of clothing. The pins piercing […]
The solemn-faced man at the doorway to my mother’s bedroom wore blue latex gloves. “Would you please come in and remove her jewelry?” he asked. But Mom wasn’t wearing any, […]
It wasn’t a shock to me when my father started drinking. Sometimes I found myself justifying it. He needs this, I thought. Papi works long hard hours under the sun, […]
If only I could have told you, oh rotten seed, of howyour triumphs will be mere insignificant worms. And if only I could have told you, oh mangy rat, of […]
Test
Where I’m from, the crisp bone-rattling breeze engulfs your body when you go out for a morning jog as the warmth from the returning sun hugs your face, reminding you […]
Dedicated to all those who have battled Alzheimer’s and the family members that stood by their side. Love you, Dad! You are smiling You look familiar I am so happy […]
If you knew me you would know that just because my illness is invisible it doesn’t mean i am not sick.i can wear a smile just as good as everyone […]
The day my court date came, six years ago, was just that, The ending in the joint, where I served my time. The new phase of life where my freedom […]
why not root for myself I need to remind myself of where I come from where I’ve grown from who I am who I could be there is fire underneath […]
Would you like fries with that? With your double double burger? And a drink if you get the combo? With cheese, but not too much. And not touching the lettuce. […]