You are brilliance

August 6, 2025.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Things I wish my younger self knew, but then again, if we knew, would we try so hard to shine? It’s the paradox of life, isn’t it? I watch my teenaged granddaughters struggle, and I want to lift them up, but I know that words aren’t enough. Letting them know I believe in them is […]

Adolescence

May 24, 2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Poem and image my own

That Kid

June 4, 2017.Reading time 4 minutes.

I am that kid. First day of school, teacher proudly organized, in charge, forgets she is addressing humans not machines programmed to comply. I cannot tolerate oppression: authority already overbearing in my life. I am a pressure cooker, combustible, ready to explode, like an uncorked grenade counting down the seconds. “We need to set some […]

Mother Never Warned Me

September 8, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

He’d always come early, my sister’s beau, hover over me with what I mistook for childlike interest, invite me to go for a ride in his shiny new sports car – a two-seater with overdrive. I was barely fifteen. Looked like Bert Reynolds: dark hair, dark eyes, a stylish moustache. He was Russian and broad-shouldered, […]

Where Are The Dogs?

Contemplating risk –a reunion with a former selflooking for an exit When did I become a snakerestrained?When did I become persona non grata? I slither between storiesconvince myself I can flydistraction a ruse I have big cat energyoverstepping boundariessocially adverse A faulty jeweldreaming of abundance but there’s a dragon to disarm My mother’s burden on my […]

Turning (tanka)

Mother

When I had a mothermy hair would cascadein curls of auburn perfectiona red velvet bow to accentuate the wave And I’d wear my bestnewly sewn frockwith lace at the neckand fishnet stockingsand patent Mary Janes And the girls giggling with delightwould skip hand-in-handto the school promand the boys shyly perchedagainst the back wall would wonderhow […]