VJ’s Weekly Challenge #98: no words

From my place of privilege, I sit and watch George Floyd beg for breath, call out for his mama, and know that I can never truly understand the plight of another, and that I, by virtue of my whiteness, am part of the problem. I have no words adequate enough to express what I am […]

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To the Man-Boy Who Publicly Declares He Is Not Afraid of Death

And what will you feelwhen death,as you proclaim,passes you by Targetsa beloved aunt,an elderly neighbour,a nephew with asthma Will you pauseto ponder your partexpress regretfor misplaced pride Or preoccupiedwith your own rightssporting chest protruding blinderswill you deny accountability? “The president doesn’t wear a mask”you pronounce the words as gospeltoo young to recognize that choiceshave consequences, […]

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VJ’s Weekly Challenge #97: risk-reward

Ric is taking advantage of warm weather and stripping the deck. I am inside, fighting an insomnia induced hangover, trying to complete tasks with two ranting dogs underfoot. They want to be outside; I want to be in bed. Ric just wants to get the job done. In the background, Andrew Cuomo is telling people […]

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Stop the Spinning

Call it circling, call it dancing, it’s all the same – I end up at the same point. Caught between the idealism of expectation and the harshness of reality. One has lofty goals, the other invites limitations. I once believed, not in circles, but in spirals – a continual movement marking progress. Now, with time […]

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VJ’s Weekly Challenge #96: circling

I reach out to Mother only to discover she is missing; she has gone in search of me.The dream unsettles me. I capture the essence by writing it down, then set the words aside, not knowing where to begin. The sorrow lingers. I remember the moment I knew I’d been displaced in my mother’s life. […]

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Weaving Bits and Pieces

Nuances of nostalgiajaggedsuccumbingcubesunsuspectingnourishmentmoving and openingI distractWe grappleunder constructionmeaning percolatesthis is lifethese bits and pieces of aresurrectiondragons and time machinesticket stubsscattered. Every week I challenge you with a focus, and every week you amaze. ‘Bits and pieces’ was the prompt this week, and the diverse responses, woven together, created this glimpse of life’s bits and pieces. […]

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VJ’s Weekly Challenge #95: bits and pieces

“What’s happening with your camera?” I asked Ric on our last outing. He has a new one, and left the old one for repair, possibly passing it on to me. “It’s lost in the pandemic.” “Oh,… yeah.” Processing the backload of photos, I come across pics of my mom from our last visit, before her […]

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A Mother’s Education

By the time she was three, my first daughter, an early talker, had shared that people have colours around them, that I would eventually have three children, and not to worry about those who died, for they come back like she did. “She’s freaking me out,” I told a cousin of mine. “I don’t know […]

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VJ’s Weekly Challenge #95: What a Child Knows

I am five.  Chronologically, I am five.  Inside, I feel as old as I’ll ever be. I am free of the burdens and distractions that surround me, and often, alone. I have a sense of something I can’t quite articulate – purpose, mingled with wisdom; trust, and a connection larger than me. I do not […]

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Oh, For a Good Story

Fishermen are notoriously good storytellers. Who can resist the suspense of the catch, and the disappointment of the one who got away? As a teacher, my favourite class was the one where we put the desks in a circle and told stories. After all, oral traditions are where stories begin. My grandchildren naturally prod for […]

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