I went to the bathroom. I had to go, and I asked all of the kiddos in my class to come up with a word. I told them when I came back to the screen (we were on a Zoom call) that I would try to guess the word they had decided on together. I […]
Commiserations On Space
The spaces we occupy have parameters. On this computer, typing out the letters onto a white page there are the edges of my screen. In this room, sitting in this chair at this desk there are four walls around me. Beyond these walls is the neighborhood where I currently reside, Marcy-Holmes. It has a boundary […]
Let It Go.
My momentary savior A whole pizza A whole hand down my throat Throwing it up To save myself from the shame Of eating all of it Because it’s not okay to eat all the feelings I need to eat and regurgitate The pain But you can’t My love. My love. My love, Love, You can’t […]
Similar
In a perfect world, all coffee is good coffee. All doughnuts are good doughnuts. It’s One and the same. Find the commonality between you and them. The lowest hanging fruit says, There is something in you the same as me. Find the similarities. Searching for differences encourages argument. And it never really goes anywhere. Donkey […]
Because of Winter
She didn’t want to die. But she took the pills. One after another. She didn’t know how to swallow more than one at at time. She took 108 of them. One. Then a swallow of orange juice. And then another. One. 108 times. One at a time. Until death was closer. It was enough to […]
Down The Rabbit Hole
There’s never been a place where I struggle for words, I don’t understand blank space and I never have. It’s a constant stream of words and thoughts and I want space. Space to feel emptiness. I long for the empty most hate. My brain won’t shut off nearly ever. There are no amazing thoughts like, […]
Wash Your Hands
Every morning she washed her hands. There was a protocol. First run them under the water for 12 seconds 19 times. Then put soap on them 1 time and rub her hands together for 30 seconds. Run them under the water for 3 seconds 11 times. She’d been doing this for 4 years since October […]
It begins with a Fever
“I’m sure you’ve got it”, he said. She stared blankly at him for a moment before responding, “Got what?” “The virus. It’s taking over everyone.” Then he explained it to her. “It begins with a fever. You want to read everything the media puts out and consume it with a fever. The next symptom is […]
Stay With Me
Stay with me When I feel the rising It’s uncomfortable There’s judgement I feel I’m not doing it well I’m not enough There’s pain And there’s suffering One of them is optional There’s judgement I could do this better I’m not measuring up There’s the world’s point of view And there’s my point of view […]
When She Jumped
It’s not possible to want to live another day. There have been too many days in a row filled with suffering. It’s what she thought as she stood over the Hennepin Avenue bridge. She looked into the dark water on an unusually warm evening in early April. Everything had gone sideways in less than 3 […]