Prose, Poetry, and Art since 1956
We hid them as we hid our coins, our grandmother’s jewels, our precious salts and spices – in the closets and cupboards, in the hollow places of the house. “Shh,” we whispered. “Be good. Be quiet. Be still.” Be small, we meant. Be nothing at all. The children crouched in silence as our minds raced and raced. What would happen if the soldiers came? What…
It is spring and my thoughts are filled with flowers, everywhere I go noticing the pinks and whites, the crimson of the unburst buds, the petaling, the unfolding in my mind of a thousand thousands— outside of the mall I stop to photograph the first tender bloom on an angular tree and my mother tells me it is a magnolia. A questionunfurls born from a lifetime of wondering…
Trash Girl I can’t believe I moved to Los Felizwith you—the neighborhood’s cool,but it’s a trash house. Everything’s paid sponsorship.How is this your job? But it’s right for you, trash girl––I mean, who doesn’t like attention,but it’s like you don’t care what happensto you. Like you knew that your pink hair would make that old guy watch you, that goingto the casino with that literal…
Go Ahead, Daffodils! Go ahead, daffodils, and get your shout on!Tell them now-green grasses that the sun is finally up!Tell them four-legged hood-rats to keep on steppingbecause you’re about to bounce out with color, my brother.Color that snaps in your head and slaps in your cheek. Go ahead, daffodils, and shine bright your yellow self!Tell them white girls and black boys that the sun is…
“Alright, your turn: if you could have anything come out of your belly button, what would it be?” Eleven sets of eager eyes found mine. What a way to introduce yourself to a new community: Hi, judge me based on what thing I would choose to come out of a sweaty, dark hole in my stomach. I wanted to come off as funny. As endearing….