For Christmas, I went to Las Vegas with Jamila to see the other three. It was an interesting trip. It started with the plane there being delayed an hour and a half because the plane was waiting in Albuquerque for people who were delayed from other places. It came and we boarded. We were lucky and got a 3 seat row to ourselves. During the flight, I kept hitting the attention button when I meant to hit the light button and I spilled a full cup of ginger ale (no ice, of course) all over myself.
We got off the plane and looked for a shuttle when I realized I had forgotten to take out any cash. Back into the airport we went. I found an ATM and it was one of my bank's (yay!). I got the money, paid for the shuttle, and we waited for the driver on the wet sidewalk. We finally board the shuttle bus and head towards the various hotels that the driver has to service. The bus decides to break down as we approach the first hotel. The driver calls in to dispatch and they tell her to wait there for an emergency bus. So we sit on the bus as the other passengers get angry and storm off to find taxis. She was very sweet and we had a lot of laughs while we waited. About 55 minutes later, dispatch calls her and says the other bus is there but can't find us. She asks if he's at the right hotel at the right pick up spot. Then dispatch says the emergency bus driver "gave up and left" and she should just try to push the bus to our hotel and then baby it all the way to the yard.
We made it to the hotel around 11ish. There was a long line and two clerks were working. We noticed that the clerk that was wearing a blazer was much faster and friendlier than the clerk who was not. We decided that the blazer was +5 speed and +2 charisma. As we got towards the front, another clerk started working, he was also wearing a blazer and was quicker than his blazerless co-irker. We were checked in by the original blazer guy and made our way up to the room on the 13th floor. Yes, the 13th floor.
I found out the next day that he was supposed to give me a special coupon when we checked in for the "kids eat free" special that I had booked. I had to go downstairs (after a very long wait on the phone to get the information) and be questioned thoroughly to receive said coupon.
Later during the stay, the 3 younger ones and I went to eat some pizza while Jamila stayed in the room. She was in bed when the door opened. Some Chinese people had the wrong room and spoke almost no English. She tried to explain that they were in the wrong room and resorted to speaking in Japanese to their Chinese including reading out our room number in Japanese to them. That's when we realised that we did not need a key to open our door.
There was other stuff that happened, but I don't want to bore anyone. It was pretty much a typical trip with Jamila. Here's a poem I wrote in the beginning of the fall semester. It's untitled because it's untitled.
UNTITLED
Lost on Sheridan
A familiar curve
Oak Street beach is near
We arrive
Closed to public,
Golf course replacing beach
A hole in the fence
We sneak through
The rocks are still here
I step forward
She is split in two piles
One for me
One for her best friend
A few words said
I hold her in my hand
I let her go
I hold her in my hand
I let her go
The wind picks up over the lake
Throwing her back in our faces
One last kiss goodbye
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Spice Christ
I used "spice Christ" in this poem, some of you know where I got that from and some of you do not. If you don't know then you are missing out a really great website with a superb bunch of regular snarkers.
Also, this is a prose poem, so there are no line breaks. Fair warning, this poem has crude language and adult situations.
6 Weeks With S.C.
"and that was whenever I seen her last," he remarks of his not quite ex-wife in our post coital bed. Oh my dear Bob, I've fucked an idiot. I resist the urge to correct him. We part. He calls and we meet again. Great Zeus, he doesn't understand negative numbers. Dumbass. He asks me if I am threatened by his intelligence and I reply in a kind manner instead of laughing in his face because I am not yet done with his cock. He takes off his clothes. My brain quiets down so the rest of me may enjoy him. He speaks. Shut up moron, you'll ruin it. I kneel and shut off his meager brain. He's just so damn pretty. The body I wish for Stephen Hawking. He pays for my cocoa at the coffee shop. He tries to hold my hand as we walk to his car. He wants me to meet his mother. Holy fat Buddha, he thinks we're in an actual relationship. "Fuck," I mutter. He replies, "we did." Sweet spice Christ, that's almost clever.
Also, this is a prose poem, so there are no line breaks. Fair warning, this poem has crude language and adult situations.
6 Weeks With S.C.
"and that was whenever I seen her last," he remarks of his not quite ex-wife in our post coital bed. Oh my dear Bob, I've fucked an idiot. I resist the urge to correct him. We part. He calls and we meet again. Great Zeus, he doesn't understand negative numbers. Dumbass. He asks me if I am threatened by his intelligence and I reply in a kind manner instead of laughing in his face because I am not yet done with his cock. He takes off his clothes. My brain quiets down so the rest of me may enjoy him. He speaks. Shut up moron, you'll ruin it. I kneel and shut off his meager brain. He's just so damn pretty. The body I wish for Stephen Hawking. He pays for my cocoa at the coffee shop. He tries to hold my hand as we walk to his car. He wants me to meet his mother. Holy fat Buddha, he thinks we're in an actual relationship. "Fuck," I mutter. He replies, "we did." Sweet spice Christ, that's almost clever.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
CRADLE
Whenever my daughter tells me she’s done something incredibly stupid
I ask if she’s outdone my great uncle Cradle
Cradle isn’t his given name but being the youngest,
It was what everyone called him
Life on the farm in the 20s and 30s could get tedious
Convince Cradle became a game four of his older brothers would play
“Milk tastes best from the teat Cradle”
A round of antibiotics was required
“Ma found you on the doorstep Cradle”
His birth certificate was the only thing that stopped his tears
“Hey Cradle, do you want be a paratrooper?”
Cradle agreed readily
Who wouldn’t want to be a war hero?
They took him out to the old barn with the peeling red paint
Up to the dusty hayloft barren except for a few spiders looking for a new home
Since the hay bales had been cleared and sold a few weeks ago
They led him out the barn window out onto the roof
Their sister Diamond saw them from where she was scattering corn for the hens
They called to her, “Bring us Ma’s old umbrella”
She did as she was bid and joined them up on the roof of the barn
“Take the umbrella Cradle. Jump, count to three and open it, it’ll be like a parachute”
Cradle jumped.
His leg took six weeks to heal in a cast
While his leg healed, his brothers did his chores
They chided him for waiting too long to open the umbrella
“If you had opened it on time, you would have been fine”
He had counted to three he argued
“When did you start your count? After you jumped? That’s too late”
The cast came off and his brothers took him back to the barn
“Do it right this time Cradle. How can you be a paratrooper if you can’t even count to three?”
I ask if she’s outdone my great uncle Cradle
Cradle isn’t his given name but being the youngest,
It was what everyone called him
Life on the farm in the 20s and 30s could get tedious
Convince Cradle became a game four of his older brothers would play
“Milk tastes best from the teat Cradle”
A round of antibiotics was required
“Ma found you on the doorstep Cradle”
His birth certificate was the only thing that stopped his tears
“Hey Cradle, do you want be a paratrooper?”
Cradle agreed readily
Who wouldn’t want to be a war hero?
They took him out to the old barn with the peeling red paint
Up to the dusty hayloft barren except for a few spiders looking for a new home
Since the hay bales had been cleared and sold a few weeks ago
They led him out the barn window out onto the roof
Their sister Diamond saw them from where she was scattering corn for the hens
They called to her, “Bring us Ma’s old umbrella”
She did as she was bid and joined them up on the roof of the barn
“Take the umbrella Cradle. Jump, count to three and open it, it’ll be like a parachute”
Cradle jumped.
His leg took six weeks to heal in a cast
While his leg healed, his brothers did his chores
They chided him for waiting too long to open the umbrella
“If you had opened it on time, you would have been fine”
He had counted to three he argued
“When did you start your count? After you jumped? That’s too late”
The cast came off and his brothers took him back to the barn
“Do it right this time Cradle. How can you be a paratrooper if you can’t even count to three?”
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Professor Hottie
This is the poem I didn't send in to the grad student who's filling in for Poetry Professor. I sent him one about sex ed, teen pregnancy, stds, prostitution, and infidelity instead.
EDIT- To clarify, Poetry Professor is not Professor Hottie
Professor Hottie
My professor smiles revealing
Two symmetrical dips, one in
Each cherubic cheek
My eyes hunger for a peek
Under his academic shell
His nutmeg and cinnamon orbs
Search the class for a volunteer
I almost always have something
To add to the discussion
Which he rarely steers preferring
A more open forum
He draws a picture on the whiteboard
Which hardly resembles the cow he
Claims it to be, Pictionary, he tells us
Is not a game we should play with him
His arms firm yet supple extend as he
Adds what he insists is a barn
His top two shirt buttons are undone today
Revealing his creamy skin beneath
I imagine the rest of his chest to be
Toned but soft and smooth like Michelangelo’s
David wrapped in layers of silk
My professor turns to face the board again
My eyes drift down to the tight roundness
That shapes the top of his pants
My left hand squeezes my laptop almost involuntarily
I force my eyes up to the back of his neck
He turns to face the class again pushing
A curl temporarily back into place
He quickly wraps up the discussion as
We put away our laptops, notebooks, and folders
I wonder if he knows what his female students
Call him when he and the male students aren’t around
EDIT- To clarify, Poetry Professor is not Professor Hottie
Professor Hottie
My professor smiles revealing
Two symmetrical dips, one in
Each cherubic cheek
My eyes hunger for a peek
Under his academic shell
His nutmeg and cinnamon orbs
Search the class for a volunteer
I almost always have something
To add to the discussion
Which he rarely steers preferring
A more open forum
He draws a picture on the whiteboard
Which hardly resembles the cow he
Claims it to be, Pictionary, he tells us
Is not a game we should play with him
His arms firm yet supple extend as he
Adds what he insists is a barn
His top two shirt buttons are undone today
Revealing his creamy skin beneath
I imagine the rest of his chest to be
Toned but soft and smooth like Michelangelo’s
David wrapped in layers of silk
My professor turns to face the board again
My eyes drift down to the tight roundness
That shapes the top of his pants
My left hand squeezes my laptop almost involuntarily
I force my eyes up to the back of his neck
He turns to face the class again pushing
A curl temporarily back into place
He quickly wraps up the discussion as
We put away our laptops, notebooks, and folders
I wonder if he knows what his female students
Call him when he and the male students aren’t around
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Leisure Time
I should write more poetry
I should write more stories
But homework needs doing
Work must come before
My other life
If I were rich
I might have time
To write the next novel
But what would I write about?
I should write more stories
But homework needs doing
Work must come before
My other life
If I were rich
I might have time
To write the next novel
But what would I write about?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Picture
I pose for a picture
With my sister and
Our two friends, also sisters
We tease our photographer
Who are the sisters?
It's obvious he claims
The three dark ones
The white girl doesn't belong
He could not see past my
Lack of melanin to see
The features I share with
My darker sister
With my sister and
Our two friends, also sisters
We tease our photographer
Who are the sisters?
It's obvious he claims
The three dark ones
The white girl doesn't belong
He could not see past my
Lack of melanin to see
The features I share with
My darker sister
Friday, July 16, 2010
A Blonde Rant
When I was young, Polish and Hispanic jokes were all the rage with the people in my neighborhood. Adults would tell them to each other and the kids would overhear them, clean up the language a little and pass them onto their friends. When anyone would object to one of these clearly racist jokes, the retort would be, “But (insert known Polish or Hispanic friend) is (Polish or Hispanic) and he loves these jokes!”
As I got older and the neighborhood increased its Latino population, Hispanic jokes died out. Polish jokes still thrived. I wish I could say that I never told a Polish or Hispanic joke, but I can’t. I told all the jokes that my friends told; I even told dirty jokes before I even knew *why* they were dirty.
I grew up and moved away. I don’t hear any Polish or Hispanic jokes unless the little old racist man comes into my store. No one laughs at his jokes nor do they repeat them.
Now there are blond(e) jokes. I’ve heard them all. I don’t find them funny. I have never found them funny. Yes, I have told them and I have been the blonde that others used to justify their telling of the jokes. “See, she thinks the joke is funny and she’s blonde.” I understand how easy it is to just pretend it’s not insulting to be classified as stupid and whorish simply because you are part of a group that has a common characteristic.
It is easy to make a joke about a group of people, such as blondes or Polish people. In fact, I recognized some of the blond(e) jokes as recycled Polish jokes. It’s easy to tell someone when they are offended by that joke, “relax, it’s just a joke. It doesn’t mean anything.” That is wrong. Jokes are propaganda and have been used as such. Look at World War II era cartoons and comics from the United States, take notice of how they portray the Axis Powers. Jokes show how people are truly viewed. Look at The Daily Show. The whole thing is a joke, yet a large percentage of people use it to stay up to date with current events.
Let me say once again that I am a blonde. I am proud to be a blonde. I do not like blond(e) jokes. I do not like racist jokes. I think telling a blond(e) joke is no better than a racist joke, even if *you* are a blonde. I apologize if this is not as succinct as it should be; I fear I may have rambled. I simply needed to vent my frustration.
As I got older and the neighborhood increased its Latino population, Hispanic jokes died out. Polish jokes still thrived. I wish I could say that I never told a Polish or Hispanic joke, but I can’t. I told all the jokes that my friends told; I even told dirty jokes before I even knew *why* they were dirty.
I grew up and moved away. I don’t hear any Polish or Hispanic jokes unless the little old racist man comes into my store. No one laughs at his jokes nor do they repeat them.
Now there are blond(e) jokes. I’ve heard them all. I don’t find them funny. I have never found them funny. Yes, I have told them and I have been the blonde that others used to justify their telling of the jokes. “See, she thinks the joke is funny and she’s blonde.” I understand how easy it is to just pretend it’s not insulting to be classified as stupid and whorish simply because you are part of a group that has a common characteristic.
It is easy to make a joke about a group of people, such as blondes or Polish people. In fact, I recognized some of the blond(e) jokes as recycled Polish jokes. It’s easy to tell someone when they are offended by that joke, “relax, it’s just a joke. It doesn’t mean anything.” That is wrong. Jokes are propaganda and have been used as such. Look at World War II era cartoons and comics from the United States, take notice of how they portray the Axis Powers. Jokes show how people are truly viewed. Look at The Daily Show. The whole thing is a joke, yet a large percentage of people use it to stay up to date with current events.
Let me say once again that I am a blonde. I am proud to be a blonde. I do not like blond(e) jokes. I do not like racist jokes. I think telling a blond(e) joke is no better than a racist joke, even if *you* are a blonde. I apologize if this is not as succinct as it should be; I fear I may have rambled. I simply needed to vent my frustration.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Someday
Someday, he will love me
Someday, the beatings will end
Someday, the truth will matter more than perception
Someday, I will find my happiness
Someday exists only in the minds of poets and dreamers.
Someday, the beatings will end
Someday, the truth will matter more than perception
Someday, I will find my happiness
Someday exists only in the minds of poets and dreamers.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
little girl
Little girl looks to the sky and dreams
She pictures herself successful
She will want for nothing
Her belly will be full not like now
Little girl looks to the sky and dreams
She pictures herself beautiful
A man will love her, be devoted
No one will call her ugly again
Little girl looks to the sky and dreams
She pictures a father who loves her
A father who treasures her
No more bruising outside or in
Little girl looks to the sky and dreams
She pictures friends who never abandon her
She will never need to do anything alone
No more loneliness like now
Little girl looks away from the sky and cries
No success, no beauty will come
Her father will not change, friends will not appear
The dreamer dies in her
She pictures herself successful
She will want for nothing
Her belly will be full not like now
Little girl looks to the sky and dreams
She pictures herself beautiful
A man will love her, be devoted
No one will call her ugly again
Little girl looks to the sky and dreams
She pictures a father who loves her
A father who treasures her
No more bruising outside or in
Little girl looks to the sky and dreams
She pictures friends who never abandon her
She will never need to do anything alone
No more loneliness like now
Little girl looks away from the sky and cries
No success, no beauty will come
Her father will not change, friends will not appear
The dreamer dies in her
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wanted
Wanted -
A carefree summer day spent with my mother speaking of everything and nothing. Reminiscing about my childhood and hers. Eating seedless watermelon as we sit on her front steps, wondering if the ice cream truck will come. Watching her neighbor talk to his squirrels, picking the blackberries from his bushes. Her sweating and asking me how I can wear a sweater. Eating dinner at her table, a perfect grilled cheese. Her telling me to be careful on my way home. Her hugging me to her overabundant bosom, telling me she loves me, asking if I want to take some watermelon home with me.
Item is priceless, shipping is impossible.
A carefree summer day spent with my mother speaking of everything and nothing. Reminiscing about my childhood and hers. Eating seedless watermelon as we sit on her front steps, wondering if the ice cream truck will come. Watching her neighbor talk to his squirrels, picking the blackberries from his bushes. Her sweating and asking me how I can wear a sweater. Eating dinner at her table, a perfect grilled cheese. Her telling me to be careful on my way home. Her hugging me to her overabundant bosom, telling me she loves me, asking if I want to take some watermelon home with me.
Item is priceless, shipping is impossible.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Night So Mad Tea Party
Halfway through our day at Con-nichiwa, my daughters decided they wanted to go to the Ouran High School Host Club Tea Party. As we headed towards the lounge where it was being held, Jamila and Jovial tried to explain some of the details of the manga to me. (If you are really curious about it, you can go to the Shojo Beat website and find more information. The Wikipedia page is riddled with small errors, and I cannot recommend it.)
We waited in line, the three of us, to try and get into the tea party. We slowly moved towards the front as others went in to the lounge. As we were inches from the door, the organizers asked if there were any pairs. I asked my daughters if they wanted to go in alone while I waited. I was informed that I was not allowed to do that. An announcement was made. Seating was done; next seating would be in one hour. People scattered to the other events. Not wanting to risk not getting in the next time, I told my girls that I would stand in line and wait.
My girls, ever loyal, chose to stand with me. The organizers were huddled. Another announcement was made. The last few people waiting would be seated this session. The three of us paid our $7 each and made our way to an empty table in the back of the candle-lit lounge. Jamila sat across from me, Jovial sat to my right, the chair closest to the rest of the lounge sat empty. A young woman dressed in jeans and a t-shirt came to ask us what we cared to drink.
As the young woman returned with our drinks, two of our hosts came over. The smaller one carried a stuffed rabbit and hopped into the empty chair. This one, I had been informed earlier, was Hunny. The larger one that loomed silently behind him was his cousin, Mori. Hunny greeted us in a chipper, high voice.
“Hello Princesses”
Jovial squealed, flailed, and sent me a text. The text read, “I can die happy now!” She had been hoping Hunny would come to our table. Hunny bounced in his seat and jabbered on about a million little things. The girls giggled and responded. Every so often, Mori would whisper in Hunny’s ear. After one such occurrence, Hunny asked us Princesses if we would like one of the cakes or cookies. We each decided what treat we would have and Hunny sent Mori across the room to get them.
Mori came back across the room and set Jamila and Jovial’s treats down. In a soft barely audible tone, he let us know that the chocolate cake I had requested had run out. I asked in a normal voice for the lemon strudel that Jamila had gotten. As Mori hulked back across the lounge, Hunny shouted, “Lemon strudel, lemon strudel, don’t forget lemon strudel.”
Mori gave Hunny an exasperated look and waved his hand in dismissal. He came back with my lemon strudel. It was sweet, tart, and smelled like childhood. One of the non cosplaying organizers came over and whispered in Mori’s ear. Mori whispered in Hunny’s ear. Hunny got a sad look on his face. The organizer had said that Hunny needed to move on to another table. Hunny said he would in a sad voice, then giggled and added the word later.
Jamila conversed with Hunny about what else would be going on during the tea party. Hunny got excited.
“We’re going to play some games!”
“What games?”
“Marshmallow fishing, and Chubby Bunny!”
“What’s Chubby Bunny?”
“It’s a surprise”
“What?”
“It’s a surprise!”
Eventually Hunny moved on to another table, hugging each of us in turn as he left.
The woman who brought us our drinks asked if we had any host requests. Jamila replied in a nanosecond. She wanted the twins. A few minutes later, a pair of redheads was standing in front of our table. It was Jamila’s turn to squeal. They went to Jamila and stroke her hair. They loved how soft and thick it was. Then they sat down. The twins shared the chair that Hunny had used. The one nearest to Jamila got her to feed him some of her lemon square. She briefly considered keeping the fork she had used.
The twins told us that we were the most fun table there. They noticed Jovial and my matching shirts with the upside down writing and turned their heads in opposite directions in unison. They complimented our shirts. We chatted with the twins for a while, until they too had to reluctantly move on to the next table.
Then the prince slithered up to our table. Unlike the others, he did not sit down. He sidled up to Jamila and took her hand. He stood behind her and leaned into her hair. He whispered something to her. She nodded and said something to him. He smiled, kissed her hand and oozed over to Jovial. He repeated his previous actions and then moved on to me. As he held my hand, he whispered to me.
“Are you enjoying the tea party, Princess?”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything I could do to make it special for you, Princess?”
“Make sure they are in the games,” I said quietly as I motioned to my girls.
“It can be arranged.”
He slithered away after kissing my hand softly. Jamila, Jovial, and I giggled. We were glad that I had decided to stay in line. We noticed the hosts milling about the front of the lounge. The twins were conversing with the prince who smiled and pointed to our table. The twins had their mission. They sauntered over and grabbed my daughters.
They were the first to play Chubby Bunny. They had to shove their mouths full of marshmallows and try to say Chubby Bunny. Jovial, my vegetarian, participated without a fuss. She would have a stomach ache from it later; one she decided was well worth it. I laughed as Hunny, Jovial, and Jamila all tried to say Chubby Bunny with their cheeks stretched and marshmallows threatening to explode out of their mouths.
The girls came back and we all laughed as the other Princesses tried the game. Then we watched as others played marshmallow fishing. One of the hosts held a branch on which a string was attached. Tied to the string was a marshmallow. A piece of elastic was put under each contestant’s nose to hold them back as they tried to grab the marshmallow using only their mouths.
We left the tea party, still giggling and looked around the convention, trying to decide where to go next. We knew it did not matter what we chose; the tea party would not be topped.
We waited in line, the three of us, to try and get into the tea party. We slowly moved towards the front as others went in to the lounge. As we were inches from the door, the organizers asked if there were any pairs. I asked my daughters if they wanted to go in alone while I waited. I was informed that I was not allowed to do that. An announcement was made. Seating was done; next seating would be in one hour. People scattered to the other events. Not wanting to risk not getting in the next time, I told my girls that I would stand in line and wait.
My girls, ever loyal, chose to stand with me. The organizers were huddled. Another announcement was made. The last few people waiting would be seated this session. The three of us paid our $7 each and made our way to an empty table in the back of the candle-lit lounge. Jamila sat across from me, Jovial sat to my right, the chair closest to the rest of the lounge sat empty. A young woman dressed in jeans and a t-shirt came to ask us what we cared to drink.
As the young woman returned with our drinks, two of our hosts came over. The smaller one carried a stuffed rabbit and hopped into the empty chair. This one, I had been informed earlier, was Hunny. The larger one that loomed silently behind him was his cousin, Mori. Hunny greeted us in a chipper, high voice.
“Hello Princesses”
Jovial squealed, flailed, and sent me a text. The text read, “I can die happy now!” She had been hoping Hunny would come to our table. Hunny bounced in his seat and jabbered on about a million little things. The girls giggled and responded. Every so often, Mori would whisper in Hunny’s ear. After one such occurrence, Hunny asked us Princesses if we would like one of the cakes or cookies. We each decided what treat we would have and Hunny sent Mori across the room to get them.
Mori came back across the room and set Jamila and Jovial’s treats down. In a soft barely audible tone, he let us know that the chocolate cake I had requested had run out. I asked in a normal voice for the lemon strudel that Jamila had gotten. As Mori hulked back across the lounge, Hunny shouted, “Lemon strudel, lemon strudel, don’t forget lemon strudel.”
Mori gave Hunny an exasperated look and waved his hand in dismissal. He came back with my lemon strudel. It was sweet, tart, and smelled like childhood. One of the non cosplaying organizers came over and whispered in Mori’s ear. Mori whispered in Hunny’s ear. Hunny got a sad look on his face. The organizer had said that Hunny needed to move on to another table. Hunny said he would in a sad voice, then giggled and added the word later.
Jamila conversed with Hunny about what else would be going on during the tea party. Hunny got excited.
“We’re going to play some games!”
“What games?”
“Marshmallow fishing, and Chubby Bunny!”
“What’s Chubby Bunny?”
“It’s a surprise”
“What?”
“It’s a surprise!”
Eventually Hunny moved on to another table, hugging each of us in turn as he left.
The woman who brought us our drinks asked if we had any host requests. Jamila replied in a nanosecond. She wanted the twins. A few minutes later, a pair of redheads was standing in front of our table. It was Jamila’s turn to squeal. They went to Jamila and stroke her hair. They loved how soft and thick it was. Then they sat down. The twins shared the chair that Hunny had used. The one nearest to Jamila got her to feed him some of her lemon square. She briefly considered keeping the fork she had used.
The twins told us that we were the most fun table there. They noticed Jovial and my matching shirts with the upside down writing and turned their heads in opposite directions in unison. They complimented our shirts. We chatted with the twins for a while, until they too had to reluctantly move on to the next table.
Then the prince slithered up to our table. Unlike the others, he did not sit down. He sidled up to Jamila and took her hand. He stood behind her and leaned into her hair. He whispered something to her. She nodded and said something to him. He smiled, kissed her hand and oozed over to Jovial. He repeated his previous actions and then moved on to me. As he held my hand, he whispered to me.
“Are you enjoying the tea party, Princess?”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything I could do to make it special for you, Princess?”
“Make sure they are in the games,” I said quietly as I motioned to my girls.
“It can be arranged.”
He slithered away after kissing my hand softly. Jamila, Jovial, and I giggled. We were glad that I had decided to stay in line. We noticed the hosts milling about the front of the lounge. The twins were conversing with the prince who smiled and pointed to our table. The twins had their mission. They sauntered over and grabbed my daughters.
They were the first to play Chubby Bunny. They had to shove their mouths full of marshmallows and try to say Chubby Bunny. Jovial, my vegetarian, participated without a fuss. She would have a stomach ache from it later; one she decided was well worth it. I laughed as Hunny, Jovial, and Jamila all tried to say Chubby Bunny with their cheeks stretched and marshmallows threatening to explode out of their mouths.
The girls came back and we all laughed as the other Princesses tried the game. Then we watched as others played marshmallow fishing. One of the hosts held a branch on which a string was attached. Tied to the string was a marshmallow. A piece of elastic was put under each contestant’s nose to hold them back as they tried to grab the marshmallow using only their mouths.
We left the tea party, still giggling and looked around the convention, trying to decide where to go next. We knew it did not matter what we chose; the tea party would not be topped.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Kindness Repaid
Let them into my house
Two little lost ones
Fed them and gave them shelter
They told of a cruel stepmother
A father who abandoned them
Cold and alone in the woods
How the scrumptious smell of
Bread led them to my tiny house
So piteous their little faces
I gave freely what I had
They gobbled greedily
Asked always for more
More I did not have
Witch they snarled
Burn her they cackled
Demonic cherubs screeching
Kill the witch before
She eats us
Bake her in the oven
Aghast and frightened
I cower from them
What has kindness wrought?
Two little lost ones
Fed them and gave them shelter
They told of a cruel stepmother
A father who abandoned them
Cold and alone in the woods
How the scrumptious smell of
Bread led them to my tiny house
So piteous their little faces
I gave freely what I had
They gobbled greedily
Asked always for more
More I did not have
Witch they snarled
Burn her they cackled
Demonic cherubs screeching
Kill the witch before
She eats us
Bake her in the oven
Aghast and frightened
I cower from them
What has kindness wrought?
4 Rides
Ride 1
The door opens to reveal a black flat surface which can unfold into a ramp. It stays flat and unfolded. I lift myself carefully into the bus. I slide my pass, with the magnetic stripe facing away from me and the cactus facing me, through the slot in machine that separates me from the driver. I wait to hear the machine confirm my validness. I do this while showing my ID card that proves I’m poor enough to warrant the discounted pass that I have just used. I take a deep breath. That was a mistake.
I am assaulted by an acrid, vinegary scent. As I walk towards the back of the bus hoping to escape the smell, I notice there are no children aboard. An adult is responsible for the odor. I find a forward facing seat in the very back where a vent caresses my hair as I try valiantly not to inhale too deeply. I cover my nose with my shirt hoping the cotton will act as a filter. I begin to wonder exactly from where the smell is coming. I scan the suspects.
There are about 20 people on board. I can only see the top halves of most of the other riders. I notice several others are covering their faces, obviously trying to escape the smell. I eliminate from my suspect pool those trying to escape the smell and those who got on the bus after me. This leaves me with 3 people as possible odor causers.
Is it the young olive skinned woman with the dreadlocks and multiple piercings on her face? Is it the young man with the pale complexion and magic marker black hair? Or is it the middle aged woman with the wind combed short brown locks and the mask of makeup on her face?
I scrutinize my suspects. The dreadlocked woman is sitting across the aisle from me. Her clothes scream hippie wannabe, a long hemp skirt paired with a tied dyed long sleeved t-shirt. The shirt hangs off of her loosely and she looks as if a swift wind could carry her away. Her probably size 8 feet protrude from a pair of size 7 ½ worn out leather sandals. Her toenails have recently been manicured and they sport a red hue that reminds me of the heart shaped boxes that overfill the stores around Valentine’s Day. I doubt her responsibility for the foul odor.
The young man with the obviously dyed hair sits in a seat that faces the aisle. An unoccupied seat separates us. He looks like he raided Johnny Cash’s closet. The only thing missing is a cowboy hat on top of his square shaped head. I notice a smudge of white by his chin. I study his face carefully. Little clumpy white smudges make themselves known. I recognize these little clumps from my “Rocky Horror” days. He is using clown white to make his complexion look lighter.
My third suspect is sitting a few rows up. She is facing the aisle although she is sitting in a forward facing seat. She has a five o’clock shadow just visible under a thick layer of foundation and a scarf tied around her neck. I wonder if she is pre-op. or post-op. She has pulled out a comb and is trying to get her brown hair back in place.
I look out the window; I am a block from my stop. I pull the cord to signal the driver. As the bus slows to a stop, I rise and head for the door. I peek at the brown haired woman and notice a slight bulge in her blue jeans. She’s pre-op. I push the yellow stripes on the back door, it opens and I am freed from the scent without knowing who was responsible.
Ride 2
The doors open to reveal three black steps with yellowish orange stripes on them. These steps can turn into a lift for those who need it. I climb the stairs and pay my fare. My old friend Richard is driving. I sit in the front seat that faces the aisle so I can talk to him. It has been ages since I have seen him last. Richard looks back at me for a moment and then points to the bus’s windshield.
“Big window.”
“Very big window.” I laugh at our old, private joke. I met Richard more than a decade ago when I was working at the telephone survey place and he drove the number 9 that I took downtown after work. Richard was one of the fun drivers. He was always cheerful even when dealing with drunks and unhappy people.
Once, when a young man wearing headphones got on the bus, Richard pretended to say full sentences but only said about half the words and mouthed the others. When the young man took off the headphones, Richard continued to say only about half the words of his sentences. Richard did this until I started laughing. Then Richard and I had our first conversation. It was the beginning of our friendship.
I stopped working at the survey place, Richard’s route got changed. I still bump into him from time to time and we catch each other up on our lives. I don’t remember the origin of the “big window” joke and neither does he, but we still laugh at it every time.
Ride 3
I am sitting toward the front of the number 10 bus and we are heading north. We are on Stone Avenue and we are turning onto Speedway Boulevard. We stop in front of Pima Community College and a few people board. One of these people, a woman in her 40’s, sits two seats away from me and tries to start a conversation with me.
I stare out the window watching the drab buildings going by and try not to pay this woman any attention. She seems upset about something and I don’t want her to take it out on me. She keeps saying how she can believe it. She says she got ripped off. Someone in the park ripped her off. I think she must have come from Stoner Park (a little park at Stone and Speedway, I know that is not its real name, but I never learned its real name and this one is very appropriate) and I am not surprised someone ripped her off if she was in that park.
“I can’t fucking believe it! He fucking took my money! He ripped me off! He took my money for a rock and never came back!”
I moved to the back of the bus.
Ride 4
My contractions are pretty close together. I am not sure how close together because I forget what time it was the last one started each time a new one starts. It was not my due date according to my doctor, but it was the date that I figured out using the exact date of conception and adding nine months. It is raining and the bus is late.
It may seem crazy to be having contractions and to be taking a bus. I was in no rush to get to the hospital. My first daughter was born after 20 hours of labor and a caesarian section. My second was born after 3 days of labor and another caesarian. My third daughter was a full 5 days of labor, no caesarian but she did require a vacuum. My girls were not in any rush to leave my womb.
The bus arrives, it’s been about 30 minutes since my contractions started, I think. I trudge up the steps and pay my fare. I joke with the driver about the rain. I say it is great weather for a duck. I try not to show the pain as my contractions increase in intensity. I stop noticing anything or anyone else on the bus. The buildings outside are a blur. I spend the twenty minute ride convincing myself that the doctors will send me home again, that today won’t be the day she is born.
“Craycroft,” the prerecorded voice announces on the bus’s sound system. I get up and exit the bus. I go slowly and the woman behind me tells me to hurry up. I cross the street and enter the labor and delivery department. Ten minutes later, I am holding my daughter.
The door opens to reveal a black flat surface which can unfold into a ramp. It stays flat and unfolded. I lift myself carefully into the bus. I slide my pass, with the magnetic stripe facing away from me and the cactus facing me, through the slot in machine that separates me from the driver. I wait to hear the machine confirm my validness. I do this while showing my ID card that proves I’m poor enough to warrant the discounted pass that I have just used. I take a deep breath. That was a mistake.
I am assaulted by an acrid, vinegary scent. As I walk towards the back of the bus hoping to escape the smell, I notice there are no children aboard. An adult is responsible for the odor. I find a forward facing seat in the very back where a vent caresses my hair as I try valiantly not to inhale too deeply. I cover my nose with my shirt hoping the cotton will act as a filter. I begin to wonder exactly from where the smell is coming. I scan the suspects.
There are about 20 people on board. I can only see the top halves of most of the other riders. I notice several others are covering their faces, obviously trying to escape the smell. I eliminate from my suspect pool those trying to escape the smell and those who got on the bus after me. This leaves me with 3 people as possible odor causers.
Is it the young olive skinned woman with the dreadlocks and multiple piercings on her face? Is it the young man with the pale complexion and magic marker black hair? Or is it the middle aged woman with the wind combed short brown locks and the mask of makeup on her face?
I scrutinize my suspects. The dreadlocked woman is sitting across the aisle from me. Her clothes scream hippie wannabe, a long hemp skirt paired with a tied dyed long sleeved t-shirt. The shirt hangs off of her loosely and she looks as if a swift wind could carry her away. Her probably size 8 feet protrude from a pair of size 7 ½ worn out leather sandals. Her toenails have recently been manicured and they sport a red hue that reminds me of the heart shaped boxes that overfill the stores around Valentine’s Day. I doubt her responsibility for the foul odor.
The young man with the obviously dyed hair sits in a seat that faces the aisle. An unoccupied seat separates us. He looks like he raided Johnny Cash’s closet. The only thing missing is a cowboy hat on top of his square shaped head. I notice a smudge of white by his chin. I study his face carefully. Little clumpy white smudges make themselves known. I recognize these little clumps from my “Rocky Horror” days. He is using clown white to make his complexion look lighter.
My third suspect is sitting a few rows up. She is facing the aisle although she is sitting in a forward facing seat. She has a five o’clock shadow just visible under a thick layer of foundation and a scarf tied around her neck. I wonder if she is pre-op. or post-op. She has pulled out a comb and is trying to get her brown hair back in place.
I look out the window; I am a block from my stop. I pull the cord to signal the driver. As the bus slows to a stop, I rise and head for the door. I peek at the brown haired woman and notice a slight bulge in her blue jeans. She’s pre-op. I push the yellow stripes on the back door, it opens and I am freed from the scent without knowing who was responsible.
Ride 2
The doors open to reveal three black steps with yellowish orange stripes on them. These steps can turn into a lift for those who need it. I climb the stairs and pay my fare. My old friend Richard is driving. I sit in the front seat that faces the aisle so I can talk to him. It has been ages since I have seen him last. Richard looks back at me for a moment and then points to the bus’s windshield.
“Big window.”
“Very big window.” I laugh at our old, private joke. I met Richard more than a decade ago when I was working at the telephone survey place and he drove the number 9 that I took downtown after work. Richard was one of the fun drivers. He was always cheerful even when dealing with drunks and unhappy people.
Once, when a young man wearing headphones got on the bus, Richard pretended to say full sentences but only said about half the words and mouthed the others. When the young man took off the headphones, Richard continued to say only about half the words of his sentences. Richard did this until I started laughing. Then Richard and I had our first conversation. It was the beginning of our friendship.
I stopped working at the survey place, Richard’s route got changed. I still bump into him from time to time and we catch each other up on our lives. I don’t remember the origin of the “big window” joke and neither does he, but we still laugh at it every time.
Ride 3
I am sitting toward the front of the number 10 bus and we are heading north. We are on Stone Avenue and we are turning onto Speedway Boulevard. We stop in front of Pima Community College and a few people board. One of these people, a woman in her 40’s, sits two seats away from me and tries to start a conversation with me.
I stare out the window watching the drab buildings going by and try not to pay this woman any attention. She seems upset about something and I don’t want her to take it out on me. She keeps saying how she can believe it. She says she got ripped off. Someone in the park ripped her off. I think she must have come from Stoner Park (a little park at Stone and Speedway, I know that is not its real name, but I never learned its real name and this one is very appropriate) and I am not surprised someone ripped her off if she was in that park.
“I can’t fucking believe it! He fucking took my money! He ripped me off! He took my money for a rock and never came back!”
I moved to the back of the bus.
Ride 4
My contractions are pretty close together. I am not sure how close together because I forget what time it was the last one started each time a new one starts. It was not my due date according to my doctor, but it was the date that I figured out using the exact date of conception and adding nine months. It is raining and the bus is late.
It may seem crazy to be having contractions and to be taking a bus. I was in no rush to get to the hospital. My first daughter was born after 20 hours of labor and a caesarian section. My second was born after 3 days of labor and another caesarian. My third daughter was a full 5 days of labor, no caesarian but she did require a vacuum. My girls were not in any rush to leave my womb.
The bus arrives, it’s been about 30 minutes since my contractions started, I think. I trudge up the steps and pay my fare. I joke with the driver about the rain. I say it is great weather for a duck. I try not to show the pain as my contractions increase in intensity. I stop noticing anything or anyone else on the bus. The buildings outside are a blur. I spend the twenty minute ride convincing myself that the doctors will send me home again, that today won’t be the day she is born.
“Craycroft,” the prerecorded voice announces on the bus’s sound system. I get up and exit the bus. I go slowly and the woman behind me tells me to hurry up. I cross the street and enter the labor and delivery department. Ten minutes later, I am holding my daughter.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Satanism and Goat’s Blood
My children are weird. I have four beautiful daughters and they are quirky. They know that they are odd. They revel in it. Social norms are to be ignored or exploited. The minds of other people are playthings. Being called “strange” is a compliment. This does not worry or upset me, quite the contrary. It pleases me that my children ignore society’s call to conform. It is proof positive that they sprung from my loins. This enjoyment that comes from confusing and befuddling people is a family trait. It started with my mother.
When I was a toddler, my mom would watch her friend’s daughter Sarah who was a few days older than I. Sarah was as black as I was white. Sarah had deep brown eyes while my eyes were (and still are) blue. My hair was almost white, thin, and straight. Sarah had a black afro. One rainy Tuesday afternoon, she put us in the stroller and went to pick up my siblings from school. The crossing guards were already out and guiding people across the street. One of the guards, a woman around thirty, cooed over us while we waited for the light to change.
She looked at Sarah. She looked at me. She looked at my mother. She compared Sarah’s skin color to my mother’s pinto bean colored skin. She compared my skin color to both my mother’s and Sarah’s. As the light turned and we crossed the street, the crossing guard asked my mother a serious question.
“Which one is yours?”
“Both,” my mother replied sternly leaving the guard with her brow furrowed.
My mother passed this trait to three of her four children. We enjoy leaving confused looks on the faces of strangers and making jokes that reference the obscure. Our friends either have a similar inclination or simply have grown to accept our oddness. Our sibling who does not share our proclivity for shenanigans, among other sins, warrants no further mention.
My sister Vickie and I have been known to play “Bob and Janet” in stores. It’s a game we made up as teenagers based on an ancient (from the 1980’s) Kmart commercial. When we are in a large store such as Kmart or Target, one of us will inevitably wander away. So we will call out to each other but instead of using our names, Vickie calls, “Bob,” and I respond with “Janet.” Once we are in visual range of each other we revert to our actual names.
As teenagers, my brother Shawn and I shared a lot of friends. We would often go for rides in one of their cars. To make things interesting, we would ask for directions to the street we were currently on from another car. We preferred to find cars with only a driver and no passengers. We would get the driver’s attention and trying to look as lost as possible, one of us, usually Shawn, would ask for directions.
“Do you know where Cicero Avenue is?”
“You’re on Cicero!”
“No, where is Ci – ce – ro Avenue?”
“You’re on it!”
“No, we need Cicero Av-en-ue.”
The driver would invariably give up on us and speed away, shaking his head.
While I mostly did these types of things simply to amuse my family, my friends, or myself, there were two times that I did them to help my mother. My mother loved people individually but not in clumps. She had severe claustrophobia and could not stand having people right on top of her. When forced to deal with a crowd, she would become agitated. Her view of the world would change. Simple questions were personal attacks. Concern was obviously condescension and pity. Any attempt to calm her would anger her. Hours later, when she was herself again, she’d be beside herself with guilt about her behavior.
The first time I did something odd to help her was when I was 17. I would visit my mom €€twice a week and go shopping with her. We would shop when we knew the stores would be practically empty. Then the dollar store opened. My mother loved it, but the lines at the registers were slow moving and often extended into the narrow aisles. While we were waiting one such line on a Tuesday afternoon, people were crowding around us and my mother had a look of panic beginning to form in her eyes. I did not want to embarrass her by asking people to give her some space, so I decided to make them uncomfortable around us. I looked at my mother and stated flatly, but loudly, “I’m considering converting to Satanism.”
“Kelli...”
“It’s not that much different than the snake handling we already do, Mum.”
Everyone around us suddenly needed urgently to be elsewhere. Even the people behind us in line took a giant step back. The panic drained from my mother’s eyes and we made it out of the store without her breaking down. We laughed about it on the walk back to her apartment.
The second time wasn’t a shopping trip but a ride on the CTA bus when I was 18. We were going to Aldi’s to buy the cheapest canned goods in town. The bus wasn’t that crowded when we got on at Ashland and Division. We found a two seater bench facing the front on the bus and I sat next to the window. My mom sat next to me on the seat next to the aisle. I watched the grayness of my mom’s neighborhood sail by the window as we headed north. Each stop seemed to exponentially increase the number of passengers sharing our ride. By the time we had gone a mile, the aisle was full of people standing and holding on to poles, the backs of seats, or whatever they could find to steady themselves. My mother’s hand began to twitch. There were too many people close to her, invading her space. I had to act.
“Are you going to kill the goat or am I?”
“You can kill it, Kelli”
“If I have to drink the blood, I shouldn’t have to kill the goat.”
“Fine, I’ll kill the goat.”
People tripped over themselves to get away from us. My mother was still a little twitchy and irritable when we got off the bus. I hadn’t been able to keep her claustrophobia completely at bay, but it was not as bad as a full blown episode and she calmed down by the time we had finished shopping.
I am glad that I inherited this oddness from my mother, this joy in playing with people’s minds and refusing to conform to social norms. It pleases me that my children have inherited this quirk from me. My daughter Jovial, who resembles my mother both in appearance and temperament, will face the back of an elevator and sing “The Wheels on the Bus” until she reaches her floor. All four of my girls and I will play Marco Polo in stores, create instant parodies of popular songs when we are walking places, and speak in complete gibberish to each other. When we go out to eat, we will switch places whenever our server leaves the table. We are never bored, no matter where we are or what we do. Nor was I bored growing up thanks in a large part to my mother. She has been gone for almost a decade, but that special oddness about her lives on in me and my children.
When I was a toddler, my mom would watch her friend’s daughter Sarah who was a few days older than I. Sarah was as black as I was white. Sarah had deep brown eyes while my eyes were (and still are) blue. My hair was almost white, thin, and straight. Sarah had a black afro. One rainy Tuesday afternoon, she put us in the stroller and went to pick up my siblings from school. The crossing guards were already out and guiding people across the street. One of the guards, a woman around thirty, cooed over us while we waited for the light to change.
She looked at Sarah. She looked at me. She looked at my mother. She compared Sarah’s skin color to my mother’s pinto bean colored skin. She compared my skin color to both my mother’s and Sarah’s. As the light turned and we crossed the street, the crossing guard asked my mother a serious question.
“Which one is yours?”
“Both,” my mother replied sternly leaving the guard with her brow furrowed.
My mother passed this trait to three of her four children. We enjoy leaving confused looks on the faces of strangers and making jokes that reference the obscure. Our friends either have a similar inclination or simply have grown to accept our oddness. Our sibling who does not share our proclivity for shenanigans, among other sins, warrants no further mention.
My sister Vickie and I have been known to play “Bob and Janet” in stores. It’s a game we made up as teenagers based on an ancient (from the 1980’s) Kmart commercial. When we are in a large store such as Kmart or Target, one of us will inevitably wander away. So we will call out to each other but instead of using our names, Vickie calls, “Bob,” and I respond with “Janet.” Once we are in visual range of each other we revert to our actual names.
As teenagers, my brother Shawn and I shared a lot of friends. We would often go for rides in one of their cars. To make things interesting, we would ask for directions to the street we were currently on from another car. We preferred to find cars with only a driver and no passengers. We would get the driver’s attention and trying to look as lost as possible, one of us, usually Shawn, would ask for directions.
“Do you know where Cicero Avenue is?”
“You’re on Cicero!”
“No, where is Ci – ce – ro Avenue?”
“You’re on it!”
“No, we need Cicero Av-en-ue.”
The driver would invariably give up on us and speed away, shaking his head.
While I mostly did these types of things simply to amuse my family, my friends, or myself, there were two times that I did them to help my mother. My mother loved people individually but not in clumps. She had severe claustrophobia and could not stand having people right on top of her. When forced to deal with a crowd, she would become agitated. Her view of the world would change. Simple questions were personal attacks. Concern was obviously condescension and pity. Any attempt to calm her would anger her. Hours later, when she was herself again, she’d be beside herself with guilt about her behavior.
The first time I did something odd to help her was when I was 17. I would visit my mom €€twice a week and go shopping with her. We would shop when we knew the stores would be practically empty. Then the dollar store opened. My mother loved it, but the lines at the registers were slow moving and often extended into the narrow aisles. While we were waiting one such line on a Tuesday afternoon, people were crowding around us and my mother had a look of panic beginning to form in her eyes. I did not want to embarrass her by asking people to give her some space, so I decided to make them uncomfortable around us. I looked at my mother and stated flatly, but loudly, “I’m considering converting to Satanism.”
“Kelli...”
“It’s not that much different than the snake handling we already do, Mum.”
Everyone around us suddenly needed urgently to be elsewhere. Even the people behind us in line took a giant step back. The panic drained from my mother’s eyes and we made it out of the store without her breaking down. We laughed about it on the walk back to her apartment.
The second time wasn’t a shopping trip but a ride on the CTA bus when I was 18. We were going to Aldi’s to buy the cheapest canned goods in town. The bus wasn’t that crowded when we got on at Ashland and Division. We found a two seater bench facing the front on the bus and I sat next to the window. My mom sat next to me on the seat next to the aisle. I watched the grayness of my mom’s neighborhood sail by the window as we headed north. Each stop seemed to exponentially increase the number of passengers sharing our ride. By the time we had gone a mile, the aisle was full of people standing and holding on to poles, the backs of seats, or whatever they could find to steady themselves. My mother’s hand began to twitch. There were too many people close to her, invading her space. I had to act.
“Are you going to kill the goat or am I?”
“You can kill it, Kelli”
“If I have to drink the blood, I shouldn’t have to kill the goat.”
“Fine, I’ll kill the goat.”
People tripped over themselves to get away from us. My mother was still a little twitchy and irritable when we got off the bus. I hadn’t been able to keep her claustrophobia completely at bay, but it was not as bad as a full blown episode and she calmed down by the time we had finished shopping.
I am glad that I inherited this oddness from my mother, this joy in playing with people’s minds and refusing to conform to social norms. It pleases me that my children have inherited this quirk from me. My daughter Jovial, who resembles my mother both in appearance and temperament, will face the back of an elevator and sing “The Wheels on the Bus” until she reaches her floor. All four of my girls and I will play Marco Polo in stores, create instant parodies of popular songs when we are walking places, and speak in complete gibberish to each other. When we go out to eat, we will switch places whenever our server leaves the table. We are never bored, no matter where we are or what we do. Nor was I bored growing up thanks in a large part to my mother. She has been gone for almost a decade, but that special oddness about her lives on in me and my children.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
This is something I did in Creative Nonfiction. It doesn't totally suck.
Early Memory
I do not remember much of my early life. I had three separate head injuries as a small child which may explain this. One injury was from when I literally ran into a wall. I told my mother I just couldn’t stop. Another injury happened only a week later when I was once again running, this time I tripped and fell into a luckily very sturdy glass table. The third injury is my earliest memory and is still fairly vivid in my mind.
My family was in my father’s taxi. My older sister Marjie, my older sister (the one I actually like) Vickie, and my older brother Shawn were in the back seat. I was between my parents in the front seat since I was just a tiny three year old. Ah, those good old days in the 70s when you could put toddlers in the front seat and booster seats were something you used at restaurants so the wee ones could reach the table.
I remember my mom smelling as she always did, a mixture of French fries, grilled meat and cigarettes. Her skin was the color of russet potatoes. She had not yet begun to get her “summer color” as she called it that would darken her normally to an espresso and sometimes to a chocolate. Her eyes were bluer than the sky could ever hope to be even on the clearest of days. Her hair was a thick chestnut brown cut to graze her shoulders. My sisters and my brother were like her reflection in a pool.
I was my father’s reflection. I shared his pale complexion, his baby fine hair, his dark cloudy blue eyes. I did not inherit his red hair which had turned white by the time I was born. I had pale blonde hair that would darken and gain red highlights as I aged. That day in the taxi, my father smelled of cheap beer. He had not had any beer yet, but his alcohol use was so frequent and extreme, his sweat would take on that odor. His scent mingled with my mother’s reminding me of bowling alley.
My mother had insisted on putting my seat belt on even though it was difficult to get it tight enough to fit around my tiny waist. My sisters and brothers were buckled in and then we took off. I do not remember where we were going to, only that we were going. So we pulled out of the parking space and I was excited.
I wanted to look around me but I could not see my sisters or my brother in the back seat. I had no interest in looking at my father to my left. My mother was too familiar to maintain my interest. I couldn’t see over the dash and out the windshield so I started looking at all the neat things that a taxi has up front. Like my father’s hack license. I was still a year from reading so I did not know what it said but I recognized my father’s picture and some numbers. My eyes then went to the meter. It had numbers and those letter things that my sisters were learning in school. It had a bright red flag that was pointing to the ceiling. It was amazing thing. Then my mom screamed.
“Shit!”
I heard metal hit metal and the red flag flew at me. Pain enveloped me and blood erupted from my forehead.
“Mommy!”
“MOMmy!”
“MOMMY!”
And then blackness
Early Memory
I do not remember much of my early life. I had three separate head injuries as a small child which may explain this. One injury was from when I literally ran into a wall. I told my mother I just couldn’t stop. Another injury happened only a week later when I was once again running, this time I tripped and fell into a luckily very sturdy glass table. The third injury is my earliest memory and is still fairly vivid in my mind.
My family was in my father’s taxi. My older sister Marjie, my older sister (the one I actually like) Vickie, and my older brother Shawn were in the back seat. I was between my parents in the front seat since I was just a tiny three year old. Ah, those good old days in the 70s when you could put toddlers in the front seat and booster seats were something you used at restaurants so the wee ones could reach the table.
I remember my mom smelling as she always did, a mixture of French fries, grilled meat and cigarettes. Her skin was the color of russet potatoes. She had not yet begun to get her “summer color” as she called it that would darken her normally to an espresso and sometimes to a chocolate. Her eyes were bluer than the sky could ever hope to be even on the clearest of days. Her hair was a thick chestnut brown cut to graze her shoulders. My sisters and my brother were like her reflection in a pool.
I was my father’s reflection. I shared his pale complexion, his baby fine hair, his dark cloudy blue eyes. I did not inherit his red hair which had turned white by the time I was born. I had pale blonde hair that would darken and gain red highlights as I aged. That day in the taxi, my father smelled of cheap beer. He had not had any beer yet, but his alcohol use was so frequent and extreme, his sweat would take on that odor. His scent mingled with my mother’s reminding me of bowling alley.
My mother had insisted on putting my seat belt on even though it was difficult to get it tight enough to fit around my tiny waist. My sisters and brothers were buckled in and then we took off. I do not remember where we were going to, only that we were going. So we pulled out of the parking space and I was excited.
I wanted to look around me but I could not see my sisters or my brother in the back seat. I had no interest in looking at my father to my left. My mother was too familiar to maintain my interest. I couldn’t see over the dash and out the windshield so I started looking at all the neat things that a taxi has up front. Like my father’s hack license. I was still a year from reading so I did not know what it said but I recognized my father’s picture and some numbers. My eyes then went to the meter. It had numbers and those letter things that my sisters were learning in school. It had a bright red flag that was pointing to the ceiling. It was amazing thing. Then my mom screamed.
“Shit!”
I heard metal hit metal and the red flag flew at me. Pain enveloped me and blood erupted from my forehead.
“Mommy!”
“MOMmy!”
“MOMMY!”
And then blackness
Ingrid
This is really part of a much larger story, but I'd figure I'd let y'all take a look at it. I may or may not put the rest up some time in the future.
Ingrid was furious. This man here, this imbecile, was telling her that she was not pretty enough to win the pageant. She flicked her brown curls out of her baby blue eyes and pursed her full, pouty lips. “Are you insane? I’m pretty than all those other girls. I don’t have an ounce of fat in the wrong place unlike Chubby Chelsea.”
He looked her over again as she stood in the doorway, paying special attention to the soft parts. She had a great body, a gorgeous face, lovely hair, but no, she was not pretty. Her physical form was divine; it was her personality that was ugly and dark. That would keep her from winning; he knew that much for sure. She would need to fake a better personality or improve on her own. He felt she stood a better chance of accomplishing the former. “Ingrid, honey, I said your persona wasn’t pretty enough. Referring to the other girls as chubby won’t help you win over the judges. Neither will your arrogance.”
“What do you know Roy, you old fag? My momma won, her momma won, and I’m gonna win. I’m prettier and more talented than all those hags with their fake niceness, no tits, flabby butts, bloated bellies, and ‘I want world peace’ bullshit.”
“Calm down, Ingrid and listen to me for once. Your momma won because she listened to me. She wasn’t even the prettiest girl and her talent, if you can call it that, was playing the spoons. She won the judges over with her class and style. Two things you have none of right now, Missy.”
The color drained from Ingrid’s face. She looked around his tiny office. She looked at the pictures of him with beauty queens from around the county. She looked at his desk almost completely covered with headshots of wannabe queens begging for his services. Roy was right, she did not want to admit it, but she knew it was the truth. Roy had helped her mother win way back when and he could help her win too if she let him.
Roy’s sea green eyes focused intensely on Ingrid. He was waiting for her to attack his thinning gray hair and the extra pounds he had acquired around his stomach. He knew how she liked to launch personal attacks when she couldn’t win with facts, which was most of the time. He sat and waited for the onslaught. It never came. Ingrid sighed.
“You’re right, Roy”
Roy was stunned for half a moment. He didn’t think she had ever admitted anyone else was right in her entire life. He had known her since she was a stubborn little baby refusing to come out and meet the world according to anyone’s schedule but her own. He had seen her grow into a willful child with no respect for any authority but her own. He took a deep breath. “Sit down girl.”
Ingrid plopped in the chair. Roy groaned and motioned for her to stand again. She rose from the chair and tried again. This time she gently lowered herself into the chair, keeping her legs together and demurely crossing them at the ankles. She looked at Roy and smiled sweetly.
“How’s that, Roy?”
“It’s good, honey. We still need to work on your manners, your attitude, your posture, and your diction. We have a hell of a long way to go, but by God, at least you can sit like a lady.”
Ingrid was furious. This man here, this imbecile, was telling her that she was not pretty enough to win the pageant. She flicked her brown curls out of her baby blue eyes and pursed her full, pouty lips. “Are you insane? I’m pretty than all those other girls. I don’t have an ounce of fat in the wrong place unlike Chubby Chelsea.”
He looked her over again as she stood in the doorway, paying special attention to the soft parts. She had a great body, a gorgeous face, lovely hair, but no, she was not pretty. Her physical form was divine; it was her personality that was ugly and dark. That would keep her from winning; he knew that much for sure. She would need to fake a better personality or improve on her own. He felt she stood a better chance of accomplishing the former. “Ingrid, honey, I said your persona wasn’t pretty enough. Referring to the other girls as chubby won’t help you win over the judges. Neither will your arrogance.”
“What do you know Roy, you old fag? My momma won, her momma won, and I’m gonna win. I’m prettier and more talented than all those hags with their fake niceness, no tits, flabby butts, bloated bellies, and ‘I want world peace’ bullshit.”
“Calm down, Ingrid and listen to me for once. Your momma won because she listened to me. She wasn’t even the prettiest girl and her talent, if you can call it that, was playing the spoons. She won the judges over with her class and style. Two things you have none of right now, Missy.”
The color drained from Ingrid’s face. She looked around his tiny office. She looked at the pictures of him with beauty queens from around the county. She looked at his desk almost completely covered with headshots of wannabe queens begging for his services. Roy was right, she did not want to admit it, but she knew it was the truth. Roy had helped her mother win way back when and he could help her win too if she let him.
Roy’s sea green eyes focused intensely on Ingrid. He was waiting for her to attack his thinning gray hair and the extra pounds he had acquired around his stomach. He knew how she liked to launch personal attacks when she couldn’t win with facts, which was most of the time. He sat and waited for the onslaught. It never came. Ingrid sighed.
“You’re right, Roy”
Roy was stunned for half a moment. He didn’t think she had ever admitted anyone else was right in her entire life. He had known her since she was a stubborn little baby refusing to come out and meet the world according to anyone’s schedule but her own. He had seen her grow into a willful child with no respect for any authority but her own. He took a deep breath. “Sit down girl.”
Ingrid plopped in the chair. Roy groaned and motioned for her to stand again. She rose from the chair and tried again. This time she gently lowered herself into the chair, keeping her legs together and demurely crossing them at the ankles. She looked at Roy and smiled sweetly.
“How’s that, Roy?”
“It’s good, honey. We still need to work on your manners, your attitude, your posture, and your diction. We have a hell of a long way to go, but by God, at least you can sit like a lady.”
Saturday, January 30, 2010
My Truths
It's been a while since I've posted anything. First there was the problem with my rib which is mostly better. Then school started back up and because I am a bit of educational masochist I decided to take 5 classes and work on the Lit. magazine. Well, I will have my summer mostly free except for the mindnumbing menial work I do at my great low paying job.
Enough of my whining, here's a list of my truths. It's not really a poem or a story, but at least it's a post.
My truths
No baby is ever ugly to his mother.
Chicago is the best place for pizza.
New York is the second best place for pizza.
Life is too short to worry about being normal.
Laughter keeps the heart young.
If my mother had been a “normal mom,” my life would have been pretty boring.
A woman’s worth is not dependant on her reproductive health.
You can be too skinny and too rich.
There is no such thing as “man’s work” or “woman’s work;” there is only work and it cares not about your gender.
The use of multiple exclamation marks is a sign of a deranged mind.
Common sense is extremely rare.
I may never be rich, but I will never be boring.
Love is beautiful regardless of its orientation.
A human being can get used to anything given enough time.
A good vocabulary will allow you to insult people without them realizing it.
You begin to die the moment you are born.
If you make no mistakes, you have not lived.
No one truly listens to the answer when they ask how you are.
Enough of my whining, here's a list of my truths. It's not really a poem or a story, but at least it's a post.
My truths
No baby is ever ugly to his mother.
Chicago is the best place for pizza.
New York is the second best place for pizza.
Life is too short to worry about being normal.
Laughter keeps the heart young.
If my mother had been a “normal mom,” my life would have been pretty boring.
A woman’s worth is not dependant on her reproductive health.
You can be too skinny and too rich.
There is no such thing as “man’s work” or “woman’s work;” there is only work and it cares not about your gender.
The use of multiple exclamation marks is a sign of a deranged mind.
Common sense is extremely rare.
I may never be rich, but I will never be boring.
Love is beautiful regardless of its orientation.
A human being can get used to anything given enough time.
A good vocabulary will allow you to insult people without them realizing it.
You begin to die the moment you are born.
If you make no mistakes, you have not lived.
No one truly listens to the answer when they ask how you are.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Insomnia
Sleep, you vile temptrest
Seduced by your promises
I wait for you again
You come only when
It pleases you
Fickle lover
I wallow in abandonment
Seduced by your promises
I wait for you again
You come only when
It pleases you
Fickle lover
I wallow in abandonment
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