Submissions from the portfolio

Last night Jose Mourinho appeared in my dreams. He said, solemnly, you are fabulous, but you must continue to practice your keepie-uppies. Best advice ever.

-SR

Last week my co-worker brought green beans and okra from his garden.

This week I brought squash from my garden.

Next week our boss is bringing tomatoes from her garden.

-TA

La aguja solo conoce lo rápido.

Cuatro días después de la luna llena, el amor la llama dela orillarlo.

Pero también el hambre llama al hombre con sus machetazos.

– JR

On my bike, enjoying the morning.

Then, small critter whatever you were, you inflicted so much pain.

No camera on Zoom for me, the humiliation of my swollen face.

-LH

The Copper Queens made it in—first time ever.  

The Canucks out in the group stage; The Canarinhas, Die Nationalelf, and Team USA fall in the round of 16!

Fouls, penalties, missed chances, back of the net, unwelcome kisses…viva the beautiful game. 

– Anon

Digging everything out the closet, as you do, including the vacuum cleaner, seven containers of family photos, a bag of pinecones, some sort of bracket for who knows what, one size eleven Adidas Samba (?), two plaid blankets, stockpiled light bulbs (oh, that’s where they went), a yellow plastic spade until…Deee-Lite. My box of vinyl uncovered.
The groove is in the heart.
-SR
A significant time of my youth, I joined a commune of 300 members with my mother and two brothers. We worked toward spiritual consciousness, interactive social peace and self-sufficiency. It was like an extended family with challenges, changes, commitments, and disappointments.
– SZD

I am a hunter on the prowl.
The loud crack means the hunt begins.
My wet food is served.

– AM

I can only please one person per day.
Today is not your day.
Tomorrow’s not looking good either. 

– Anon

Salsa.

Picante.

Pico de Gallo!!!

– JB

I spotted an old pay phone on my ride home tonight.

Wondering if it would allow calling into the past.

I’d dial myself up in May 1993 and say, “Leave now!”

– SR

The needle fish knows only of speed.

Four days after the full moon, love calls from the shore.

But hunger also calls the man with his machete blows.

– JR

Children crowded around a table coloring and laughing.
Across the room a girl reads, alone.
Beckon and make space–she really loves to color.

– Anon

The shades are waiting, outside the catacombs.
Where I battle demons.
And in my final victory a cry escapes me, knowing they are waiting…

– EG

Pour.
Steep.
Sigh. 

– DS

I wrote three 3-sentence stories for Everyday Inclusion this year.

One is in Spanish.  

The other two are in English.

-JR

Mildly terrified.
Dancing with strangers.

 

So much learning and laughing–I wish we had more time.

 

-Anon

Coco was so intrigued as they all seemed to be so different with all their noise and exuberance.

Coco’s family did not soar and dive through the tree branches with that playfulness, and endless energy that was on full display for the whole kingdom to witness.

It would be futile to resist joining the caravan, the flock, the family, and thus the only thing left was the inevitable enveloping into the lush, green, recurring, raindrop dream.

-JR

The oldest dog is blind.

The middle dog is shy, but kind.

The youngest dog puts his paws on the table, pours a martini, and barks “2 more olives”.

-JB

From the Northern copper belt to date palms on the gulf. 
From the land of Truth and Reconciliation to a decade of ganbarimasu. 
From the Emerald City to the unceded land of  Coastal Salish nations—and back again—an unexpected homecoming.
-Anon