Breathe a little, Live a little, Yearn a little, Burn a little
Musings
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In Defense of Being Fallible
Over the last few days, I’ve been collecting stories and painting women who rose above the ordinary in their lives. Quite honestly, I felt a little ashamed from time to time, that I didn’t already know their names or what they had accomplished. If I could, I listened to YouTube biographies and interviews, and marveled…
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The Anger of Resistance
Twenty years ago at a dinner party, I remember watching as a colleague’s wife laid out a massive feast on her dining table. Helped by the other women, one by one, the various entrees were heated, garnished and set on a beautifully embroidered tablecloth. The children were corralled, herded, served and supervised to ensure they…
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I Own My Labels
“You need to get past the gender thing. You have to look at the issues. You can’t vote for her just because she is a woman.” I am slip sliding very quickly past middle age into uneasy maturity, my hair is mostly grey defiantly colored, I’ve given up on fitting into my thin jeans and…
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Dreams of Refuge
I woke up in tears today, my heart pounding, my throat hoarse from desperate nightmare screams for my family as the train slowly pulled out of some unknown station. It had been equal parts terror and grief, loss of those I loved and cared for and fear for myself, untethered and disconnected in this world.…
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They are just SO nice
It’s been some time (16 years) since I planned a vacation in Asia, the long flight over the pacific with two kids was always daunting. Europe and Mexico were where we spent our tourist dollars, with intensive planning to optimize the value we got for every cent. Most countries we visited have a well established…
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Crossing over Iwo Jima
After the hugging and crying were mostly done and just before I had to board, my father had approached me with the familiar long suffering look of patience, mixed in with a heavy dose of dubious hesitation. “Alka, this is your passport. Keep it safely, and hand it to U when you get there, immediately!”…
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I’ll Walk Alone
I am loved, they tell me, like no one ever was,I am good, apparently, with the purest of heartsBut but but my words, they say, and yes, my attitudeToo much, too many, too loud, and too confused. I gather my shreds, my shards, my shameAnd lift up my chin, square my shoulders and thenI say…
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My hair, my hair, my dratted exasperating hair
My name, I’m told, means long hair, and I was so named because I was born with a full head of dark hair. It’s a cute story but knowing my parents, I seriously doubt they waited till I crowned and at that moment had that simultaneous thought. But it’s short name, most people can pronounce…
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Crossing Over Iwo Jima
After the hugging and crying were mostly done and just before I had to board, my father had approached me with the familiar long suffering look of patience, mixed in with a heavy dose of dubious hesitation. “Alka, this is your passport. Keep it safely, and hand it to U when you get there, immediately!”…
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Worlds beyond
Bits and bytes, quarks and bosons,Silverfish and black rhododendrons,Just last night I saw monarch butterfliesFragile flutter over thousands of miles.And I wonder if this world has so many miracles to seeImagine what the worlds beyond will be? Crystal sharp air that hurts as you breatheChance met friend who changes how you feelA child who once…
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In me the river flows is set of poems that describe the complex layers of betrayal and grief to resolute determination, with calm pools of compassion through it.
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