mama always shares

mama always shares
her brooches – gold, silver, cultured
pearls, multi-stoned – we

dare to look ageless, protected
from time by our talismans
.
20220126:2032
y

at the beginning

at the beginning
and the end of a hot bowl
of noodle soup, such

gratitude to all the living
things that took that sublime dive
.
20220124:1912
y

steps behind, we may

steps behind, we may
never catch up – to the
urgency of a city
messenger, a delivery
service meeting its
weekend quota, a
breadwinner with
mouths to feed – sitting
on the couch,
debating the use
of the word immigrant
versus expatriate
.
20220123:0947
y

somewhere in the teens

somewhere in the teens
fahrenheit, the skies are blue
and hypnotizing
.
20220122:1515
y

almost twenty-four

almost twenty-four
moons since we last stepped into
this neighborhood gem –

names are foggy, but the flavors
will never quite escape us
.
20220121:1935
y

bus, train, or car ride –

bus, train, or car ride –
opportunistic sightseeing:
one; chance nap: zero
.
20220120:1917
y

looking up at the

looking up at the
homing pigeons, a windowsill
of herbs vie for light
.
20220119:2041
y

on a spectrum of

on a spectrum of
seen to unseen, some prefer
the luxury of

choosing what to unsee while
insisting on being seen
.
20220118:2107
y

simple messages

simple messages
are easily co-opted
whether we mean to

or not – carve out the space to
interrogate intentions
.
20220117:1248
y

the dry cleaners on

the dry cleaners on
the corner of montrose and
bushwick is long gone,

a bodega moves in, across
from and next to still others
.
20220116:2127
y