B is for…

B is for boobies;

for free the nipple activists

and

breastfeeding in public

and

YesAllWomen

and

having a flat chest until you’re

21

or having double Ds

at the age of 11.

Blooming

late or

blooming early

Or blooming small and beautiful and bright.

boys snapping bra straps

and girls being embarrassed

to shake or show or

glow what their mamas gave em.

B is for boobies,

Because the word “breast”

Reminds me of cancer

And

awkward anatomy classes

And chicken cutlets at dinner time.

B is for boobies,

For lacey bras

And sexy bandeaus

And taking them off the second you walk through your door

At the end of a long day,

Feeling free,

And feeling more like yourself than you have

Since the night before

When you slept butt ass naked.

Wild

Sexy

Beautiful

Free.

mind oh mind oh mind

a precarious teeter-totter of bumbling balloons filled with confetti dreams and tiny shards of mirrored glass, floating, falling, cutting and digging and dancing about.

hands painted, smeared by strings, bloody thumbprints, speckled rope, tied taut to their colored clouds. drip drip drip. drop after drop pooling in the sea. ripple ripple exhale sleep.

hopeful romantics

Standing on the platform waiting for the train, and a man stops me and asks about my tattoo – what’s your story, did it hurt, have you grown since then? We talked for the next half hour, unveiling dreams and sharing our art. So when the time came to separate, we wished each other the best of luck and smiled as we transferred to other lines. Dear stranger, thank you for the warmth and the love. I hope I gave you some comfort as you battle your darknesses and give the world your light.

a circle of light, billowing and floating and whisping in the air, glowing with the embers of the last sigh of hope, speckled in black freckles and pin print holes of anger. save me. save me. save us all.

For PJ

There is so much loss in this life, so much sadness and pain. But to remember those who have gone on before us, to honor their lessons and continue to work as hard as they have is the only thing we can do. Keep moving forward, love hard, accept apologies and dole out forgivenesses as they come.

Sending love to all of you — don’t waste a moment of this life. Just love fiercely in all that you do.

(he was pretty kickass at Mafia)

It’s not just banter: the epidemic of sexism on university campuses

Her Prowess

dear stranger

I sat reading on the train,

late at night,

avoiding glances from drunk boys and

st Patrick’s day enthusiasts

in the city.

and you came up to me,

said “excuse me”

and gently asked if you

could take the seat next to me.

“would that be alright?”

“of course, go for it.”

your friends, all

wasted, egged you on,

shouting “kiss her man!”

and

“get her number, pussy!”

but you just sat there,

making sure you didn’t make physical contact,

and you said “no.”

before I got off the train,

you smiled sweetly and

said “I’m sorry about them. My friends can be terrible

people sometimes.”

and wished me a good night,

the smell of whiskey still on your breath,

and the sincerest apology in your eyes.

so, dear stranger,

thank you. for asking me

for the seat. for keeping your

distance. for saying no. for

acknowledging the stupidity

of your friends, and for denying them the pleasure

of you giving in to their commands.

for making me feel safe

sitting next to you.

that doesn’t happen very often.

text message

fleeting whispers

of

passing thoughts

and erased letters

that make up a sentence

you thought not to send.

hesitation

conquers

more oft than not.

why do we fear spreading light? why do we stop to take a breath before saying thank you? why avoid the lovely words and replace them with words that are nothing more than filler?

so i am sending this today:

“I have been through a lot in my life. And I am not sure I have taken enough time to thank those of you who have changed it. So here is my little thank you – you are all incredibly important to me and I love you all very much. Don’t ever doubt that you are worth so much, that you have talent and grace and grit and that you deserve the best life has to offer. No matter what your past may be, or what your future may look like, in this moment, you are brilliant and shining and unequivocally magnificent. So walk through today believing, or rather knowing, that all of this and more is true. Take the time to bask in the glow of your magnificence. And know that you are loved.”

there is a difference

there is a difference between not being able to help and not wanting to;

between not having the time and not making the time.

between convenient relationships and equal partnerships.

and there is a difference between selfish anxieties and true empathy.

I am learning that now.

I see you now.

And I am not sure if I like it anymore.