the blog is back
a short story / poem about my family:
one day in Kansas a woman went out side with a sweet potato and yelled
a poem about my folks, by Lena Marvin
” I WANT ONE, I WANT A PIG “
and she threw it on the ground and went back inside
the next day
a man came to the house and asked her out on a date
that man was the only man she’d ever known that wasn’t a pig
and that woman is my mom and that man is my dad
the original on the right, I couldn’t leave it, I had to correct it
don’t just go through the motions – always give 100%
says the svelte blonde with perfect hair
…
I couldn’t stop myself
I had to correct the broken meme
a pole dancing sloth telling me not to do my best, but to rather do anything at all, to just go through the motions, try giving 10%, but even that I worry is too high
bureaucracy
they told me I need my marriage license
I don’t
but they convinced me I do
the picture is bad
my face is fat
my body is fat
it’s lucky I’m beautiful
it is not yet time for me to have a REAL ID
now I have flimsy paper
and a plastic card with voids in it that spell void
I took a vacation day, for this?
I suppose
I don’t want to be invalid for my birthday
I don’t want to be like France. France’s color-blind racism is awful.
Color-blind Racism in France: Bias Against Ethnic Minority Immigrants
Taking the race question off of applications isn’t going to prevent racism.
Minorities Who ‘Whiten’ Job Resumes Get More Interviews
Taking the race question off of applications doesn’t help, it makes it so white people can think even less about their role in systematic oppression.
There is box I want banned.
Me?
I’m doing my best to provide and share intellectual resources. I’m studying and crying about the past, the atrocities of the present. Feeling sad about how shock dissipates, as the past and present echo, horrors feel predictable. Arguing with friends but mostly avoiding bigots. Writing poetry when I can’t not. Sometimes I protest, but not as much I feel I could. I still have more first-hand experience than most of my ivory tower peers. Honestly, mostly I hide. I hide out of fear of the state / the ugliness of police / the intensity of the feeling of protest and sense of community that overwhelms me. Right now? I hide because there is a plague. Often, I vote and worry I’m doing nothing.
Wearing rain booties at the city museum eating ridiculous brand name candy like cereals at the ayce cereal bar.
Selfie from Dad’s emergency dental visit, we’re in good spirits. He is going to get a crown and it isn’t even his birthday! He says it is his coronation day and this will be his second crown. ? ?
