grit to persevere; invictus inspired

  you made us recite it again and again we practiced and presented you clipped short all complaints   stand straight; backbone up speak loud; voice crisp in obedience to instructions we learned to tame our lisps   look front and center; eyes making fierce contact on stage a young girl made an audience pact

an annual pantomime

“Encourage you to find a work-life balance” scribbled in light hand, almost hesitatingly so each year, someone decides to scribble something bullets in the section called “opportunities” each year, others in life read and think, often say hmm, yes, you should, try! I thought about it long and hard as I have for more than

#Never Again

never again will there be an argument about porn being more dangerous for social health than the trade of death and its creeping demons never again will it be okay to sell parenting tips on violence in mass emails propagating it as a critical skill normal will never again be numb and sanity will never

Severe Weather Warning

transforming – the landscape shifted through the dawn snowflakes, fed into the earth finding their warmth settling weightless to the fields pine needles blush their green edges carassed by a silent silky white the sky loomed low gloomy, as it offered its own horizon into the nakedness of a glistening night brown shrublands awake to a milky

the boy in seat 24 B

the boy in a dark suit and kippah, was in seat 24B innocently awkward, he slides into his seat   nine hours of closed space connections a microcosm of variety within the economy cabin mental presence, more focus, and more observation than anyone would have on our average days   “seat upright please”, she clicked

Witnessing you is my prayer

You of me are as I was of her You will always be the compass You point me to my inner prayer   Mama with her Sunday obsession of baked marble cakes and fried butter scones You of me are as I was of her Order and routine is to your world as to hers

How to be beautiful

You are the magical elixir and the array of fountain lights To the way the crisp autumn leaves color their edges And the branches crackle in laughter with the snowflakes You begin where assumptions end and continue where belief pauses In the way you smile at the silly realities of loved ones And freshness you

prayer is in the details

do you pray with mind or heart? do you bow your head or bow your soul do you drape a scarf, wear your Sunday best or adorn a skull cap? does it matter? what does your praying voice ask for? what does your prayer music thank for? what does your prayer book say to you?

To the wine and whiskey of my life

I stand looking upon a threshold and as the clock ticks to countdown, I want to say what I don’t say as often and will never present as well as you both do – For my life and changing patterns, Mansi You are you and you make me brilliant indulging me with your ebullience You

To Papa,Sahir and Circadian rhythms

You, together are timekeepers of the family Serve as an internal constant The elder, you bring us an essence of dreams The younger, you bring us an alignment of our days One wakes us up to the cheer of new perspectives The other relishes in reclaiming connections Reciprocity that you both offer is compelling Your