Yet another 'piece'

Up the road from Nu's school.
This culture gets more terrifying every day.

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Journeys

End-of-term Academic Standards Committee meetings where students are dismissed, put on probation, etc. are difficult. When I recognize students' names, it's difficult not to mourn the lost opportunities for learning, success, accomplishment... Today I recognized two students from my FYS who had been best friends all through grade school and then roomed together at college. Fun, likable kids who showed up increasingly sleep-deprived in class and then frequently not at all. It was difficult not to take it personally--I thought you liked my class! It's little consolation that their transcripts appear to show that they did even less in other classes. I wish we'd been able to reach them in time. Perhaps they will be back someday or find another path through college.

At least I had some good company on the way there and back. I'd originally taken this pic because my sister had demanded a picture of me smiling, but this picture is here for a completely unrelated reason. We were listening to Kendrick Lamar when I took this pic, and I feel like At LOOKS LIKE HIM in that moment through some weird aural alchemy.

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Extra AF

Peonies and roses are always already a bit showoff-y

(I love summer)

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So-Low

At's Boss Day: we went to see Solo at Studio C. At and Nu want to talk about how it was super dark that Chewie was eating prisoners. Ugh. I don't want to think about it.

Me: Wookie's are vegetarian, Chewie doesn't eat people.
Kids: He was eating Porgs in the last one; he's not vegetarian.
Me: They just made up that bit--it's not true.
Kids: [Giggling]
At: Depends on what you mean by "made up"--technically, he's a fictional character.

Guess they got me there.
--

Doctrine

translating clouds
into panting,
thirst-throated air

arguing until
finally linear
in clemency

until I spider
empty, blank
to the-end-ing

descending, and
taking little boats
to the i-land

making pronouns
for the future,
which is now.

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Deeply Beloved

And extremely effective
 Abdul El-Sayed campaign worker!

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Princely

the sentimental sediment--
rainbows in rain puddles,

your breast darkening--
cold lake, bright day

hoarding every murmur
as an insect's confession

I look for you in the desert
when heat dies deeply purple

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