In the Old World

I am to reread their wrinkles
search their weeds for memories

even as ancestors' eyes are forced
to close, go masked, invisible.

It will make sense
until you ask about it.

*
They want to open my mind
wrest, twist it wide

then tip it like the overfilled point
of a plate, at the moment when

you're suddenly sated,
free of the desire for it.

*
I mime their scolding for I have no will,
and I am meek. Still they are forgotten

even so, every time--memory by memory
in a language my children will never speak

Aiyo--to think I meant at the start
to hold and shape love

as it pooled its fast and fluid
escape in my heart.

****

Year's End

Arre, what would you do?
You too are split between
this year and the new one

these hopes are damsels
dismal in the silent dark.
I take their place myself

until I am inside myself
--oh, what have I done?
I too am waiting to know.

_

Kin

This was sometime after I'd talked about Harraway and "Make kin not babies!" and C said  gesturing at dinner--"You mean like this? Like you do?" And it felt like this might be the best compliment ever.







_

Not my finest moment

Nu fell asleep in my bed last night, and she woke up around 4:30 because I wasn't in bed with her...
and wandered over to the library...
where she found her dad and me...
watching shows on our computer...
and eating nachos...

She took it all in (half smiles and half envy) and went to bed. I wish I had been resourceful enough to say I couldn't fall asleep since she was in bed, but the truth is this is fairly normal these days. Big A and I have to finish The Americans before we cancel our Amazon Prime membership at the end of the month.

#12/11
_

I didn't make this

Not even the picture,


and everything about this was awesome.


Big A has a fan following and it's not all kids.







_

Maybe

Another day out with L, and I'm willing to accept that it looks more beautiful than it feels.












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Winter Beautiful

L is on a crusade to get me to admit that Winter can be beautiful...


#RedCedar #MSU







_