A few random notes from the weekend who quits napowrimo 20 poems in? I do, apparently. I spoke with a friend today about people our age who quit physics PhD in hand Statistics, I said, Most of us will be shown the door. It’s depressing, I said. People tell me it was for the best [...]

I grew up in East LA And Kilburn, London and Takoma Park, DC suburb By the time I was 16 about to head for college I only knew how to escape Takoma I didn’t see the British Museum the National Gallery of England until I was 17 I couldn’t drive around LA see my friends [...]

He’ll be on a train in not too long I’ll be thinking of going to look at poetry I can’t bring myself to go outside To have people see the sorrow smeared on my face The nerves are a little messed up from the accident Sometimes I can’t feel things on my chin But this, [...]

beware, people at the beginning: the middle is heartbreaking the end is very ugly you see, buildings in Los Angeles have rollers the earth quakes and they just sway sway like blades of grass in a Venice Beach breeze but this is the east and everything is snowed on brick at the first sign of [...]

I have no heart to write about science today Nor about the social scientists who demonize us Einstein died this day, 1955 When he died NBC reported He was a pacificist an anti-nuclear weapons activist Those of us in the know know about his Greatest Blunder should know advising Roosevelt was Greater Those of us [...]

That was always our problem your homophobia made me angry and you didn’t like anger It’s not polite. Audre Lorde has words for this but I didn’t know about them yet. She said “my fear of my anger taught me nothing your fear of my anger will teach you nothing also” I’m yelling so I’m [...]

Some weeks ago I dreamed of traveling to Mexico I arrived at a yellow and beige border, reminiscent of parts of the California I know but it wasn’t right. Yellower and beiger and deader there was panic How would we get water to drink once we crossed? We hadn’t planned properly for the way global [...]

I don’t really agree that stupid is the word for it But it often runs through my head My limited vocabulary is a constant source of struggle Your limited emotional vocabulary is a persistent source of pain I know we weren’t right I told you so many times Your homophobia ain’t right And yeah, Black [...]

This world is going to try and distract you. People will try to get in your way, but you should keep your Eyes on the Prize. When someone knocks you down, get right back up. When your peers stumble, give them a shoulder to lean on. Be bold in the face of racism, homophobia and [...]

you are not somebody I used to know you are the cold cutting knife sometimes I am the memories of the sweat guard I wore on my wrist to hide your crimes – the stories you etched in my skin my hand a handy instrument feeling desperately in the dark for somebody I used to [...]