Choke Hold

I don’t wear much jewelry. I appreciate it and see the beauty in it, but I generally don’t pay it much mind. There are really only two pieces that I wear. One is a small silver hooped nose ring in my left nostril that is one of many in a long line of small silver hooped nose rings that have been there since I was … Continue reading Choke Hold

Smokescreens & Magazines

Birthday! Birthday! It’s my birthday. Astrologically I’m a cancer and recently this little crab has been weathering a bit of a storm. The namesake of my zodiac sign has made an unwanted and unwelcomed appearance in my life, promising to make this summer a memorable one.  * * * I like smoking. I like the smell of it, I like the taste of it and … Continue reading Smokescreens & Magazines

Lights Out

The cheers are loud and wholehearted. Filling my newly brightened apartment. They come from the people of the neighborhood. The men, women and children who live in the area that deal with this all the time. Their entire lives. This is their reality. An inconvenience and source of new frustration for me. But for them this is nothing new. They have experienced this kind of … Continue reading Lights Out

Fat Man in a Dress

Imagine the scene: A hot & sunny afternoon in Bangkok. Imagine yourself the player: A portly, awkward American gal. You’re taking a short visa mandated trip away from your life in Burma. And you are not unhappy about this. You go out. Wander. Eat mangoes. Talk to people. Get massages. Eat fried bananas from a street vendor. Not bad. Not bad at all. You’re using … Continue reading Fat Man in a Dress