I walk through my life feet bare and callused across a carpet of war * not metaphysical war not philosophical war * homespun wars waged in places that I do not live and mostly have not visited * the carpet’s barbed pile has been underfoot since I was born […]
Here are a few frog facts to ponder before my poem. Frogs are considered highly endangered with over 7000 species. Humans are all from one species, but we have an estimated 5000 human ethnic groups which are defined primarily by cultural practices. What we would consider to be the “modern […]
You can’t audit a course in the skoo of Hard Knocks…. Povertyskola The unhoused, who are said to live on the margins of our society, are in front of our eyes every day we walk or drive down our streets if we look. Too many complain about the view, applaud people’s […]
this is the year of spent tearsdried leaving only salt tracksso many tears have fallenfor so many reasons so many lossesso many deathsso many sacrificesso many wars in all of their manifestationsthat we now sit dry eyes agogeyelids sewn open so that we cannot stop lookingcannot stop seeingcannot deny knowingyes […]
It was not quite dawn on December 11th, 2025, too early to be awake. I turned over under a weight of covers and willed myself back to sleep where a dream came and I saw my brother, middle-aged and able bodied, getting ready to get on a plane with a […]
word time how old is your language he asks and pauses for answers that will not come to the tongue my language of memories is buried in bone marrow spilling out in blood rich with copper salt and ancestor breath my language of touch was inherited from the first ones […]
“I Believe In The Fire Of Love And The Sweat Of Truth” Assata Shakur Assata Shakur (nee JoAnne Chesimard) was only 26 and a Member of the Black Liberation Army when she escaped to Cuba after being convicted of killing a New Jersey state law officer. She always asserted that […]
The right mix of spices in a dish, for example a balance of yams to butter, nutmeg to orange juice, will create a particular flavor and when eaten provide a certain satisfaction. Bringing together the right ingredients, the right spices, the right heat in an artistic collaboration can be more […]
Every book is different, and I don’t have a singular recipe I can whip up to get to my method for creating a complete collection of poems that has some kind of distinct form, texture and flavors. But for me, each book of my poetry should have a thru line. […]
Calling someone a “treasure” sometimes seems like an overused compliment such that the root idea of a precious gem created through time and pressure is lost. But Kalamu Chache is indeed a Bay Area treasure who has done her work for decades and deserves to be acknowledged and better known […]
