ALIEN
I have blue eyes and blond hair
You might say I’m a rather typical Caucasian
But the truth is
I’m an alien
The government says so
I’m an alien
By definition, I am:
– belonging to another country or people
– strange, not natural
– opposed or repugnant
– an outsider
And just to make sure I always remember that
I do not belong here
They gave me a small, laminated card
With big, bold “RESIDENT ALIEN” stretching across
I may
reside here
but I am
an alien
EXPLAINING DEATH
“I don’t want you to die, mama!”
I knew that was coming
Our very old cat had died and she’s trying to understand
Death
“Will you die too, mama?”
How in the world do I respond to that?
I’ll always live
on
in you
I gave you 50 percent of your genes
I gave you those dimples
those thin lips
and that rounded face
I’ll live
on
in your children if you have any
But other than that…
I know I will die
maybe fifty years from now
or maybe
tomorrow
I can’t tell you that though
instead I just smile and say
“Don’t worry honey. I’ll probably live to be very, very old, like two of your great-grandmothers who lived to be more than 90. And that’s a looong time from now. Would you like to have some ice cream?”
MEDITATION
Take a deep breath in
Then let it all out
A hundred people in the room
attempt to concentrate
on breathing
for the whole ten minutes!
Inhale
Exhale
My body seems to sway slightly left and right
It’s actually somewhat calming
Inhale
Exhale
Maybe there’s something to it
I should try it again sometime
Inhale
Exhale
Shit! I forgot to pick up the meds!
Inhale
Exhale
I wonder what the girl on my left is thinking about?
How many minutes has it been already?
Inhale
Exhale
Are all of us keeping our eyes closed
and he’s just watching us
with a smirk?
Dinggggggg
A chime
lets us know we can open our eyes now
Time
to get to more serious business
After all,
can’t we leave the breathing to our body?
It’s managed it just fine until now
And our conscious selves
need
to focus
on more serious matters
like paying the bills,
and buying bread for tomorrow
Meditation….
Just a bunch of baloney!
Jolanta M. Davis always hesitates what to say when asked “Where are you from?” while traveling, because if she answers “Massachusetts,” assuming that people just want to know where she currently lives, then she sometimes hears “Is that where you grew up? You sound slightly foreign.” That’s why she has learned to say “Grew up in Warsaw, Poland, currently living in a small town in Massachusetts.” And despite what you may think, she actually likes meditating, if she can find time for it.
–Art by Sagi Kortler