False Hope

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings, when the dawn is still dark and the night lingers on. —Rabindranath Tagore I’m in a lab waiting room.White walls, vinyl chairs, antiseptic air.I share my journal with a stranger,a lovely older man, eyes soft, voice clear. I read:We can never...

American Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)

Also known as Beaver Root, Fragrant Water-lily, Fragrant White Water-lily, Sweet-scented Water-lily, Sweet-scented White Water-lily, and White Water-lilyFamily: NymphaeaceaeOrigin: From North America, through Cuba, Mexico, Central America, into Brazil and Guyana Jack Greenlee, of the U.S. Forest Service, waxed, almost poetically, when he wrote: "This showy member of the water...

Am I Creating My Own Universe? Part 2

Within the concept of linear time, science is now suggesting that perhaps we do live in a hologram, an illusion, and we arrived in some spacesuit we call our body.  There are a few things we need to do to help it survive. AIR: Without air, we would not be...

Lifting the Skirt

I’ve been in Manzanillo for several months and haven’t spent much time in the commercial and industrial areas. I’ve always thought that if you want to lift the skirt of a city and see what makes it tick, this is where you should go. There are exceptions; if you want...

A Letter to My European Family

To brother Mark and his wife Eva, their daughters Adele, Alice, and Evelyn. And to Christian, who married Alice and created two baby girls, Elsa and Sigrid, and to Rasmus, who was to marry Evelyn, so my sister Patrice and I flew there for the occasion. A tiny bit of background:...

Soy Cabrona, Lo Siento

With appreciation for Karen McKinney Cruz, who offered me a gift when I stopped believing I belonged in my own sentences. Wear your words. E.Z. She handed me this bag—a gift.Letters so bold they don’t whisper—they roar: SOY CABRONA…Lo Siento. The first word hitslike a shot of mezcal—no salt, no lime,just fire...

Amaryllis Lily (Amaryllis belladonna)

Also known as: Amaryllis Lily, August Lily, Belladonna Lily, Jersey Lily, March Lily, Naked Lady, and Resurrection Lily Family: Amaryllidaceae Origin: The Western Cape region of South Africa Nifty Nugget of Knowledge: The genus Amaryllis comes from the Greek word amarysso, meaning 'to sparkle' with their bulbs blooming for up...

The Story Behind LGBTQIA+

by Matt Karimi You've seen the acronym LGBTQIA+, but do you know what all those letters mean—and why they matter? Let's break it down in a way that's fun, quick, and a little bit historical, too. L – Lesbian Women who love women. During the AIDS crisis in the 80s and 90s,...

An Evening Stroll

It rained most of the day, so I missed my morning walk and afternoon meal. When the skyfinally cleared, night was upon me. I taped a pocket flashlight to the bottom of my caneand headed for the local Jardin; the town plaza and kiosk. Evenings are when plazas morph to...

Am I Creating This Infinite Universe?

For years, when working with clients who would come to me questioning their lives, why they were here in the first place, and what in hell are they supposed to be doing, especially when their lives were falling apart, I would ask them if they had a personal belief...

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