Snowballs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbaDEnFHehg This scene from The West Wing Season 4, Episode 15, "Inauguration: Over There," waswritten by the incomparable Mr. Aaron Sorkin. Notice the snowballs. When I was 21 years old, I…

Who’s Going to Save the Black Woman

Who’s going to save the black womanas sour droplets of water stream downfrom her forehead and eyesdampening her curvaceous bodymaking her toughened skinsmooth like a wet chamois?Now it is easier…

Package Deal

He broke up with his girlfriend knowing she was pregnant with their first child. He wanted to be in the child’s life but not the mother’s. He didn’t comprehend they…

Battles

By misfortune, she found the toilet seat still raised. Though discourteous and inconvenient, she kept her cool and went to make breakfast. Dishes from his midnight snack were on the…

Her Majesty

Bedtime was the best time of the day—not a common sentiment among eight-year-olds but not every eight-year-old had a big sister whose impromptu storytelling capabilities could captivate endlessly. The two…

Chains

I unlocked the chains myselfso you could run awayand be restrained by no one else.I unlocked the chains myselfbut you returned just to rebel.Do you think this is a game?I…

Voices

If I were not a writer,you might think me insanefor the voices in my head—each one has a nameand a personalitythat is distinctly theirs.They are who I hearwhen you see…