I’m too far away from nature these days and perhaps that is why I’m feeling so unbelievably off. I’ve reached a point where my kids’ voices sound like noise. I don’t hear them. I haven’t felt like myself today, yesterday or the day before. I started crying in my boss’s office yesterday over something that… Continue reading The girl in the yard
Author: joannaalizio
My representative
My real self lives at home and I send a representative to work. My real self wanders around the front yard in dirty green puddle boots, eccentrically pulling out weeds by hand and day dreaming about its future as a grass-free zone, inviting in local pollinators and animals. My representative shoves her feet into uncomfortable… Continue reading My representative
Into the lion’s den
If no one is talking about pandemic fatigue anymore, I will. Because if left unspoken it will take me down. It is the first Monday of 2022 and there’s not enough coffee brewing in the entire world to keep me awake. It feels like 2020 all over again, except instead of being able to look at the… Continue reading Into the lion’s den
Almost Grinch
My heart is not three sizes too small But three sizes too big You wouldn’t be able to tell, though, because I have dreams about ruining Christmas Before Christmas I do think about stealing all of the presents worldwide to see what would really happen on Christmas day How would Christmas day shift, how would… Continue reading Almost Grinch
Be kind and stand up
Tonight at bedtime you looked at me sweetly with your perfect face and asked me if I could stay for a minute longer. Sometimes I’m so tired that I say I can’t because I just want to make it to the couch without answering one more question. But tonight, you asked. And I stayed. You finally had… Continue reading Be kind and stand up
Poseidon’s rage
One day when you are both teenagers I think I’ll miss the days when I could break you out of a bad mood in no time at all. Your moods change as often as waves upon the sand. One moment we’re living the perfect beach day and the next you are embodying Poseidon’s unpredictable rage… Continue reading Poseidon’s rage
The creativity trap
There’s a dangerous creativity trap that nobody told me about and I fell into it. For years. And it goes like this: You do not have time to write, so you’ll never be a real writer. So, naturally, I began seeking innovative ways to carve out time for creativity because how the hell would I… Continue reading The creativity trap
Like fireflies
And while I write they spin around me like fireflies lighting up the darkness that surrounds me. Each word on the page pulls me further and closer to you, sister, and I break back into reality for a quick second when she approaches me with a book to read or he drops another bucket into… Continue reading Like fireflies
Who would you be?
Who would you beIf you didn’t throw cold spaghettiInto my hair at dinner How would I laugh If you weren’t there Staring at me with your two teeth smileYour hair is wild and your eyes are wideShaped like a strong woman who came before youYou are teaching me, so concretely and consistently, to not take myself seriouslyOr, anything… Continue reading Who would you be?