The sweet juice is sipped
the tongue inevitably slips
In vino veritas
The tongue slips
Because the mind wanders
to forbidden recesses
where Truth lives
Veritas releases
the id's bonds,
stretched and worn
by monotony
and diplomacy

Displaced

At their makeshift camp, big brown eyes face the sky, 

lament and implore.

Homes are crushed, twisted. Reality shifted, 

but children are present, 

children whose moms or new moms 

smile for their sake, 

so the kids venture to play hand games 

and race each other under those familiar blue tarps.

A preteen entertains with his Creole rap 

as his cousins and friends sway and snap their fingers. 

His rhythmic words reveal one of our most basic needs...

HOPE. 

             (UN Photo)

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For their other needs, text Haiti to 90999 or visit www.redcross.org.

I held Baby Kane last night
and softly kissed his warm, plump cheeks
Hours after he texted on his I-phone
while I yapped in stereotypical momspeak

Baby Kane visited because a friend
just announced she's having a boy
Small drops of joy collect in her blue eyes
when she speaks of him

I had a baby boy once upon a time
He just landed his first official job,
his initiation into adulthood,
a milestone she will not know
for quite some time,
and yet in a blink of an eye

I remember when I first met Kane
He had no name then
Just my awe and consternation
and a head full of black hair
"It's a boy!" the strangers yelled
I gave birth to a new life,
his and mine
I remember thinking
that he was no longer safe
He was now out in this world
I was hired right
there for my
first job,
my initiation into
adulthood

Baby Kane visits once in a while
And I squeeze my eyes tight
and beg myself to fall back to sleep

The days crawled like weeds

along the cracked pavement

Each warm morning
of that summer

We stepped out of the dark cave

where, moments before,

our pallets overlapped

on the musty carpet

and I'd pried open one tired eye

to see who else was awake

The neighborhood kids would gather

and Giovanni would pass by on his bike

I'd pretend that I wasn't blushing at the sight of him

And one of you would admonish me

to stay away from boys like that

We'd all play touch football in the street

Intermittent shouts of "Car!"

divided us to the left and to the right

like a stage curtain at show time

After ball games, we'd walk

While we walked, we wondered

While we wondered,

we laughed and dreamed

And the days crawled like weeds

along the sidewalk cracks

where my flip flops clucked

and your worn sneakers squeaked

on our way to the corner store,

a routine errand for your mom, my aunt

You'd convince me to use the food stamps

lest someone confirm we were poor

while you cooly loitered outside

"Don't forget..." you'd begin.

"Yeh, I know... food stamps can buy candy."

Those days that lingered

Are far away and long ago

I hope you still laugh,

and that you still dream

and that once in while,

life's choices are as simple

as... Lemonhead or Jawbreaker?