The year Tony died, my bad luck found me Raided my hideout with a SWAT team Threatened my family and looted the place I gave them my Dignity, wrapped in silver and flesh, I gave them my Soul, I gave them my Name Nothing came of it but bad ideas I found new bones in … Continue reading ‘this took all summer to write’
Thoughts in Kona
My favorite kinds of beaches are the ones that make you feel like you're at the edge of the world. Growing up in California, I’ve seen my fair share of beaches. I’ve sought shelter from the merciless winds of Half Moon Bay, and I collected sand dollars from San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. I’ve started bonfires … Continue reading Thoughts in Kona
Happiness is a hopeless hack
I read somewhere that the search for "happiness" in life is a distinctively American obsession. Well first of all, duh. It’s written in the Constitution. And second, isn’t that kind of odd? Does no other country search for happiness? No one else on this earth wants to be happy? This American fixation stands in stark … Continue reading Happiness is a hopeless hack
Where your dreams go to die is 23
So I ran into an old friend last weekend. We'd met when we were fifteen, in high school. Even though we didn't have a single class together, we managed to spend a lot of time with each other. It was—still is—one of those friendships where you feel like you have everything in common even if … Continue reading Where your dreams go to die is 23
Job Seeking? Try My Sample Cover Letter
Dear Corporate Recruiter, I am writing to express my enthusiastic interest in your pitifully underpaid entry-level position. I'm an experienced, desperate young professional with thousands of dollars in student debt and a willingness to accept the bare minimum. With years of internship experience that have yet to pay off, I believe I would make an … Continue reading Job Seeking? Try My Sample Cover Letter
‘that old town’
When I think of that old town One night sticks out, foggy and dull like the overcast sky on a hill, on a night with no sleep and no stars, I watch the spread of the city and its twinkling lights, and place myself at a distance from every single one and everyone at once … Continue reading ‘that old town’
States of mind [freewrite]
"Gravity is a state of mind," SZA sings. "You are, you are, you are..." It's funny how easily we can shift from one state of mind to another, and how closely this constant transitioning is connected to our individual, subjective perceptions of time. One state of mind can last just a week; or, if you're … Continue reading States of mind [freewrite]
Diaspora in a package
Balikbayan. With my limited knowledge of the lexicon and nonexistent knowledge of verb conjugations, I know the word balik means “to come back” and bayan means “home”. Balikbayan, as far as I know, is only used in reference to the large boxes we send to our relatives in the Philippines for Christmas, or otherwise bring … Continue reading Diaspora in a package
‘Tracy’
The same walls have called my name, in a roundabout way, millions of times But I’ve tried to stifle it, pursue silence from where I stand in the middle of the room I’ve lived in the same town’s only intersection for millions of years, in a matter of speaking keeping my broken left foot steady … Continue reading ‘Tracy’
