For two months now, I have been dedicated to a daily practice. Each morning I wake up and write morning pages before doing anything else. Some mornings my eyes are half open as I write and I can barely see the words spilling onto my pages. The mornings I think I have nothing to write…
Millions of prayers whisperedAs parents look down on their young A full lifeA future wifeHealth, wealth, and safety These words are prayers but more like pleasA dealA demandA need We dream of hopes for those tiny toesAnd wishes for that grinBut what if all we hope for them is already within? I pray for self-acceptance,…
Ever since having a child, mortality is on my mind a lot more than usual. I have always known life is precious, not guaranteed, too short, and all the other appropriate and relevant clichés. But now having a daughter, it’s like a daily, (literally) screaming reminder of how much there is to miss out on…
The following poem was written by a friend of mine who attended a protest in Louisville, Kentucky yesterday. I have read it several times over, and each time I find something new in it to love, each time something hits a little differently. Thanks, Jas, for your beautiful words. Your bravery. Your insight. Your compassion,…
Watch Jamila perform the poem in its entirety here
Last night I got into bed with a stranger. I was standing alone in a hotel lobby when a gentleman sporting a mischievous grin approached me. With equal parts excitement and hesitation, he asked me to please come to his room. He would be there waiting and wanted me to meet privately with him and his wife. He said “Room…
Oh, hey. Obviously I haven’t been writing very much on here lately. In fact, I can practically see the cobwebs and dust bunnies in the corners of my screen (much like the cobwebs and dust bunnies that have taken permanent residence in my real life house). I’ve managed to publish a post here and there, but…
Today’s post is by guest blogger Erin Koewing. Thank you for your bravery in writing such a moving, heartbreaking, and thoughtful piece. I never really understood how much racism there still is until I had a brown child. Sure, I knew there was racism and obviously that was awful, but I saw it as individual…
A trending news story right now is a tragic one, as most seem to be these days. In Cincinnati, a 4-year old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the zoo, and after being dragged around by the 400-pound gorilla for 10 minutes, the zoo made the decision to shoot and kill him. The gorilla, not…
A few weeks ago, I collapsed into my car after a long day at work and was instantly hit with a wonderful, fruity, tropical fragrance. Many mystery smells have emerged from my car over the years, but never one this delightful. What in the world was that? Pineapple? No. Peaches? Definitely not. Mango, that’s it. Why does my…
The Other Courtney 