the pinch…

A. sat politely trying to not fuss with the scratchy tulle detail at the collar of her special dress. She still felt the pinch from the last wearing of the pretty, hateful, Christmas present. It was quick and furtive but precisely aimed at the soft inner skin of her upper Read more

By justk, ago

you must be a grown up for this ride

The sky just opened up. It has been oppressively closed for days; the pressure of humidity weighing on the skin, a heaviness settling  behind the eyes and the back of the brain. But now a hard rain falls. Rain so dense it looks like milk teeming down the window. Thunder Read more

By justk, ago

the printed world

Read books. Lots of them. Read as many as you can while you can. I tell this to my teenage nephews because they don’t know that time will become a precious commodity. There is never enough time for reading. Right now the only demands for their free time are sports Read more

By justk, ago

wasting time hung up on the details

Pandemic days. Every day is not the same. That is a myth perpetrated by nostalgia. I’ve clocked many hours on Zoom (a platform I knew nothing about 8 weeks ago). I wonder if the blue light protection in my glasses is diminished every time I clean the lenses. Thoughts ricochet Read more

By justk, ago

Aunty love

When I was a girl, the aunties were everything. They had the best outfits, told the best stories, gave the best presents. They also unleashed the worst punishment. They could have me in stitches one minute and then cut me down to dejected outcast with a stinging word. Jamaican aunties Read more

By justk, ago