#vss365
Fabulous Satellite
neon blinking
music begging me to sway

I caught you
By the loop of your Levi’s
pulled you into me
whispered, "stay"

Your hands found my hips
In the name of romance
we began to dance

A cocktail napkin
A stolen pen
I wrote my #number
but by then
the ink was as drunk as I

#vss365
Sheltered shelters,
running on time—
seven to seven,
housing part-time.

Homeless, unhoused,
life on the street:
breaking the #law
just by having a seat.

Don’t sleep on benches.
Don’t set your stuff down.
Don't bother no one.
Just shuffle around.

Helpless. Unemployable.
Surviving — despite

#vss365
In silent support
I hold #vigil
I hold my breath
I wait—
for a weight to lift
for a resolution

I meditate;
they mediate—
the have, the have not

I pray
for the prey—
for the children

My pain is nothing
compared to a father
struggling to free himself
& his sons
from a crocodile's
teary lies

#vss365
Over the summer, Anna got her ears pierced, her first phone, and by fall she was more than ready to win fourth grade. She walked into orientation all spitfire and #sass, a coveted Lemonade LaBuBu swinging from her backpack, and a fierce confidence born of summer piano lessons.

#vss365
#Charms minted
from humble metal,
each a pocketable prayer.

Saint Rita, meant
to protect in impossible times,
A modest medal
I carry her everywhere.

#vss365
A #sapphire night,
A glowing neon sign
Free room & drinks
A #happenstance—
a gambler’s goldmine

Siren slots sing of sin
Fluttering #sparrows gathered near
Curious of the loser
Wagering all that's dear

Free room & drinks
cost everything
But, next time I'll win big
with a lucky charm I bring

#vss365
Daddy was a gambling man,
"By hook or crook," he'd say
He didn't know its meaning
was, "by any legal way."

Marked. Shaved. Loaded.
Cards and dice, his tools of trade
He could #rook anyone
no matter the game he played.

#vss365
Michelle stirs emotions.
Fluent in chili, garlic, cumin,
she is familiar and warm.

In Grandma’s jambalaya,
she is the mirepoix.
The sofrito at Leticia’s table,
and with Nadia, she’s #masala.

Blending without vanishing,
a kindred sister to everyone.
But always my daughter,
my baby girl.