Jump

by Toni G. I envy your daring spirit andyour willingness to jump off cliffswith a scream as your parachute. I stood there wrapped in fear,as I watched you leap out intoyour future. Fear is for the masses you yelled,as your feet left hard grass coveredearth to the nothingness of air. You’ve always forgiven my cowardice,my reluctance to leave the ground.You Read More

Leave it for Tomorrow

by Toni G. Maybe my responsibilities will wait forthe rain and not ruin the blue sky of today.I want to stay in and not worry aboutthe many errands that need to be done.I want to fall into an unmade bed, snuggledeep in lukewarm covers. I’ll eatwhen I’m hungry, not the scheduledbreakfast at 7, lunch at 1, and dinner at 8.Allow Read More

The Sky Is Also Blue

by Toni G. There’s a young lady in the corner, not so far from the dance floor, lost in the fantasy of what her first dance should be like and with whom. She waits with her head slightly bowed. Insecurity creates beads of sweat on her perfectly scrubbed and powdered skin. She looks down pretending to admire her new gown, Read More

Birds Rejoice

by Toni G. It’s 6:57 Sunday morning and the birds are chirping outside my bedroom window ceaselessly. Silencio por favor, I yell with the worst Spanish accent ever, hoping that words in a language more beautiful than English will sway them to my will. It doesn’t work, and I blame my junior high school Spanish teacher for not molding me Read More

Sleep and Jelly Beans

by Toni G. My boyfriend pops sleeping pills as if they’re jelly beans, sugar-coated candy with the only sinister intention being the rotting away of his teeth. I find him curled up on the floor in the bathroom most nights. Other times, he’s laid out in the laundry room or hallway. Once I found him on the elevator floor. He Read More

The Selfishness of Nature

by Toni G. Why is Thunder so full of hate, Lightning so full of spite? Sunlight is the only one who’s truthful, shining a light on his wrong doings, unlike Rain, who is always eager to wash away all evidence of his sins with a quick downpour. Tornadoes are jealous fools harvesting malice to rip apart all in their path, Read More