In the summer of 1986 I joined the United States Army Reserve. I was 19 years old and had no inkling of the nature of my upcoming journey. I was young and naive with high expectations and childlike dreams. I required money for college; that was my primary reason for joining. I wanted to become …
i will save words for you. bottled and pickled words for you. then feed you synonyms of me, so you will always remember my taste. i will flavor your life until all your tongue remembers is what it is was like to come…to come…to come …into my dreams. and stay a while. a long while. …
Good day folks. For those who are unaware, I am also a website and graphic designer. Below is my latest creation, a movie poster; my first.
I have an edible lover. We intertwine, this lover and I. We meld and spill like a waterfall into each other. We become…
Photo Challenge: Edge I cannot sit. The edge is too near, too daunting. The cloth is stripped away as surely as my soul is stripped of the bravery to simply sit and let life unfold as it should. I look over the edge of what would bring me rest and remember that life is in …
inside this brown skin is the divine existence of mysterious cosmic forces. i am starseed.
Photograph by zaji This was the sky over my house yesterday. Such a beautiful sight. The sky is a constant reminder of my mortality. When I am gone, the sky will go on, into millions of years that I will never live to see. Nothing from this moment in time will be recognizable. No one’s …
Photo Prompt: Dinnertime …This week, share an image inspired by dinnertime — whether you take a photo of food or simply shoot during the evening hours is up to you! Photography by zaji, April 22, 2016 @ 11:45 am CST Our little peach tree is coming along nicely. The peaches are growing rapidly and getting …
I took this photo more than five years ago. Each time I revisit it I see something I never noticed before. It is not only majestic, but the leaves tell a story I am still trying to decipher. I look at the veins across each leaf and imagine the blood of leaves running through each …
Below are pictures I took of a Night-Blooming Cereus my mother has in a giant pot by the pool. All day the buds stay tightly closed, unmoved by the sun. As the sky turns gray, yellow, then red, the bud begins to slowly move, yawning to welcome the night. No sooner than the stars begin…
a haiku for the night-blooming cereus was originally published on zaji
a haiku for the night-blooming cereus was originally published on zaji
Photograph by zaji • April 7, 2016 • circa 1:30pm CST I’m sitting outside on the grass, writing. The ground beneath me is cool and firm. The sun is almost at the top of the sky, peeking through the trees I’ve chosen to hide under. The air is still and warm. The leaves barely rustle. …
Writing Prompt: Legacy Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt. My daughters are my legacy. I give them to the future in hopes that they may discover a way to change this world and set humans free. They are the seed from my womb, sprouted and born to the sun, ready to …
Writing Prompt: Pat on the Back Tell someone you’re proud of just how proud you are. Aviance and Kenya circa 1999 I’m proud of my two daughters, Kenya and Aviance. They are the most amazing young women I know and are determined to make a great life for themselves. They are strong, wise and persevering. …
i spent a couple of hours outside in the soil today. i mothered the dirt to prepare her for seeds. as i turned soil and removed plants that could strangle the food i intended to grow, i observed the robins and blue jays flitting about looking for lunch. the soil is a dark rich brown …
Photo Challenge: Life Imitates Art This week, find inspiration in a piece of art. Then, imitate it. Meditations captured on used and mottled papyrus. The soul lives in the stained paper, where hungry words become burning images that tell forgotten stories of lost time—there it will be, in the spaces between rips and tears, splitting …
I am torn between sunrises and snow flakes, between Timbuktu and Saturn. I am wedged between the grass blades between my toes and the forgotten places in realms beyond this flesh and bones. I am the blood pumping through my veins, alive and wanting Earth, then, in an instant, I am the selfless need to …
Photo Prompt: Vibrant This week, share a photo of something vibrant. Vivid colors, a lively portrait, or perhaps a delightfully colorful landscape, if you’re in a warmer climate. Let’s wash the web with a rainbow of colors to keep the winter gloom at bay. When I first saw this photo prompt, I was excited. Sadly, …
