interview

clipboard hinge

grasping onto the edge

of ripped paper

…

when it’s all

said and done

we only have

a certain amount

of time to ask

our role models

truly meaningful questions

steep

green lakebed

the matcha covers

my fingertips

…

leaving tea bags

inside our cups

rather than taking them out

as what some instructions

may list or recommend

doesn’t account for

our personal preferences

sandcastles

after the monsoon

a patch of green

rises above puddles

…

even if it’s temporary

and will wash away

when high tide arrives

we can still marvel

at the fact that

these small models

are made of sand

the spine

a golden ring

etched into the side

of the book cover

…

not only holds

our books together

it’s job also calls

for us to critically design

an appealing book cover

to be readily accessible

for everyone to see

residents

natural beginnings

a mud wall lies between

the beavers and otters

…

may come and go

but the impact they make

within their towns, cities,

and communities

will continue to live on

and be appreciated

well after they leave

sprouts

pale fingertips

reaching out from

broken earth

…

regardless if we decide to throw away

or cut off these toxic ends

to then peel, cook,

and eat our overstored potatoes

we will always

have the choice to replant

them back into the earth

lectures

blackberry thorns

clinging onto gloves

stained in green

…

are lessons learned

from the experiences

our predecessors

and mentors lived through

and distilled into stories

we then hear about

until it turns into a memory

anthem

the garden hose

leaves behind a trail

we forgot existed

…

we seem to gather

and resonate with

musical movements

that at the time

coincide with events

that take place in

and around ourselves

fire drill

fire extinguisher

engulfs the flames

and screaming kids

…

we are stuck reacting

and performing tasks

because we are trained

and instructed to act

this way since

we heard the

sound of the alarm

tetris

tetrominoes

a colorful bridge

stacked up and up

…

we would like to believe

this game can be played

until infinity

but the reality of it all

means we need to critically

and intentionally appreciate

how many lines we’ve cleared

chill

icicles melt

a once blue oasis

turns light purple

…

putting blueberries

inside the freezer

may preserve and extend

their shelf-life

but the texture and taste

may change our preferences

towards the thaw’d berries

turning orange

another friday

watching foliage change

from green to orange

…

as we sit

on the bench

at the park after dark

will we recognize

with our eyes

how many trees

still have their leaves

car freshener

little pines

dangling above

our dashboard

…

lavender can help us sleep

cinnamon can sharpen our mind

pine can relieve our stress

are only a short list

of the amazing

healing benefits

scents provide us with

no wifi

without internet

the garbage truck

still picks up trash

…

what happens

if we are left

without access

to a resource

we feel is essential

to our daily lives

for a period of time?

dedicated to

a bald spot

remnants of evergreens

burned on the hillside

…

if we wrote a book

for the next generation

is it more important

to distill life lessons

we learned along the way

and today or prepare them

for what the future may hold?

vacuum

foam and bubbles

emerging at the back

of the lake

…

we may be able

to suck up and clean

an area once filled

with objects and trash

but what happens

when we need

to discard this waste?

in the kit

at the orchard

a bucket for sitting

a bucket for blueberries

…

obtaining new skills

and techniques takes

years and years

of refinement and practice

until we feel confident

our abilities are worthy

of our and other’s time

it's just paint

white canvas

little pink dots sprinkled

down the frame

…

don’t be afraid

to make mistakes

and create a mess

as the paint that dries

can always be covered

by another layer of paint

with time and appreciation

surf

ocean coast

surfboards await

the next pipeline

…

there will always

be waves that knock us off

our boards and into the water

but with support and encouragement

we can conquer fear and anxiety

and pull ourselves up

to wait and watch for our next wave

rsvp

ripped monogram

half on the envelope

half on the floor

…

making the decision

to attend an event

illustrates our commitment

and devoting our attention

on the day of the celebration

to fully immerse ourselves

into the carousel we call life