Identity
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voices from the dark corners
On the eve of the United States Supreme Court considering the Fourteenth Amendment and Birthright citizenship that defines who an American is, I offer the following. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction… Continue reading
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Life Expectancy
It’s official. I’ve got 10.6 years left of this most interesting life. At least, that’s what the U.S. Social Security Administration says. Of course, I’m saying all this while ignoring the fine print, the part about my current health, lifestyle,… Continue reading
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Cool Driving
When you live in the megalopolis called Los Angeles, driving is more than a means of transportation. It is a connection to a network of cultures fueled by people seeking their best lives. The cities, towns, and neighborhoods are portals… Continue reading
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Jose, Can You See?
Jose can you seeby the dawn’s early light police stopping you asking questions driving while Brown walking while BlackWhere you from foo No where you really from What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleamingGraciela can you see… Continue reading
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The Temporary Tenant
When my life convertsFrom matter into energy E = mc2The tombstone will pronounceHere lies The Temporary Tenant I have been a tenant of so many Dreams NightmaresIn so many Cities Towns NeighborhoodsPins on a map Of the U N I… Continue reading
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B l a n k
Dedicated to all those who suffer from memory loss. Memories holding on Without them I am Blank They keep me Alive Joy Anger Without them I am Blank Memories They keep me from going mad I am nothing without them… Continue reading
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41. A Love Story.
January 1, 2026, Sumire Gant and Antonio Pedro Ruiz celebrate forty-one years of sharing their lives. The romantic in me searches for words to speak to youfor feelings to feelto share with you January 1, 1985when I crawled down the… Continue reading
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Da Bronx: The Nostalgia of Memory
This past summer, I spent seven days in Da Bronx, where I was born. These are the memories the visit revealed. The little red car I received on my fifth birthday —the first memory my brain will acknowledge. 314 East… Continue reading
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Resolutions
I’ve made my one resolution for 2026. I will have no resolutions What’s the point? I’m just going to break them in one week or one month or somewhere around May when it begins to get L.A. weather lovely, and… Continue reading
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What’s Bugging Us These Days
From the files of 2025, a series of unanswered questions. Watching your screens, computer, TV, and phone these days, do you ever get the feeling there’s just too much happening in your mind and your life? There’s the stress at… Continue reading
