She carries her silence within her, whispers as she tells us to bend forward, hands on the floor. One leg, then the next. Slowly, very slowly. At first my legs hurt, burn, pinch. And then, after a while, they soften. Because I have taken that time. Next, we stand on our toes in silence. The […]
moreOnce upon a time, a white woman laughed at another white woman who had taken up a course in African dance. The laughing white woman considered it insanely absurd to watch white women stomp around as if they were African. The other white woman suddenly felt ashamed and stupid. She stopped taking classes. Belly dancing. […]
moreManuela is 35. Annemarie is 17. We are from Spain, Canada, Japan, France, Italy, America, Holland. We, the women, in our skirts and heels. We look awkward sometimes, while dancing. And sometimes we can look good. The teacher, Felipe, asks “you got it?” He asks in Spanish. I answer in English, “sometimes yes, sometimes no.” […]
moreBlossom snow. Swallows that dance above our heads. “Last time I saw you you were pregnant!” and I moved my hands towards her in enthusiasm, ready to embrace her, or for her to gloat over a picture. “Yes,” she said, “I was.” And it was clear to me. I didn’t need her tears to tell […]
moreshe hasn’t seen her daughter for eight years. life is a temple built on fears, for some. for others it is a wasted opportunity. noisy pleasure that yells and kicks and screams: there should be more to life.more than simply this? but here it is. a woman was once somebody’s child her mother left one […]
moreTwo women had an argument today, right outside school. In the middle of the street, just like that. One hippy-looking lady and another dark-haired upper class looking lady. I have noticed them many times before. Some people somehow naturally draw attention. These two women both do. And now these two women were raising their voices […]
moreOff she goes. To Mecca. Her girls wear jeans and sneakers, while she wears a white Pakistani dress. It is a soft cotton with tiny embroidered flowers on it. Her silk veil is in pastel colours. It is the first time I have seen her tuck her hair away completely. She fidgets with it, keeps […]
moreShe cleans her room. Messy as it is, she simply replaces one pile of stuff with another one.There, she thinks. All done.While relocating things her mind is working like a sive. It filters this and that, reminds her to pay a bill, or to call after tickets for next season’s theatre – she can, if […]
moreGoodnight, my dear. You are no longer here. And will I ever be as free as the voice in my mind that whispers? A breeze over an ocean of memories lent to me by the passing of time demands knowing who to address, belong to, caress. And who comes last? My dear. Neither here, nor […]
moreFarewell flower. Spring has brought out the best in you. It shed light on the ground beneath which you hide. And out you came. Once tempted, you sprouted straight up, impatient and needy. Greedily turning your sweet little head to the sun and showing off the crown on your head. Look at me, I love […]
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