They’re genuine questions. Please answer one or a few, if you have the time. — Admittedly, I’m frustrated with the state of political discourse, and the ways in which abortion, particularly, tends to be discussed. While I believe abortion should be broadly legal, many (not all) of the pro-choice arguments shared through social media bother me. They often seem to be directed toward people who…

In a sense, they’re one and the same. — The figure above and to the left is Kali, the Hindu goddess of death, time, love, and radical change. To the right is Tara — one of Kali’s manifestations, of which she has many. Chinnamasta (another manifestation and a goddess of transformation) walks decapitated with her head in her hands…

A poem on perfect altruism & sensual desire — I want to love incorrigibly with liquid song & gaping awe. I want to love with my tongue my fingers, my indecisive skin & to take issue with this is to take issue with a watering: a flower: just opening to — light, pores of choral or Sky herself with…

A personal narrative regarding the relationship between the individual and the whole — I just recently drove from Arizona to Washington to stay in a place that used to be home but isn’t anymore. On that trip, I expected to be surprised at some point. Naturally, I was surprised by which thing surprised me. In particular, a detour caused by snow took me…

A poem on the space left after a loss — When you died: a piece of my chest - some heart, some lung, some rib cage - was torn away & thrown in the grave with your corpse. At first, that space bled. I couldn't touch my torso for weeks or that mush left behind might contract to the tiniest…

If you have anything in common with me, you might, likewise, be absurd. — I am an absurd entity. And this thing I’m writing? It is a draft of an essay titled, “The Case For Me Being An Absurd Entity.” The title has unconventional capitalization. It would look ridiculous if “for” and “an” were left lowercase, wouldn’t it? But, in any condition of capitalization…

Despite its bad reputation, skepticism has benefits — both for the individual and society as a whole. — Skepticism has a bad reputation. When I was in college, certain professors would spit out “skeptic” as if it were a bad word. This, along with the stereotypical traits of a skeptical person (subtle viciousness, indecisiveness, and impracticality) led me to hide my own skepticism. Most of the time, I…

The act of choosing a surname turned into a means of celebrating my values. — “Your name is a gift you can return if it doesn’t fit.” — Andrea Gibson I made up my last name. It wasn’t a last name before I made it up, but it’s a last name now. That’s how last names work. There’s nothing but a vague premonition of “ought…