New Poem

Again, pre NaPoWriMo. Let the bad poetry begin!



Confidence

The economy requires
that we hold onto each other,
thousands of darkened rooms
inside our states, our golden plains
feeling swindled, flimflammed.
The news swallows us like a sinkhole.
This is the new currency encrypted
with the fine contradictions
of gains and losses. This is
the world is as it has always been:
full of grifters, because they know
there’s one born every minute.
Time will turn us into fragments
before we finally catch on.
What will the wind
cheat us out of today?

Meet My Mom

This is Rosemary. Isn't she beautiful?

Confession Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

My confession this week is southern-fried! A confession from the great state of Virginia, on the eve of National Poetry Month! Time to leave the sins of March behind and step into April in all of its glory.

I’m at my parents’ home taking care of mom after surgery. She’s good, getting stronger every day. Dad and I have only stepped on each other’s toes once, which is a huge deal for us.

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True confession: I’m enjoying my time here in Virginia. I mean REALLY enjoying it. Helping my parents is my priority, but I’m getting a week away from my daily routine. So with my husband’s blessing, I’ve let go of my guilt for leaving the kids and resting, writing, and relaxing. Just the spring-like weather has done my heart so much good.

My hometown seems to significantly change every time I visit. Fortunately, I brought my camera and have been taking photos of my favorite places. Hope to post a few pics later today.

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NaPoWriMo baby! I’ve been a bit concerned about writing with so much going on. But I’ve managed to eke out enough time for freewrites. I’m hoping this will be a great jumpstart to April.

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Found out yesterday that my book, Underlife, is finally in production. Woo hoo! Should get copyedits this week. It’s finally happening.

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In March, I didn’t send out many poems for submissions as I had in the last two months, but I did submit a packet to read at the Miami Book Fair International, and for a reading series in Washington D.C.

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"East Coast. West Coast. It's don't matter." I'm looking for places to read across the U.S., so if you have suggestions for venues I can query, let me know.

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April to-do’s to come!

New Poem

Finally, a poem for March! This is a pre-pre-NaPoWriMo poem. Clearing out the pipes, so to speak.

April is almost here. Do you know where your poems are?



Views from a Slow Moving Train

On the commuter rail to Boston
I am flanked by the backs of houses,
uncut yards stretched along a metal horizon.
This city behind the city is a trash barrel:
rusted bicycle rims, soggy couch cushions,
last fall’s leaves in the crook
of a chain-link fence.
Foreclosed. Abandoned. Still life.
Exteriors stripped of interiors,
Doors without knobs, frames minus hinges,
shadows flickering against the chain
of a door no one will walk through.
No day is promised in this hardscrabble,
fucked up journey.
Every few yards a swing set passes,
free of rust, waiting for a child
to plop her bottom on the plastic seat,
kicking her legs into the sky.


(I borrowed and adapted the line "shadows flickering against the chain" from a C.K. Williams poem.)

Joseph Legaspi: American Life in Poetry

Woo hoo!

Joseph Legaspi's poem, "At the Bridal Shop" was chosen for former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser as this week's selection for American Life in Poetry. From the Web site:

American Life in Poetry: Column 210
BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE

My father was the manager of a store in which chairs were strategically placed for those dutiful souls waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for shoppers. Such patience is the most exhausting work there is, or so it seems at the time. This poem by Joseph O. Legaspi perfectly captures one of those scenes.

Current readership for the column is 4,000,000 globally. You can read the poem on the American Life in Poetry site.

Hope this isn't a spoiler, but the person Joseph accompanied to David's Bridal is this one.

Weekend Update

I am at home with my parents in Norfolk (pronounced Naw-fuk), VA. Mom is good—she was released from the hospital and is resting now. Not as bad as I imagined, and I'm glad I made the trip.

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Thanks for all the well wishes. She's tickled that folks have taken the time to comment. I am, too.

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In order to get out of the house yesterday, I found this voice inside of me giving me permission to leave. It said things like, “It’s OK to leave toys in the middle of the floor." "It’s OK that I didn’t go to the grocery store last night—they won’t starve.” "It’s OK to go and take care of my mother for a few days.” "It’s OK, Jan. Just go."

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But at the airport, my son was in tears. I underestimated how upset Alex would be, which, in turn, made me underestimate upset I would be. I cried all through the first leg of my journey. Even when I turned to walk away from the car. I found myself saying, "It’s OK to leave him,” but I didn’t believe me.

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It’s 74 and partly sunny in Norfolk. Tonight I'm having dinner with an old friend. Life is good.

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Waiting patiently for the poems to come. NaPoWriMo, baby!

Hello, It's Me

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes for my mom. The surgery went well yesterday and she's resting comfortably today. I'll fly down on Saturday for a weeklong visit.

Don't know how much I'll blog over the next few days, but I'm still working on poems to post. Looking forward to writing a poem a day in April.

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Some cheery news to share. I have been given a Zombie Chicken award by Maya!

I feel like a should make an acceptance speech. Here's the description.

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their words.

So thank you, Maya. And if you haven't visited her blog, she is an 11-year old poet who just published her first collection. How awesome is that?

Confession Tuesday

Happy spring, and happy Confession Tuesday everyone! Share a little bit of yourself with us, and be sure to check out your fellow sinners in The Confessional!


My mom’s having surgery tomorrow. Please keep her in your thoughts. I’m flying to Virginia on Saturday and will be down there with my parents for almost a week.

This is one of those only-child moments I’ve dreaded for as long as I can remember: taking care of ailing parents. *Sigh* It just would be nice to have a brother or sister to share my emotions in a time like this. Nuff said.

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I'm compartmentalizing more emotions now than I can count. This is hard.

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Gearing up for National Poetry Month and writing a poem a day. What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment. Besides, I subscribe to the "success in failure" theory. Even if I only one-third of my poems become drafts, that's 10 poems I would have never written without the push.

Currently, I'm working on a few poems, but nothing I love enough to call a draft. April can't come soon enough.

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One nice thing happening now is that I'm starting to put together press kits. And, yes, I'm finally starting to contact organizations and institutions about readings in late 2009 and in 2010. It's exciting to think that I'll have the opportunity to travel and meet people from different parts of the country--because of poetry! Of course, much of this will be on my own dime, but I like to travel. So being able to travel on behalf of poetry really is a wonderful opportunity.

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Wanted to watch the season finale of Jon and Kate Plus Eight last night, but I'm not sure if the show aired as scheduled. From the promos, it looks as if Jon and Kate's marriage is in trouble. Hope they can get past their difficulties and rekindle the love that brought them together.

OK, that's really sappy. But I'm rooting for this couple and their family.

April PAD Challenge

Robert Lee Brewer at Poetic Asides is running a Poem a Day (PAD) Challenge: 30 poems in 30 days. As added incentive, he and other poets are choosing participants' poems for a PAD eBook. Too complicated for me to explain the ins and outs, so visit Poetic Asides for details.

Here's the list of judges volunteering their time to read the poems:

* Seth Abramson
* Sandra Beasley
* Shaindel Beers
* Mary Biddinger
* Jericho Brown
* Edward Byrne
* Sage Cohen
* J.P. Dancing Bear
* Jim Daniels
* Mark Doty
* Annie Finch
* Nick Flynn
* Jeannine Hall Gailey
* Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
* Vince Gotera
* S.A. Griffin
* Tom C. Hunley
* Collin Kelley
* Amy King
* Dorianne Laux
* Alex Lemon
* Reb Livingston
* Diane Lockward
* Marilyn Nelson
* Aimee Nezhukumatathil
* Chad Prevost
* Don Share
* Martha Silano
* Patricia Smith
* Anne Tardos

Yea! A few poet/bloggers on the list.

I participated in (and completed) NaPoWriMo and the PAD Challenge in '08. This year's twist raises the stakes a bit. So if you're writing a poem a day in April, consider the PAD Challenge.

Fest Recap

Yesterday I attended the New Works Literary Festival.

It was fun being part of such a talented group of Boston-area writers. This was my first time participating in a festival like this. I mean, usually I’m an organizer, not a featured reader. Of course, any chance I get to read with the lovely and talented Erin Dionne (I don’t think I can write her name without “lovely and talented” before it) is reward enough.

The foot traffic was lighter than expected, but I found the event to be well organized from start to finish. I’m sure the AWP Conference must have started with just a handful of people and big dreams for the future.

While I enjoyed reading my poems, the best part of the festival preparing for it. Since my book would not be out until November, I had to prepare marketing materials. So I leaned on a few friends last minute (shout out to MJ and CT!) to create postcards and posters using the book cover.

Here’s a list of marketing materials I’m using for press kits/promotional.

1. Oversized postcard
2. Poster with book blurb (for table displays)
3. Sample poems
4. Business cards
5. Sheet with photo and bio
6. Newspaper article about me from 2008.
7. Publisher’s catalog
8. My page in the catalog
9. About the publisher sheet

(I’d show you what my table looked like but the book cover is still under wraps until summer.)

All in all, it was a great experience. Looking forward to attending next year’s event.

Boston: New Works Literary Festival

Tomorrow, I’ll be at the New Works Literary Festival organized by The Kinship Writers Association. Stop by and say hello!

March 21
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
First Parish UU Church
630 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA

The Kinship Writers Association New Works Literary Festival is pleased to present readings from authors who are excited about their new work! The festival will feature 10 minute readings, book sales, and literary and educational booths. KWA will also be holding a raffle featuring many signed books and gifts from around town.

I’ll be at a booth with writing prompts available for attendees. My 10-minute read happens between noon–12:20 p.m. Also featured at this year's festival is the lovely and talented Ms. Erin Dionne.

Poet Mom talks NPN and NaPoWriMo

My poetry suggestions for NPM and NaPoWriMo.

1. April 1- Upload audio or video of you reading an original poem. Or, post a picture of your writing space or bookshelves.

2. Write a poem a day in April (NaPoWriMo, baby!).

3. Support a journal or Web zine by buying a subscription.

(See previous post for details!)

NPN and NaPoWriMo -- What's the Deal?

Need a refresher on the acronyms?

NPM: National Poetry Month. Founded by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, NPM has become a community effort to raise awareness of poetry and poetry events across the country.

NaPoWriMo: National Poetry Writing Month. Started by a group of rag-tag poets … hmmm … I don’t know how NaPoWriMo started. I just know that I’ve been writing a poem a day in the month of April for the last three years. And, NaPoWriMo has taken on an international appeal in our global poetry community, so the effort is a far-reaching one (read: I'm not the only one daft enough to do this!).

In this ever-changing economic climate, poetry is needed now more than ever. Poetry is where we go when nowhere else will do. What better way to make a contribution to the larger literary community than to participate in April poetry activities?

Here are a few suggestions.

1. April 1 - Upload video or audio of you reading an original poem. Let's see the faces and hear the voices behind the blogs. OR, post a picture of your writing space or bookshelves. Show us a bit of your creative space.
2. Write a poem a day in April. NaPoWriMo is extreme, but what better what to kick-start your writing than with a month-long writing challenge. Even if you don’t make it to month’s end, tell us about the experience. You can make your poems public, or not. That's up to you.
3. Support a print publication or Web zine by buying a subscription. I know money is tight, but many quality journals may go out of print without our help during this recession. Consider buying a subscription or making a donation to your favorite literary publication or arts organization in April.
4. Take a poet to lunch. I’m just throwing it out there! (Are you reading, coworkers?!)

Give me your feedback. Let me know if you’re participating and I’ll keep a running list. And let me know what else you’re doing during National Poetry Month. At the very least, stop lurking and say hello to the poet/writer bloggers you’ve been reading—you'll be glad you did!

Major Jackson Poem

Confession Tuesday

Happy Confession Tuesday, and Happy St. Patrick's Day! For those of you who celebrate St. Patrick's Day with green beer and large crowds, feel free to come back and confess tomorrow—I'm sure you'll have lots to talk about! But for everyone else, welcome. Share your stories, and be sure to check out the other sinners in The Confessional.

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I spent the last 10 minutes trying to film a video confession from my office at work. Ugh. I got too nervous and self conscious. Also tried to do a v-log at Starbucks and the library this past weekend, but they didn't turn out that great. Thought I'd spare everyone the versions with my face too close to the camera or my eyes cut off in the shot. Maybe I'll try again later today or this week if the mood strikes me.

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Before I left for work, my daughter Ella asked, "When is Patrick coming to our house?" "Patrick?" I said. Turns out she was referring to St. Patrick. So I left Tim the task of explaining St. Patrick's Day to the kids.

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Tonight for dinner, I'm making corned beef and cabbage. I hear it's easy to make so I thought I'd give it a try. I see it as a way of recognizing my husband's heritage--something I've taken for granted all these years.

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I'm feeling a bit run down, which is affecting my writing life. I want to make the space for writing, but I haven't made it a priority lately. But that will change with National Poetry Month (NPM) and National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo). Years of experience have taught me never to go into the month cold, so I'll start up again with writing exercises and prompts this week.

Will post on National Poetry Month tomorrow. I'm also mulling over an idea for us bloggers to take part in on April 1 to ring in the festivities. Stay tuned.

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Last song played on iTunes: Cornflake Girl by Tori Amos.

"Sunday's on the phone to Monday, Tuesday's on the Phone to me, oh yeah!"

Found myself singing that line from The Beatles' "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" as I walked into work this morning ... hmmm.

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Busy, action-packed weekend for the O'Neil family. Two parties and lots of kid stuff left little time for writing. That's OK because National Poetry Month is just around the corner. I'm mentally preparing myself to write a poem a day in April. But since I haven't written anything this month to date, I'm starting early and writing often. Hope to post something new this week and then every day after until April 30.

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Issue two of Ouroboros Review is available online and for purchase. I have a poem there, along with poet bloggers Collin Kelley, Jill Crammond Wickham, Deb Scott, and many other talented writers and artists. Check it out–it really is a cool publication.

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This Saturday, I’ll be at the New Works Literary Festival organized by The Kinship Writers Association.

March 21
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
First Parish UU Church
630 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA

The Kinship Writers Association New Works Literary Festival is pleased to present readings from authors who are excited about their new work! The festival will feature 10 minute readings, book sales, and literary and educational booths. KWA will also be holding a raffle featuring many signed books and gifts from around town.

I’ll be at a booth with writing prompts available for attendees. My 10-minute read happens between noon–12:20 p.m. Also featured at this year's festival is the lovely and talented Ms. Erin Dionne.

Quick Hits

TGIFF! (No, that's not a typo.)

It's it me, or does it seem like a slow crawl to the weekend?

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Have you been watching the war of words between talk show host Jon Stewart and financial commentator Jim Cramer? Stewart has taken Cramer and CNBC to task with their handling of the global financial crisis. Well, the two finally met face to face Thursday night on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Cramer looked like a deer in the headlights. Watch the full episode and see for yourself.

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This weekend, I really need to get organized. My desk is a mess! And I need to make a little space for myself. My main goal is that everyone gets the time and space that they need.

Weekend to-do's

• Clean desk
  
• Organize bills
  
• Finish Eat, Pray, Love
  
• Taxes
  
• Get to the gym
  

And a few weekend poetry tasks

• Get a press pack together. I have a chance to read at a conference so it's time to get on the stick.
  
• Have "coming soon" postcards and posters made up for my book. Again, I have an event next week.
  
• Finish the poem I started last week.
  
• Write my National Poetry Month post. Can you believe April is almost here?

Lit Mag Poll

From C. Dale Young's Blog:

If you are a poet or writer, please take a minute to answer this poll. Thanks a bunch. Seriously, it will only take one minute or so.

Confession Tuesday

It’s the most wonderful time of the week! Time to confess.


This past weekend, I was in one of my “I just don’t want to be called mommy for 24 hours” moods. So I hopped on a bus to New York for a break in the routine. While I had a great time eating my way through NYC, I think my real purpose was to make time in my life to read the book. Eat, Pray, Love.

First of all, let me say that the amount of books I read has diminished the last two years. In fact, I think the last book I read was Moneyball , a book about the analytics of baseball (a very good read, BTW).

Most days I feel as if I have more good luck than I can handle. But occasionally, I get sad or frustrated about not having more time. Can’t imagine what it must be like to be my family, listening to me stay, “I’m going out to write.” To do that, I often look past my kids’ dejected faces to get a hour to myself at Starbucks. Sometimes it feels as if I say no (to them) more than I say yes. And my husband … well … let’s not go there.

Fast forward to last Saturday.

Sometimes, books, like people, find you at a time in your life when you need them the most. I opened Elizabeth Gilbert’s book determined to distract myself on this four-hour ride. And as cheesy as it sounds, she has some passages that seem to reach out, grab me by my shirt collar, and say, “Pay attention.”

As Gilbert is deciding how to free herself from her life long enough to travel abroad for a year, I was immediately struck by this passage:

“The great Sufi poet Rumi poet once advised his students to write down three things they most wanted in life. If any item on this list clashes with any other item, Rumi warned, you are destined for unhappiness. Better to live a single-pointed focus, he taught. But what about the benefits of living harmoniously amid extremes? [And the line that touched me most]What if you could somehow create an expansive enough life that you could synchronize seemingly incongruous opposites into a worldview that excludes nothing?”

In these economic times when all of us are learning to live with less, I’m thinking about what it’s like to like with just enough? What kind of life can I live that’s just enough for me, where my family and friends are happier because I’m a little happier. And if I expand that circle, how can I make my community a little better if my life is a little better? What unnecessary things do I shed to make time for the things that matter?

At this moment, I have no answers to my questions. And I don't know if life philosophies are supposed to be this simple. Maybe in a few days or weeks, I can do a follow up to this confession. But this is enough for now—to finish reading Eat, Pray, Love.

Q of the Day

How many professional literary organizations do you belong to? How many literary journals do you subscribe to? (I know, I'm asking two questions, and both sentences end with prepositions. Deal!).

Surprisingly, I am not a member of any national or regional organizations. Well, none that I pay membership fees--I am a member of Cave Canem. But I'm wondering if I'm missing out on member benefits that could be helpful in my writing career. How much of an asset is it to be a member of, for instance, AWP or the National Writers Union, if I don't live in NYC? Am I missing out on networking opportunities? What about the swag?

As for literary journals, I subscribe to Poets & Writers and American Poetry Journal without fail. But I don't regularly subscribe to poetry journals or reviews. With money tight these days, I really have to consider ever dollar that leaves my wallet.

So which organizations or journals do you support with your dollars and (good) sense?

The Strand

When I was a grad student at NYU, the Strand Book Store was a haven. I’d wander through the endless stacks looking for some undervalued, half-price gem that someone sold.

The Strand is one of the largest booksellers in the world, claiming 18 miles of books under their roof.

Since I was last there, the old, dingy store got a remodel. I think there are now three floors. I found myself wandering to the top floor, the children’s section (pictured above), watching a few parents reading books to their kids.

As much of a thrill as it was to see two copies of Joseph Legaspi’s book, Imago, in the poetry section, it was so cool Erin Dionne’s book, Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies, in the young adult section.

Joseph's books pt. 2

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

Joseph's books pt. 1

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

Daylight Savings

I am dog tired! Walked all over the Village, NYU, and SoHo today.

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I like reading Eat Pray Love while eating my way through the city.

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I've had terrific time talking poetry with Joseph Legaspi. His apt. Is filed with books from floor to ceiling. If I can figure out how to upload a picture from my iphone, I'll give you a glimpse into this world

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Tomorrow, a visit to the Strand bookstore ... And more food!

Blogging via Bus

Blogging via bus

This is a test. I'm on a Fung Wah bus from Boston to NYC, blogging from my iPhone.

Took the commuter rail into Boston and instantly I was reminded of my years riding the rail to my job at Houghton Mifflin Co. HMCo was still an independent publisher at the time. I remember how much reading I got done on that 30 minute ride. So on this morning's ride, I wrote a new poem and finally cracked the spine on Eat Pray Love.

Looking forward to not driving.

More later.

Love Song to the Dodge Festival

Bill Moyers Journal put together this video celebrating the Geraldine R. Dodge Festival. If you really want a sense of what the event is like, watch the video.

From the show's transcript:

Every two years for two decades poets gathered there to create gorgeous music and plumb a myriad of emotions. Here are some of the poets from our documentary FOOLING WITH WORDS.

Happy Friday

It's been a quiet few days but I wanted to give a quick update before the weekend begins.

I'm headed to NYC for a 24-hour gastric extravaganza (read: the trip is based on cheap eats!). Will take photos and maybe video of the trip. I'm sure there will be cupcake run in my future.

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Had a conversation about the dreaded second book with a friend. Haven't even published the first book, yet I'm sweating the second manuscript. Is it better to come out with a new book fast on the heels of the first to capitalize on momentum, or to let the poems "marinate" a few years before publishing them?

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Just received the new National Poetry Month (NPM) poster from the Academy of American Poets. It's hanging on my office door. One of these days, I'll take some office photos so you can see that I have all NPM posters on my walls going back to 2000.

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Have a great weekend. The Northeast is getting a burst of spring weather with temps close to the 60s!

Confession Tuesday

Howdy folks! Time to share a bit of yourselves with the rest of us. Don't forget to visit the naughty souls hanging out in The Confessional.

I hate posting confessions late. Sorry. Didn't feel like posting last night.

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Just bought U2's new album No Line on the Horizon on iTunes and so far it's OK. Maybe it will grow on me. U2 is one of the few bands I'll purchase music from no matter what they put out, but this album has a "been there, done that" sound to it. To quote the Energizer Bunny of rock bands, The Rolling Stones, "What a drag it is getting old."

U2 appears on The David Letterman Show all week if you can stay up that late. I can barely get through AC360 on at 10 p.m. EST.

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Was pleasantly surprised to receive a note from a friend saying that she wanted to use this poem as a poemcard for National Poetry Month. I had forgotten I wrote it. And seeing it again was a gift. Just goes to show that you never know which poems will touch someone enough that they'll remember it long after its release into the world.

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No new poems written lately, but I've been en fuego since I posted my to-do list. Managed to send out to one journal, and contact a boatload of colleges and organizations to set up readings. Also received a few kind offers based on that post—thank you. My marketing plan is shifting into high gear, eight months ahead of the book's release.

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This weekend I'm escaping to NYC for a quick trip to see Jo Jo. I need a break from the day to day (read: I need 24 hours where no one calls me "mom."). Will take pics, as always.

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I have a very understanding husband.

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Is it me, or is it too soon for conservatives to say, "We need to take back America!"? Can we just leave our new president and his policies alone for six months to see if they'll work? I mean, really! He's been in office less than 35 days—can we give it a try? Please don't get me started.

Elizabeth Alexander on Language and Racial Identity

Monday Musings

Today we have a snow day in Massachusetts. Just when I thought winter was outta here ... BAM! Eight to 12 inches.

I'll be blogging later today, and with any luck posting a new poem.

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I did make it out this morning for my annual mammogram. My dr's office now uses digital technology, so I got my results right away. And let me tell you, my breasts (on screen) look spectacular!

In honor of my mammogram (which was normal), here's a poem I wrote after last year's appointment.



What the Body Knows


The body knows it is part of a whole, its parts believed to be in good working order. It knows how it gets old, years ticking off like pages on a desk calendar, your doctor’s appointment circled ink red. Try not to picture the body sitting alone in the waiting room. The body creaks up and down like a hardwood floor, you tell your doctor this; he says your breast is a snow globe. Inside there’s a snowstorm—my job is to decipher a bear from a moose. He flattens the breast with a low radiation sandwich press. The body wonders if its parts will turn into Brie cheese, if its fingers will fuse and become asparagus stalks. He says it’s possible, but don’t give it a second thought. He says insulate your body with seaweed. He says true understanding of the body will enable it to live long and live well. But the body knows when its leg is being pulled. The body is a container of incidental materials. If it listens carefully, it can hear its own voice making the wrong sound.

Interview with Alex, Age 5 1/2

Thanks, Kristi, for the tag.


1. What is something mommy always says to you?
Don’t draw superheroes all the time.

2. What makes mommy happy?
Kisses.

3. What makes mommy sad?
Being naughty.

4. How does your mommy make you laugh?
Tickle.

5. What was your mommy like as a child?
I liked Superman.

6. How old is your mommy?
40.

7. How tall is your mommy?
50 feet.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
I like going to write.

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around?
Have fun with Ella.

10. If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
Don’t know.

11. What is your mommy really good at?
Lifting Ella.

12. What is your mommy not very good at?
Lifting Me.

13. What does your mommy do for her job?
Poems. (See #10.)

14. What is your mommy's favorite food?
Salads.

15. What makes you proud of your mommy?
I like when you come home and sing to me, cause you have the beautiful-est voice!

16. If your mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Wonder Woman (good answer).

17. What do you and your mommy do together?
We play games.

18. How are you and your mommy the same?
We’re brown.

19. How are you and your mommy different?
My skin’s a little lighter and you’re is a little darker.

20. How do you know your mommy loves you?
I like when you draw, and when you play with Ella and me.

21. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go?
Restaurants, and to go and do poetries.