Laugh or cry Rhino lays on his belly atop the comforter, leafing his way through, until he encounters a headline that brings the chuckle Papa he shares his favourites Recently opened Empire State Building ‘Giant Ape-Proof’, Say Architects Women Get Vote, Rest Rooms Carter to Congress: What’s Your 20, Good Buddy? It’s a fun stage …
Author Archives: Radutti
Grounded
R can you come up here and help me out It was a tweet, of all things. Teaching me simple math. Jolting me wide awake Hammering home that time we spend – from here – facing forward is too short If you’re in the last 10% of time with someone you love, keep that in …
Presents
Write Right. Write now. Write, right now. Get something down on paper. Here’s the thing, though. I don’t want to. Some days the verses flow. The words are bursting forth. But not today. I’m tired, it’s been a month, two, five, eight, or thirteen, I’m losing count. Too often, stress rears its noxious head. But …
Pay Attention
Things have slowed down a bit near the lake But there’s still plenty going on I reach into the vinyl bag to pull out the shards of the shattered pot, but I’m distracted and not paying attention. Ouch That’s gonna bleed The sharp edge catches my pinky and I quickly withdraw my arm. Gotta be …
Steady, Now
The photo is simple. Could be any old couple taking a stroll on the beach But it’s not any couple. It’s her folks. Holding hands, all smiles. A puddle of joy drifting in an ocean of worry, and sickness, and fear. He’s slightly hunched, betraying unsteadiness, but remains sturdy, cap and sunglasses, steadfast. She is …
Unlocked
Hanoi is not a city that sleeps Rests, sure. Pauses, at times. But sleeps? Nah. And so The streets today are jammed. Cyclists spin by, three abreast, punctuated by motorbikes shipping wares, most fully helmeted and many choosing not to care. Pedestrians, all masked, make their way along the lakeside. The air is muggy. The …
Hole in the Bucket
There’s an amazing moment in Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis that perfectly captures the feeling of being 6 and losing a tooth. He describes the tongue pushing and pulling on the loose tooth until one day it suddenly, abruptly, just falls out. The nerve! And then, well. As a 6-year old “it shakes …
Chaser
It’s unclear exactly what I’m chasing today. My tail, perhaps? I don’t know What do you think Should I go play football tonight? Depends how you feel I’m frankly a bit torn. It’s been a slow if incremental recovery, and the lungs are still not up to snuff. I’m feeling human though, after a weeks-long …
Free Flow
Papa Yeah buddy Ms. K has this really cool book with graphs. They’re circular and show different totals. The human circles are like this big. But the beetles ones take up like two full pages. He’s spitting, free flowing, a volcano of knowledge of the world about to blow Squirrels sweat through their feet. Hawaii …
Re-interloper
Ok, so I think it’s going to be 6 groups. Cool, can you explain how you got there? You may ask yourself How did I get here? Whack! I’m in the middle of a zoom, talking division with a student, when something hitting the ground outside the window draws my attention. Is that a stick …
Get Up Eight 