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 …
Author Archives: Radutti
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 …
Interloper
I step out into the yard and peer through the angled slats on the gate They’re still hard at work. The crew down the street has been loading wheelbarrows and shovelling sand for the better part of the day. Their voices carry, jubilant, unified. Vietnamese do not shy from work. I head back towards the …
Quito
I’m sleeping better tonight. It’s been a rough few weeks for sleep. Bad habits combined with stress compounded by Covid and a dash of post-nasal drip will do that. I’m finally turning a corner. I had almost forgotten what a night of uninterrupted sleep will do to a person. Sharp. Alert. Patient. Human. It all …
Hawker
150k, we take you around No, thank you. It’s beautiful trip, we take you for one hour No, thank you. We’re ok. I give her a smile with my eyes and a gentle wave, and we continue along the promenade. There’s so much to see. It’s our first time here, and this UNESCO Heritage site …
Wrong Turn
No motorcycle! The man is uniform All sandblasted khaki and exuding authority. He lives for this, I can tell. I imagine the flow of his day. Chatting with friends, the shopkeepers, trinket hawkers, street food merchants. No doubt these days they bemoan the lack of tourists, foot traffic, income. Things are quiet in Hoi An …
Get Up Eight 