We sat, playing board games. Anger and frustration rising. The narration of moves, agitated, starting to boil over.

“Why are you being so aggro” he said

She erupted and explained that things like that are said to dismiss women, for being emotional.

He looked up the definition of “aggravated” and chuckled.

Informal: ‘to annoy or exasperate’.

The situation was so ironic it hurt. He decided instead of pursuing any social victory, the social failing, the pain of it all turned inward.

I just wanted to have a nice time.

Not complaining. Or arguing. Just playing a game. Relax. Maybe talk a little.

But instead, the focus, the emotional, the failures: they bubbled, popped and fumed. Everybody suffered. Everybody lost.

If you get angry because I didn’t message.

You should call.

The phone is a tool for communication.

My phone was on.

My phone is on.

If we made plans and then you didn’t know where I was, you should call.

If we made plans, and you didn’t see me, but I was the there and then sent you a message later to let you know where I was. Don’t be mad. I messaged you. I was there. As planned. At the place. At the time.

If you can’t look.

If you can’t find

If you can’t seek

If you can’t ask

If you can’t do

If you don’t try a little bit harder next time.

That

Is

Fucking

It

Exploring what is beautiful in the broken

Choosing the odd one out

We don’t know if it’s just a token

Or if it’s something to be proud.

I saw a guy blowing on a servo burger. To cool it down, not warm it up.

I saw a guy laying on his side on top of a cardboard box, inside a sleeping bag, grey scraggly hair, glistening eyes, and no cheek on the left side of his face.

Seattle

Passing through security.

Unfortunately sir the machine has registered something at the crotch so we can do this here, or in a private room.

I’m gonna pat you down each let, then the backside, then the front. OK?

Here is fine thanks – but are you gonna buy me a drink after?

No sir, I’m sorry. Please hold onto your pants.

How to keep a marriage going?

“Just stay there”

Luis von Ahn ‘24

The convention should be to say excuse me, when broaching a new subject.

If she is watching a video on her phone. One should ask to interject. Apologise, share the information and do as you intended.

Pobody’s Nerfect. Trut by.

Are you moving into a new pregnant car job death lottery house?

Put that on a gravestone

He went to Pilates each morning. Not for the love of breathing, but to be in close proximity to Sally. A thirty something year old vegan, with hair in a chopstick bun and countenance that couldn’t be taught or learned. Starting each day, with breath work. He’d meditate with a fixed idea of her. Sweat glistening, eyes closed. And he would imagine the air she exhaled, flowing through the room in a blue stream. A vapour trail, exuding from her. Pushing past her lips, and then flowing past his. He’s inhale her blue, and exhale green. His heart warmed, quaking with her. Sweet and warm and treated. Each command would make his skin prickle. Sensitive baked and straining with the heat of the class. The bottom fold of her cropped shirt was impossible. Effort, was a fountain of youth. In the showers after class he wore flip-flops. He’d picked up a kind of foot fungus the year before, that resulted in blisters and then a staffing infection. He’d had a red line from his groin to the instep of his right foot for a day, before going to emergency to be put on a high liquid dose of antibiotics. He’d missed eight of his regular classes and lost his morning place and reservation. Spaces were limited, allocated by attendance, and because he’d failed to notify them in a timely manner, over two days he’d been fined and lost the ability to book all the following week. Although his doctor suggested he take two weeks off to fully recover. After nine days, yellow and battered. He sat in the deep blue mist of her instructions. Breathing out in happy, green company.