“Morgan What, Morgan Who?” You can’t knock a poet who plays off Jay-Z. “Boys, Boys, Boys” is another riff on Hov’s classic. Parker’s poems have the cadance, the muse, and the audacity. I enjoyed her debut collection, including the shortest piece, “Young, Sassy, and Black”:

I use these words
to distract you.

In her collection of autobiographical poems, Cortez tells the story of Afrofrontierism. She reflects on her enslaved family and her own experience. The history and the poetry are way over my head, but I enjoyed what I could grasp. “Black Lead in a Nancy Meyers Film,” she writes:

Aging, at all. I want that. And to fall
perhaps most honestly in love
beside the ocean, in a home I’ve paid
for by doing as I like: drinking good
wine, dusting sugar over a croissant, or
the stage play I’m writing myself into.
Aging Black woman in neutral summer
turtleneck. Known. And jogging. Lonesome
enough. Eating homemade lavender
ice cream, the moon blooming
through the kitchen window. The distant
sound of waves. Learning
French as a second language.
Votre pâte merveilleux, I smile back.
And then, just like that! Falling, cautiously,
for my busy, middle-aged lover,
who needs me, but has never truly seen me
until now. Our Black friends, celebrating
with hors d’oeuvres. Our Black children,
growing older.

An accessible collection of poems exploring everyday interactions including boss, bully, friends, and parent. It’s nice to read a local author from George Mason University. Markowitz teaches at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The poems are easy to read and to be inspired. Here’s his perspective on “Life”:

Life’s not about perfection nor about rejection
it’s about reflection, introspection,
doing the best we can,
respecting whomever we can,
giving personal support, smiling awhile
crying at times, enjoying the gift of life.

During my snowboarding lesson yesterday, I fell and almost twisted my right knee. Later into the night I could barely lift up my leg without feeling the sharp pain. I thought I won’t be able to ski today. When I woke up this morning, I still felt the pain, but I determined to hit the slopes to ski with my little Vương.

Today, the boys and I went all the way to the top of the mountain. I wanted to take Vương all around the green slopes. We did fine for a bit and then took the shortcut to the blue slope to get back down to the base. It was a big mistake. Vương got a little scared even though I held on to him the whole time. Skiing on the blue slope with a toddler was quite a challenge, but we made it back down with just one fall.

After lunch, I left Vương with his mom and the rest of us went back to the black slopes. After five days straight on the slopes, I could feel the pain. I was exhausted and my legs gave out. And yet, the pain on my knee has subsided without any painkillers or patches. We managed to do two runs before the lift closed out.

All-day rain is forecast for tomorrow. We might just stay in and rest up before heading back home on Saturday. We’ll see.

Sharif’s poems are simple yet beyond my comprehension. I had to read her collection twice to understand some of her works including “Social Skills Training,” “He, Too,” and “Patronage.” I don’t quite understand “Without Which,” in which she uses lots of closing brackets (“]]”). I would love to audit her class if I have the opportunity. Here’s her exchange with an officer in “He, Too”:

Upon my return to the US,
he asks my occupation. Teacher.

What do you teach?
Poetry.

I hate poetry, the officer says,
I only like writing
where you can make an argument.

Anything he asks, I must answer.
This, too, he likes.

I don’t tell him
he will be in a poem
where the argument will be

anti-American.

I place him here, puffy,
pink, ringed in plexi, pleased

with his own wit and spittle.
Saving the argument
I am let in

I am let in until

Xuân and I took snowboarding lessons today. We signed up for a whole-day group lesson, but Xuân was the only student in his group and I along with another girl in our group. The instructor took us on the green slope just after 45 minutes on the bunny slope. We fell like crazy.

I got my heel turns down, but still had trouble with my knee turns. Once I get my knee turns down, I can link them together. I need more time to practice before everything would click together. Snowboarding is much more challenging to learn than ski. I haven’t given up yet.

I am hoping I won’t be in so much pain tomorrow so I can ski together with little Vương. Poor kid wanted to ski with me today, but I had to take snowboard lessons and I was wiped out afterward. I’ll make it up to him tomorrow.

On Tuesday, I spent almost the whole day on the slope with Vương. He enjoyed skiing together with me. I still had to hold on to him, but I figured out a way for him to be less dependent on me. I just hold the handle on the harness gently to give him more control of his skis. We were planning on signing him up for lessons, but he was not ready. For now, we just ski and spend time together.

Đạo took my snowboard and gave it a try. He did really well. He joined us on the green slope even though he just started it. It looked like skateboarding helped him with snowboarding. If I can’t learn to snowboard, he can take over my board and boots.

For the last hour before the lift closed, I took Đán and Xuân on the blue and black slopes. We ventured into the black, ungroomed terrains. There were moguls and rocks everywhere. We made our way down and out, but my ski bases were scratched up. I will need to patch them up when I get back home.

We arrived in Vermont on Saturday night; therefore, we slept in a bit. We didn’t get to Okemo until 10 am on Sunday. Somehow I thought the World Cup final was scheduled for 2 pm instead of 10 am. I missed the whole game. Oh well, congratulations to Argentina nevertheless.

Okemo was not as crowded as I had expected on a Sunday. The World Cup might be the reason. Đạo, Đán, Xuân and I did two runs on the blue and black slopes. I skied with Vương on the green slopes. He wanted me to hold him instead of using the harness. Đán complained his pair of snowboard boots was too tight. He used mine instead.

On Monday, we didn’t get to the resort until 11 am. I took Vương for a run on the green slope so my wife could practice a bit on the bunny slope. Vương was hungry and wanted to eat. I took him in and made him an instant noodle cup. I did one more run with him before I headed to the blue and black slopes with my older boys.

Đán wouldn’t give up my snowboard boots; therefore, I won’t be able to learn snowboarding this week. I am just going to enjoy skiing for now. I’ll learn how to snowboard when we come back home.

We were having a great time even though we were exhausted by the evening.

Hôm qua bước vào chợ đắp vào mặt ngay hàng trăm lon bắp chồng chất lên nhau, con nhớ ngay đến mẹ. Cũng vào những tháng ngày vào đông lạnh lẽo, mẹ luộc lon bắp rồi trộn với bơ cho con ăn sáng trước khi cắp sách đến trường. Bắp nóng, ngọt cùng với vị béo, mặn của bơ. Những ký ức lại ùa về.

Sáng nay con tự luộc cho mình một lon và cũng trộn bơ nhưng bắp không được ngọt và bơ cũng không được mặn mà như lúc ấu thơ mẹ nấu cho con. Đưa từng muỗng bắp vào miệng xuýt xoa nhớ đến mẹ vô cùng. Mới đó mà đã gần hai năm trời xa mẹ. Con vẫn không thể nào xoa dịu được nỗi đau chứng kiến những giây phút cuối đời của mẹ. Phải chi con ngăn chặn trước khi con covid gây hại đến mẹ thì giờ này mẹ vẫn ở bên con.

Giờ đây tự trách móc cũng quá muộn rồi. Cuộc đời này có đến rồi cũng sẽ đi. Sớm muộn gì cũng phải biệt ly. Con hiểu và chấp nhận nhưng phải chi mẹ ra đi nhẹ nhàng hơn.

Every U.S. household is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-⁠19 tests. I ordered mine. Get yours.