DCFC

"Your New Twin Sized Bed"

You look so defeated lying there in your new twin size bed.
With a single pillow underneath your single head.
I guess you decided that that old queen holds more space than you would need.
Now it's in the alley behind your apartment with a sign that says it's free.

And I hope you have more luck with this than me.

You used to think that someone would come along.
And lay beside you in a space that they belong.
But the other side of the mattress and box springs stayed like new.
What's the point of holding onto what never gets used?

Other than to sit and desire for something new.

And I try not to worry, but you've got me terrified.
It's like your some kind of hurry to say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye.

You look so defeated lying there in your new twin size bed.
You look so defeated lying there in your new twin size bed.

Unaccustomed Earth

I am now officially hooked on short story anthologies. Jhumpa Lahiri's new book is a collection of 8 of her short stories, all of which feature an Indian family or individual. Each of the stories is an elegy to love, life and loss.

The story that...more I am now officially hooked on short story anthologies. Jhumpa Lahiri's new book is a collection of 8 of her short stories, all of which feature an Indian family or individual. Each of the stories is an elegy to love, life and loss.

The story that was most poignant for me was the title story. The relationship that Ruma and her father share so perfectly mirrors my own, it was almost frightening. Ruma unconsciously draws strength and comfort from her naturally reserved father. The father, a quiet and independent individual loves his daughter but is burdened with a secret he couldn't possibly share with her. What is left unspoken starts to drive a wedge between father and daughter. However, the unobtrusive strength of their love prevents any true unraveling of the relationship. Beautiful, heartfelt story..

What I enjoyed most out of Lahiri's stories was her ability to portray life as a 1st generation child. You love and respect your parents and your culture however you're faced with the disparate demands of an American lifestyle...something your parents will never truly understand no matter how much time they spend in this country. You feel as if you're trapped in a cultural middle ground, never truly belonging anywhere. Lahiri was able to capture these tumultuous emotions with such poignant precision.

Escape

I can't mature. Wherever I am, I always end up thinking there's somewhere else that's so much better for me. When I was growing up in California, I yearned for Boston. When I was in Boston, I yearned for London, now that I'm in new york...I'm yearning for...well, ANYWHERE but here. Why can't I just be content where I am? Why do I always have to romanticize somewhere I'm physically not??

Maybe I read too much...my escapist tendencies get the better of me. But damn, there's really just nothing better than a good book that takes me far, far away.

Falling away

Do you ever listen to the first 10 seconds of a song and you're instantly hooked? For me, it's usually because the opening riff evokes some kind of past emotion or period where I was either inexplicably happy or just plain content. Evermore's "Falling away" is one such song. While the rest of the song kind of blows, it's the opening guitar melody that truly sucks me in. I hear those simple notes picked out and I'm whirled back to california, watching the sun set at laguna beach, driving with the windows down on the freeway, sitting out on my roof gazing at the san bernadino mountains..