Characters: Nigel and Keron, brothers
Setting: Their home in Brooklyn
Keron: Are you voting this year?
Nigel: No.
Keron: Why not?
Tag: Brooklyn Public Library
Bank Robbery
I was on my way to the bank around 9:30 a.m. The traffic on the road caused me to arrive later than I planned. As I entered the bank and looked around, I realized that I would have to stand in line for the entire day. There were only two clerks on duty and a long line of customers. After I stood there for about an hour, my feet started to hurt. A male customer, who was third in line, was on his phone, texting and taking notice of his surroundings. It was his time to approach the clerk.
I Asked . . .
I asked my husband to make me a simple cup of tea.
He said to me, “Woman, where could the tea bags be?”
My Aunt Plays the Piano
I see my aunt, Josephine Coward
She sits at the piano with her back straight
The lovely thin fingers of her hands moving quickly
Back and forth against the white keys
Ask My Mother to Sing
It was a hot summer day in the valley.
Me and my brother went to the pond to catch fish,
but it was too hot. We caught no fish, so we decided to go home.
On the way, my brother started us singing
a song Mom loved to sing.
Clearance Sale
Before you criticize my plan, take time to listen
because only then will you understand what’s going on in my prison.
I spent my days locked up at home, taking care of small kids.
I can’t remember the last time I rested or the last peaceful thing that I did.
My Country’s Weather
My story is about the weather in Liberia, the country where I was born and raised. There are two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. There are six months of rain from May through October, and the dry season is the six months from November through April. During the rainy season, when I was little, it sometimes rained for many days and nights, and the rivers would flood.
Always Tell the Truth
When l was a little girl, my mother used to spend Friday afternoons making fry bakes for dinner and breakfast the next morning. When everyone went to bed, I would sneak into the kitchen, open the bucket where my mother kept the fry bakes, and I would take out one or two.
The Last Dance of the Turkey
I was five years old in 1970. In my hometown in El Salvador, there was a lake in front of our home, called Guija Lake. My family and I would spend a lot of time in the lake swimming and playing. It was my favorite place to be.
Hello, Dorian
This is Annette. Thanks for inviting me into your home and for being my best friend. First, I want you to know that I had a good mother. She raised me by herself because my father abandoned the family. I grew up without a dad in my life. When I really needed a dad to talk to, he was nowhere to be found.
Hope Came Again
* A 2004 R&B song called “Spirit” transports me to another time and place. I was being admitted to the hospital for a scheduled spinal surgery. I thought I had the strength to continue, but the more pain I felt after the surgery, the less faith I had that God would help me. This song …
Beautiful Night
One beautiful night, I went riding in the park. As I rode, a fierce gust of wind pushed the leaves off the strong branches of a tall oak tree. Leaves scattered everywhere: across my face, my clothes, my bicycle.
Lady
A few years back/ I was on the A train/ Along with the rest of the passengers/ And I was staring at the view/ And this lady came on the train/ And greeted the passengers/ And made an announcement.
Brooklyn!
When I exit the sauna below the ground at Utica Avenue/ My first experience of Brooklyn is gray and ashy,/ With a dazzling duet rainbow./ Perhaps Brooklyn’s way to say “Hello.”
My Favorite Pet
My favorite pets are dogs. I remember when I was in Trinidad, my dad bought a pet dog by the name of Bobby. Bobby was of medium size, with long black curly hair, brown eyes, small ears that stood straight up, and a long tail that curled upward. I believe he was a mutt. His …