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Elizabeth Fields
- 2024 is a record global election year, with elections in every highlighted country.
Whew 2024 is a whirlwind election year With over 64 countries voting few places are untouched by political discussion Every adult I know in the US has a political opinion...
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Laura Rodríguez-Davis
- Photo courtesy of Project Play
When thinking about services for refugees and displaced people we often consider food clothing shelter and medical aid Rarely do we think about play Yet Play is essential for children...
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Abdelwahed
- (Photo Courtesy of Rodrigo via Pexels)
I obtained a master s degree in environmental science the crowning climax of my educational saga However with 2020 blindsiding us with the COVID 19 pandemic what should have been...
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Julianna Wages
- Photo Courtesy of Johannes Plenio via StockSnap
Approaching the coast of the North Carolina Outer Banks Ray slowed the sailboat to a stop reeled in the sails with the main halyard and tossed the anchor overboard The...
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Veronica Kwong
- Photo courtesy of Unsplash
After my first Chinese lesson as an adult I called my Grandma to tell her what I had learned I speak my mother s language the language of the country...
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Christiina Gochnauer
- Photo courtesy of Kenneth Surillo via Pexels
I ve thought about The way the wind would whip my hair Away from my face just seconds before I find my end there On the rocks below Before your...
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Rania Mansour
- Photo courtesy of Alex Ivashenko via Unsplash
It s hard feeling depressed And it s really hard to be a depressed mother It takes a lot of effort to get up in the morning and much more...
- Photo by Mings 小銘 on Unsplash
On the rooftop terrace we talked about traveling things like finding stylish and affordable accommodation through online searches riding bicycles around small towns usually missed by annoying crowds of tourists...
- Photo Courtesy of lil artsy via Pexels
The echo of heels and dress and shoes fills the silence outside my room I will meet the doctor tomorrow...
- Photo courtesy of Jay Lau
When 20 people showed up at our 0 3 acre property during the 2020 COVID lockdown I thought it was the best thing that ever happened to us said founder...
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Brooklyn Riepma
- (Photo courtesy of Glambeau Design via Pexels)
As years go by I spend more and more time making memories in my grandma s kitchen It took me a long time to realize that food is how she...
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Luis Amaya
- Photo Courtesy of lisaleo via MorgueFile
It was a hot day in the Colorado oil fields The hottest day of the year Robert stood on the platform of the new oil drill his company had just...
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Hichem Benkessirat
- Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash
The morning of the first Tuesday of December I was staying at my uncle s house because until the night before we had had a very unstable week Otherwise I...
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Ver Hoet
- Photo courtesy of J J Jordan Photography via Pexels
A vision of seduction a slim waist Her fit physique an invitation To explore the longings your heart craves Her energy is your new fixation...
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Shannah Ford
- Photo courtesy of klk13 via MorgueFile
We walked quietly my brother and I our footfalls barely audible through the serried leaves even to us We were deep in the Kiamichi Mountains seemingly away from civilization Better...
- Photo courtesy of Ekaterina Astakhova via Pexels
When you discover a secret you have two options I say discover because a secret is not made to be found out except only by accident I say when because...
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Ijaz Ahmad
- Photo courtesy of Ayush Srivastava
I ve been in the telecoms field for the last 20 years and writing for the last five During my professional life I have sat through multiple job interviews all...
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Solomon Esther Imoleayo
- Photo courtesy of quicksandala via MorgueFile
You are so talented and smart The dexterity in your work is astonishing You my dear are going to be a star These were my mother s words to me...
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Lukman Yusuf Alabi
- (Photo courtesy of Joy Tyson, photography via Unsplash)
You are not alone I am just as confused as you are My life hasn t always been the way I wanted it to be I hated business studies in...
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Eric Mabry
- Photo courtesy of Eric Mabry
Two passports Two last names Two identities From a very early age my life has been characterized by how I am half American and half Japanese In elementary school my...
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Global Citizen
- Photo by Sam Quek on Unsplash
I was at Primrose Hill in Camden London at the time of 16 year old Harry Pittman s murder on New Year s Eve last week...
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S.
- Photo courtesy of Amine M'siouri via Pexels
I wish that I was traumatized like people in movies are traumatized I wish that other people could escape into my sad story to hide from their own I wish...
- (Unsplash/Microsoft 365)
Life is full of ups and downs we have all heard this...
- Photo courtesy of amcs via MorgueFile
Seas Escapades Journeys These are the things one lives for These are the things that Melissa Jennings s mother wanted her to strive for When she did she found herself...
- Photo by arda tutkun on Unsplash
Sifting through multitudes of strangers Longing for a familiar face a smiling acceptance An existence away from home Calls for a course correction isn t it...
- (All images courtesy of Viviana De Cecco unless otherwise stated below the picture)
The world moves on times change and technology continues to invade our lives Yet every year as Christmas approaches I open the box of memories where I keep not only...
- Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash
some days are tidal waves knocking me breathless i gasp for air that won t fill my lungs drowning in the waters of worry...
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Laura Rodríguez-Davis
- Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash
An experienced immigrant da Penha personally understands the challenges faced by migrant women Native to Brazil she has also lived in Portugal Italy and Cape Verde before settling in her...
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Elijah Schade
- Photo courtesy of StockSnap
Emile scowled theatrically at the mirror His imagination ran wild with unearned pride That s how I ll look he thought That s how I ll look when I march...
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Enoch A. Ojotisa
- Image courtesy of Enoch
Many at times think we see a ray of hope to comfort our emotions and whittle down the volcanic cloud of our sadness But unfortunately our sense of love and...
- (Photo courtesy of Andrik Langfield via Unsplash)
Society doesn t like people like me like you Do you ever find yourself caught in the worry that your diverse passions could lead to confusion in people around you...
- Image courtesy of Thainá *in the picture is written "can't stand the unbearable"
my mind always thinks it s a competition between me and my intuition repeating over and over lies I can t deny but on them I rely...
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Ricardo Santillan
- (Image courtesy of Maka Forest Villa)
He hears them They speak to him constantly No not in his head The voices speak to him in the breeze the creeks the leaves the rocks the soil and...
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Tanvi Sethi
- Photo by Marie-Ève Beaulieu via Pexels
What s a good picture for you mine is the one in which I m the happiest it s fascinating how the parts of us that we don t appreciate...
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Belén de Dios
- (Image courtesy of Belén de Dios)
Have you ever traveled in your mind Because I did and it was life changing...
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Francis Nantha
- Photo courtesy of lorettaflame via MorgueFile
By the time she was nine Chloe was well on her way to becoming a really really spoiled brat As an only child she got her way with almost everything...
- Photo courtesy of Nargiz Mammadzada
I am Nargiz Mammadzada a young woman who moved from Azerbaijan to Poland at the age of 23 during the COVID pandemic s most frightening period I left my family...
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Liatile Machoane Mokhesi
- Photo courtesy of Omer Derinyar via Pexels
To the one who has arrived Bringing lucidity to an interrupted And wandering life That was once tribulated But is now contented...
- Photo courtesy of davi via MorgueFile
hell is a dank dark basement apartment once a home for two but now only housing one who perpetually breathes in mildew while learning the meaning of the phrase crawling...
- Photo courtesy of Mariana Montrazi via Pexels
SANE A word I have never quite been acquainted with I was brought up by someone who physically used my head to punish the walls of the house she found...
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Maria Aires E. Raymundo
- Photo courtesy of Ratatosk via MorgueFile
A ghost of a smile Graced my lips Gazing at old faded photos of us I missed Younger days have gone so fast Truly good times never last...
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Tia Credle
- sci-fi scene of young mother carrying her baby looking at the spaceship in the sky, digital art style, illustration painting
The invasion happened 40 years ago in 2027 Big oval shaped metal ships appeared out of the sky It s hard for anyone to think that on that day millions...
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Liba Chorny
- Photo by Harli Marten on Unsplash
I told her about an experience I had of mystical ideas She said to me in Yiddish Ken nisht herren Can t hear it She didn t want to hear...
- Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash
A number is just a number Which is a popular belief Simple as that Yet when you saw a different number on the scale it changes everything...
- (Photo courtesy of M. Cooper Photography via Unsplash)
Working in a pub encourages drinking For some this is a dream For others a nightmare...
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Daisy Dabb
- Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
I was accepted into the doctoral program and was offered a full scholarship Most people would have immediately accepted But I didn t...
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Brooklyn Riepma
- Photo courtesy of Giorgia Finazzi via Unsplash
Are you sure you want to go visit Grandma T It might be difficult for you to see her this way my grandma whom I call Oma asked me Why...
- Photo courtesy of Jordan Luz
My first day of teaching still haunts me to this day Not because it was a bad experience although there were many things I would do differently if I could...
- Photo by Stephanie McCabe on Unsplash
On the Italian island of Sardinia where I was born and still live there has always been a deep rooted belief that on the night of November 1 and 2...
- Photo courtesy of Houcine Ncib via Unsplash
There is so much within her she deems unspeakable A restlessness long muted vibrating undercurrents beneath her skin...
- Yellow school bus parks beneath the palm trees for shade and waits for the end of the school day to transport children back to their hones.
Ho brah your breath is haunas dawg Ever heard of one tooth brush Da ting smell so crip garans gon make somebody make Not even Not as hauna as your...
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Dominic James
- Photo courtesy of Carson Arias via Unsplash
Two things 2 iron nails run in smoke Frosty morning sunshine Overexposed B W at Loe Bar Red Red Alley Sunset...
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Elena Chiujdea
- Photo courtesy of Jennifer Burk via Unsplash
Men questioning women today is the norm Why Because less freedom means less opportunities to make the wrong choice I guess The freedom we have today presses their buttons because...
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Maria Aires E. Raymundo
- Photo courtesy of Lucas Pezeta via Pexels
Turning from the busy conundrum of a dream full of lies A bittersweet goodbye Passion so strong Somehow feels so wrong A meaningless feat Undeniable defeat...
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JP Morselli
- (Photo courtesy of JP Morselli)
It s going to snow my temple tour guide Seokun told me The grey clouds covered the sun and the wind picked up causing chimes to sound in the distance...
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S. Thomas Drake
- Photo courtesy of Ankhesenamun via Unsplash
One of the biggest lies we are told is that it is possible to live fully in the moment but the truth is we never can...
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Brooklyn Riepma
- (Photo courtesy of Luis Villasmil Photography via Unsplash)
Students are told they need to go to college or will never succeed I was also told this when I was in high school I wanted to go to college...
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Snigdha Sharma
- Photo courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash
Patients diagnoses and treatments are my life As a medical intern what else can I think of other than the whirlwind of patients New challenges and lessons are what each...
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Yousef Waly
- Photo by Eben Kassaye on Unsplash
How can we truly heal a patient s physical state without addressing how they feel It is inevitable that all physicians no matter the stage of their training will unconsciously...
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I.Z.
- Photo by Masaaki Komori on Unsplash
Together down a level he s overly tense Among the normal people with their loud staring silence...
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Alexis King
- Photo courtesy of Yoann Boyer via Unsplash
When I first discovered Lake McCarrons in my home state of Minnesota I was around 17 or 18 years old It was a holiday and my mom sisters and brother...
- Image courtesy of iStock
What I m learning about women aging is we don t do it alone everything from being able to gather dust lines alongside us trinkets and trophies...
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Wiam Najjar
- (All images courtesy of Wiam Najjar)
As a teacher a member of a large family and a feminist I have always had crystal clear notions about nurturing kids For most of my teaching career I ve...
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S.
- (Photo courtesy of iStock)
When he circles the roundabout I am pressed against the car door And it starts to hurt again...
- Photo courtesy of guille pozzi via Unsplash
Her mother told her when she was young Be the kind of woman who can keep a family united A woman who guards and protects fragile relationships who cushions each...
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Serene M.
- Concept image of anxiety and negative emotion. Waste paper and head silhouette.
When I first started college I always believed I would make something of myself I would get a degree see the world and become a successful journalist I had it...
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Johana Htwe
- Photo courtesy of Unsplash
The first time I wore thanaka on my cheeks was when I went to kindergarten It was actually one of my earliest memories Back then I didn t care if...
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Global Citizen
- Photo by Jesse Bowser on Unsplash
The Mid May 2023 seizure of rainbow colored Swatch watches from the brand s Pride Collection at most major shopping malls in Malaysia including the regionally renowned Pavilion Kuala Lumpur...
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Anna Rose Bechtel
- (Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash)
For introverts you d think that the pandemic would be fun Or at least something they d be used to It all sounds pretty normal staying inside watching something on...
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Enny
- Photo courtesy of MorgueFile
Sitting in the shadows of misery Unraveling imprisoned dreams Wishing I can set them free to the sky Wishing I gave them my wings make them fly...
- Photo by Molly Blackbird on Unsplash
and when she told her mother of the incident she was told never to speak of it again Silence served as protection It served as a convenient denial and an...
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Rania Mansour
- Photo by Firdaus Roslan on Unsplash
I am an Egyptian woman I mean I am an exhausted woman I spend my night in enjoyment till the morning watching fantasy movies that I do not afford living...
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Senah Lloyd
- Photo courtesy of Pedro Silva via Unsplash
Who are you What do you do Those are the questions I am asked whenever I meet a new person For decades the answer was my name and I m...
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Zaida Obeid
- (Photo courtesy of Pexels/cottonbro studio)
Several people passed by my house this year Many of them just passed by temporarily but other people stopped by and stayed as long term friends For me being an...
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I.S.A. Crisostomo-Lopez
- Photo courtesy of Morgue File
Like any other orphan Tobias was curious about so many things When he was younger he wanted to know who his real parents were and why they had abandoned him...
- Photo courtesy of Morgue File
Your brain is a film played at 5x speed the images barely intelligible leave no room for thought only gut Meanwhile the theater is collapsing in slow motion...
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Li Shan Chan
- Photo courtesy of iStock
I handed over my watch and shoes and we approached the turnstile where I was to enter He supported my hand moving it towards the small glass panel where a...
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Daisy Dabb
- Rainbow over the west maui mountains from Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
I thought it was strange that my mom called me so early in the morning It was 7 30am for me so it must have been 4 30am for her...
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Brooklyn Riepma
- (Image courtesy of Brooklyn Riepma)
When I was a child my mother told me I d grow up to be just like her She said it to me in a tone that let me know...
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Taylor Raucher
- Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
I have been depressed before and depressed since Arguably I am always hovering at some degree of depression but at this time in my life in early 2019 it was...
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Global Citizen
- Photo coutresy of Unsplash/Marcos Paulo Prado
I can t even explain how much my heart ached from the pain I felt during those years I was a teenager I was naive I was just too nice...
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Kevin Likins
- Photo courtesy by spyroterra on MorgueFile
The end feels so inevitable when it comes At least mine does I am in my final moments of that there is no doubt I stand in the biting cold...
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Stephanie Jackson
- Photo by Nick Owuor (astro.nic.visuals) on Unsplash
It is always difficult for me to explain what depression is and how it makes me feel I ve seen and read people describing it as a big black dog...
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Dominic James
- Photo by Gigi on Unsplash
Poised high the moon pools silhouettes of hedgerows on the milky ground Alfred pulls his cloak around steps out onto a reedy shore...
- Photo by Candace McDaniel on StockSnap
In the darkened room where shadows silently creep I sit alone enveloped in solitude as the night grows deep Though voices resonate laughter fills the air Within the crowd a...
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Sadiq
- Photo by Tina Floersch on Unsplash
There are so many parenting guides out there and it is challenging raising wonderful little humans Here s something about the parent child bond It s pivotal as a child...
- Scared woman at home looking through the shutters
I can t even remember my age when I started but I had more than five psychologists I established a rapport with none until my first visit to a psychiatrist...
- Photo courtesy of Unsplash/Sasha Freemind
Throughout my life I have always been scared of being alone I would avoid lone bus journeys I couldn t sit still constantly needing the company of others to occupy...
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Dibyasree Nandy
- Photo courtesy of iStock
based on the old Indian customs related to widows they were forcefully stripped of all jewellery upon their husband s death the vermillion rubbed off their foreheads hardly given anything...
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Yuan Changming
- Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
Separated for more than forty years without knowing each other s whereabouts Ming reencounters Hua his first love at a reunification party and falls in love with her again As...
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Cinzia Antonelli
- Photo courtesy of Cinzia Antonelli
Those who don t know Italy well should know that there is no country or village however small that doesn t feature a church monument scenic landscape or other remarkable...
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Sonali Sharma
- Photo courtesy of Unsplash
My garden of wonders bloomed with an amalgamate of pink roses with overlapped thick velvety petals and herbs chives basil fennel common points for pollinators every morning when I bid...
- Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash
Nobody wants a toxic relationship but they just happen sometimes Most people go through one at least once in their lives and it has probably happened to you Well at...
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Corin Ramos
- Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash
One Saturday in August 2019 parents grandparents and children were shopping for school supplies at an El Paso Walmart when they came face to face with a gunman set on...
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Global Citizen
- Photo by Katalin RHorvát on Pexels
A pandemic caused by fungal spores is the exact premise of a popular gaming franchise called The Last of Us Is there any justification for humans to fear a fungal...
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Enny
- Photo courtesy of MorgueFile
Came to my home with a hat and boots Slept in my house I gave up my room...
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Sama Thiab
- Image courtesy of iStock
I was four years old then Yet I still vividly remember feeling the ground shake beneath me the windows shattering during every air strike hitting our area leaving our house...
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Stephanie Rahi Bassil
- Image courtesy of Stephanie Rahi Bassil
Ten days eight trips around Lebanon And at last on June 3 2022 at 4 p m our vacation started...
- (Image courtesy of Julianna Wages)
From the rolling hills and countryside of North Carolina to city skyscrapers illuminated with neon signs and the ever crowded streets of Tokyo Japan my first step out of the...
- Image Courtesy of clarita via MorgueFile
To be more alive you have to be less shy For stigma and inhibition are like chains...
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Rosina Griffiths
- Image Courtesy of Catherine Griffiths
How often in your life have you closed your ears to the cliché time flies and prefer instead to throw yourself into the having fun part Never does that expression...
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Margaret L. M.
- Image Courtesy of iStock
My childhood was broken up into pieces with parts of me left in different countries around the world These memories are blurry like faded pictures in my head...
I was born in eastern France near the German border into a large family of modest origin all raised by a single mother working as a cleaning lady We are...
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S. Thomas Drake
- Image Courtesy of UnSplash
On the morning of July 4th 2022 I was lying in bed watching videos on my phone when my mom called me Earlier that week we had discussed the possibility...
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Chintakindi Srilakshmi
Why I asked him do we have to return to our dorms at dusk like pigeons into pigeonholes while they don t their freedom resounding like the condor s cry...
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