to give thanks

In elementary, we used to do little reflection exercises towards the end of the school year. Along the lines of "what did you enjoy doing this year, what did you least enjoy, what can you improve on...", they were the same little snippets pasted in the summary section of our report cards. As we age, time flies out of our hands and we seldom have the time to reflect and think about what's passed or soon to come. A period in high school was emphasized on constructing and achieving SMART goals, and being in that mindset, it's easy to dismiss everything else around us.

In hopes that I'm not too late, here are some of the homes I'd like to give thanks to for the past two years:


2018
The /tƐmz/ Review: Whom I had my very first publication with. I'm always grateful for Aaron and Amy of ​The /tƐmz/ Review in opening that first door for me. I hadn't known a lot of about the literary world, and I was carrying a piece of guilt and grief in me. Thank you for lending me that first hand.


2019
Marías at Sampaguitas: I took my first stab at writing creative nonfiction. It was daunting because I was used to writing poetry. Weaving together a personal narrative while making sure it flowed was hard. Thank you to Keana for believing in me, and gave a home to my debut CNF piece. Later, I applied to be a reader and got position offer to be poetry editor. Marías truly uplifts the voices of marginalized individuals.

Kissing Dynamite: I wrote a poem about a friend whom I met in elementary that passed away. This was my first acquaintance to death of someone I knew.  It's never easy to get past. Thank you to Christine for giving a home to it.