Not just a generic list but skip to the bottom for a quicker read — Feel free to skip to the bottom for the LIST of 5 STEPS. But I encourage you to read the explanations and details in the middle, if you have time. Please allow me to begin by saying that these are not generic items and empty platitudes. These STEPS are based…

Are you up for the challenge? — Orphan clutches onto rusted keys before an empty, unlocked home. Charred present remains unopened beneath tree — needles turned to smoke. I frame my father’s snapshot . Imposter’s grin — frozen behind glass. Tears mix with ink, smudging cursive letters that read goodbye. Whispered prayers trail off as my coffin…

A monkey makes a noose — Behind the aluminum supports of the patio sat a concrete building. The empty holes in the walls served as windows. It was a greenhouse but the only thing that grew in it now were weeds and long grasses. I remember seeing the building in an old photograph my mom kept…

Creatures invade a small Miami home — (My mother and I are at my grandmother’s house with Uncle Tim and Ray) “Hrmmpphh!” The sound came from the pullout sofa next to the cage. Uncle Tim was sitting, or rather, passed out, on it. The couch was a putrid yellow, like stomach bile. …

An abused bird reflects on the murder of a monkey… — My mother grabbed the knob of the royal blue front door. The flower stencil lining its sides was crooked to the point of dizziness. The once vibrant pinks had dulled to smudges, adding to the tackiness and illustrating our family’s overall disregard for appearances. The door opened and I was…

Ray needed drugs and we needed an escape from the heat — Granny’s voice was unmistakable as we pulled into her driveway. “You son of a bitch, Tim!” Yes, this was the house where my mother grew up, and this was the point of origin for the family’s lunacy. Fluorescent orange shutters stung my eyes as Mom, Ray, and I made our…

Shoplifting Has its Rewards. — (Manny and I, aged 10, have shoplifted toys and are heading back to the trailer park.) Robert, Manny’s brother, was about four years older than us and positioned towards the top echelon of the trailer park’s popularity roster. He listened to high school music like the Red Hot Chili Peppers…

Shoplifting is easy: a new story from “Chasing Crazy” — “If they call the police, tell them my name is Paco.” Manny was winded as we ran but was still managing to call out orders. We were running to our first robbery and had set our sights on The Falls — an outdoor shopping mall. The walk there was treacherous. …

The joys of robbery entice us: a new story from “Chasing Crazy” — “You’re not coming if you wear that.” Manny had ridiculed me about the effeminate bag ever since he had seen it in my closet the previous week. “Shut up. It’s my dad’s.” I felt embarrassed but also proud of my father. He was my hero. I’m not sure why I…