The myth of the impoverished mooch distracts and divides us, all to protect the rich and under-taxed — The cashier tells me my total, and I hold my breath as I swipe my WIC card through the machine. It pays for a portion of my vegetables, a gallon of whole milk, and a dozen eggs. Next, I run my EBT card, which covers the remaining groceries, leaving just…

I spend a lot of my time trying to advocate for a better world. I consider myself an activist. I write letters, I call, I share articles, I delve into research on topics. I am often told I’m passionate about subjects, or a lover of politics. But I’m really only…

A poem. — My edges are soft They ripple like ribbons Tied tightly up; The back like a corset. Ying & yang, offset. I like to be left alone. I used to think…

An open letter to an organization that has changed my life. — Dear Planned Parenthood, Thank you. I’m not sure where to start. How do I even begin to thank the organization that offered me such kind and compassionate care in so many of my most vulnerable moments? The first time I came to Planned Parenthood, I was a minor who needed…

A poem. — I'm convinced the souls I find I've known before; In other spaces of time. No, I won't be told; Existence has no deeper meaning. When we're celestial beings, Effected by…

A poem. — Spiders dance down from their webs in and out of my rib bones; Cold autumn trees shake their leaves They let go with the seasons. I'm thankful for my rough…

A poem. — When I was 15 I cut a hole into my mattress To hide everything I had, On which parents weren’t kean. Birth control. An assortment of drugs. Cosmopolitan magazine. My secret thong, red lace. My own wormhole. Made me feel like a baby thug. It took me years to realize…

I no longer carry shame for my two abortions — I had my first abortion when I was 14. I had been forced into sex I didn’t consent to. I chose to not have my rapist’s child. I terminated the pregnancy at just over five weeks. There wasn’t even a visible fetal pole at that time. …

There’s a place in the small of his back. It dips in just enough to make a shadow, and against the light I can see all of the blonde hair that rests there. I’ve been high for three days. And we’ve walked all over Oakland. It’s not somewhere I ever…