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The Neighborhood Watch was four people. I was one of those four people. I, like you or your mom, get up every morning and pull on my pants. I sit on the toilet. I brush my teeth. They call me The Tamer, or Toni, the Tamer. The joke is notContinue Reading

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When I slam on the brakes,I plunge headlong intoa proverbial brick wall,nothing is the same. My figure sprawls on the groundstunned, unable to accessmy abilities. I submit my bodyto rigorous testingto locate my Achilles’ heel. All these testsand treatmentsdo not empower me,improve function. I am weak, curledin the fetal positionContinue Reading

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Tumbling through cotton candy clouds,I thread my fingers between gossamerStrands of pale pink and baby blueSoft as spider’s silk, wrapping aroundMy pinky, an ethereal ribbon of light.Body flailing, caught in free-fall,I surrender to gravity’s demands,Letting moisture pool upon my lashesLavender crystals nestled above my eyes,I inhale invisible capsules of air,FeelingContinue Reading

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I possessa lease agreement 40 some oddpages detailing the story of my lifetime as a heroineon this planet. No small printonly a straightforward agreement to bestow my talentand treasureto my fellow man anointeduntil my last breathto instill my legend. I’m at the pointin my contractwhere I see my ownvulnerability. LifeContinue Reading

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Down the moss-carpeted path you creep,Dewdrops crunching between your toes,Needles of ice embedded in callus.Hands emerge from your tattered cloak,The claws of a she-witch,Gnarled and twisted, remains of a vile act.Whorls of black ink gliding over skin,Peek from beneath your veil,Runic tattoos, symbols of power,Dance across your peeling flesh,Like aContinue Reading

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The bullets you lobat me bounceoff my field of impenetrability. Day by day the layers of fatunder my skinbecome my armor,necessaryto protect mefrom a worldinspired with hatefor anything other —odd, weird, different unusual —not dimensionalenough to fit intoan overhead bin insidethe forehead. Their punchesbounce off my body armor absorbingthe impact,Continue Reading

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When Spiderman taught meWith great power comesGreat responsibilityI walked out shirked mineDropped the ballWhen Batman taught meI’m only smiling on the outsideYou might join me for a weepI smiled and was invulnerableUntil I learned the difference betweenSmiling and showing my teethWhen Superman taught meVillains are made not bornI trusted strangersContinue Reading

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Even superheroes get old. It seems obvious but not many people think about it. These individuals seem so super that the idea that they eventually need to be cared for just doesn’t seem to register with most people. And on top of that, you can’t just throw them in withContinue Reading