“Whale, Seahorse, Narwhal, and Crab” by Julia on D and M’s couch

By: Julia
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Friday November 23, 2018
11:16pm
5 minutes
A Whale of a Tail!
Illustrated by Jo Moon

I’m in the ocean now and that’s where I live
Somewhere in between the deep and the light
Been working on my swimming so I’m finally better
I’m better

What’s her name used to say I swam like a fish but she was being nice and I think she said that about everyone
I couldn’t keep my head above water
I wept on the diving board while everyone inside the pool tried to cheer me on
I was always afraid of doing what other people were doing easily
I didn’t understand how to trust a thing bigger than me
I failed Yellow
The way some people fail their driver’s test
But when I passed it the next year I skipped ahead into Maroon
That made me feel like a real fish
What’s her name wrote it on my card again

“Your hands are cold” by Julia on the 14

By: these five minutes
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Friday April 22, 2016
8:51pm
5 minutes
Scars
James Bay

You’re sweet. You let me put my cold hands in your armpits when I need to warm up, when my teeth are chattering and I’m complaining excessively. You squirm the first few seconds and you dance around but you don’t make me take them out. That’s one of my favourite types of touching. I feel taken care of by you and your overheated underarms. You are always a furnace, kicking off articles of clothing in your sleep, ripping up sheets, opening windows in the minus 30s or 40s. The only time I ever remember warming you up was when we went skinny-dipping in your family’s salt-water pool. It wasn’t warm yet, but we were high and felt free, and so I cupped your nut-sack in my hands so they wouldn’t retract and we stood like that for a while, impersonating Ethel Merman and smiling big at each other.

“Cookie duty” by Julia on her brother’s old bed

By: these five minutes
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Wednesday, January 6, 2016
1:35am
5 minutes
Overheard at Platform Seven

Marta was busy teaching herself Spanish on her new audio learning app. She had her headphones in at all hours of the day and out of nowhere she’d blurt out a “Donde esta el banio?” or a “buenas noches!” even if she was in the middle of a conversation or an activity that did not require Spanish. Marta’s little sister, Leah, had asked her to help her make cookies for her bake sale and Marta told her “me gustaria help you”. Marta pictured herself making cookies for Ambrosio, the ridiculously hot life guard at the community pool who was the reason for her Spanish lessons in the first place.

“Make a lasting impression.” by Sasha on the Queen Streetcar going West

By: these five minutes
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Friday May 30, 2014
5:42pm
5 minutes
L’OREAL ad in Flare Magazine
December 2011

“Come on Selma! Don’t be a baby! There’s nothing to be scared of… What do you think is gonna happen? Come on SELLLLLLMA!!!!!”
Push pause
Push stop
Push the slow-down-distorted-voice
Push
And he’s all pushy pushy
And he’s all “You’ll be fine!”
And he’s all “People do scarier things every day! Selma! You’re such a scared-y cat!”
And I don’t want to jump but I do anyway
Who cares about the spring
The spring of the diving board is like the first shot of tequila
(Never a good idea)
And he’s down there
Treading water
And he’s smiling up
And I say
“Move it!”
And I say
“I don’t want to jump if you’re right there”
And he doesn’t read into it
He swims across the pool and gives me a one handed thumbs up

“makes a splash” by Julia on her couch

By: these five minutes
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013
11:17pm
5 minutes
The back of the Next Stage Festival program

Oh! And he has ambition too! Did I mention he smells like the sweet afternoon at a tropical resort?
I’ve never been in love before but I’ll tell you right now if this is it, then it’s very much worth waiting for! It’s like, how can one guy have all the qualities that I want in a partner, and THEN SOME, when some people are lucky enough if they have 2/10 attributes on my list. I mean, I want to ask him, “Are you even real?” Like, for example, when he dives into a pool (did I mention? He’s a professional diver!) he doesn’t even make a splash! How nuts is that. He has more poise in his pinky finger than Gandhi has in his whole body! Is that too far? Should I have left Gandhi out of it? I don’t care! I DON’T CARE! I’m truly happy for the first time in my adult life, I didn’t meet him online, AND, I didn’t make him up. What am I supposed to do? Hide behind my happiness and pretend my life, for once, isn’t perfect? I don’t think so. I’ve got big plans for us. We’re going to rent an apartment together before we own, and my biggest goal for us is to have an actual garden!