My mother sleeps in my bedside mirror, primping and shuffling missives from my prince who writes to me only in spy green ink. There is never good sleep there because of my pea-filled mattress she fills from the freezer every weekend to help with…

Carved out jacko on the dresser. Mom first learned to do this last Halloween. Scooped the goo out of a pumpkin head when Dad was out on a drunk. Mom’s own head a beehive of regret and wondering how on earth their marriage went…

Mina spends hours listening to recordings of rainfall. Summer Shower on Oak Bark. Thunderstorm over Gospel Bay. Evening Drizzle Along the Serengeti. When she grows tired, she reverts to Typhoon on Hong Kong Apartment Window #131.  Angry nails punched out of a sheet metal sky….