Poems by Violeta Orozco

 THE MIDNIGHT AIR 

“The subterranean 
beginnings of all light” 
—June Jordan 

A poet with the name  
of a summer month believed 
in bodies that stirred up the oceans: 
a blind writing  
upon the finger’s shore. 
Only now, 
in the intimate silence 
can I finally say your name.  
I am only  
a floating plant 
heaving in the current. 
The rocks rub against each other 
carving the sand 
into a dwindling cave.  
I don’t have 
a single word of solace 
for the dying crowds  
that follow 
the trajectory of the wave. 
Can we only remember 
our hands touching as the light 
dissolves into the air? 
The night is still, I know that you are close 
like a thought I put away, 
 saved for later. 
That day has also slipped behind 
and I can mourn 
what has come back, altered, 
a friendly gesture 
in a burning hand.  
I have weakened, slightly 
waiting for the tired tide. 
I too, want to rest and remember  
and forget 
we were once here 
waiting uncertain 
among the hollow leaves. 
A cockroach nestles  
somewhere in the room, we all 
live accompanied 
by our foreign ghosts.  
And why then, I wonder 
do I see you as a tree 
I can rest my head upon? 
spreading myself out 
like a flowing field 
onto a mindless sky. 

SOOTHSAYER: Murmurador de Alivio

“Our stories are so holy 
we refuse to share them 
with non-believers 
until we find 
those that understand” — Mario Pagán Morales 

 It will be long before I find the center of the world 
the place that opens up  
when the eyes shut down 
gaze into the internal night. 
May we find a place to share the voice 
that was denied to us 
may we find a prayer that works 
a song that heals 
the body of the soothsayer. 
Our stories are not fully ours 
unless we share them.  
May we not speak in soliloquy  
I do not monologue alone if my tongue  
branches out like an ivy  
curls into other branches  
crawls into ancient forests 
where the sound is curled up into itself 
guarded by a thin membrane of silence  
like a shut-eyed frog 
creeping under the leaf  
the canopy towering above him 
a small brown body 
under a layer of soil 
Nobody will suppress the deep 
croaking of the growing song 
rising gradually above the  
hum of the ocean  
leaking into the rocks 
receding  
like the song of the coquí in the forest 
drawing the ear deep into the eons 
behind the green curtain   
the blue orb exploding 
into the deep abyss of the eye.

---

Violeta  Orozco

Violeta  Orozco is the author of three poetry collections: "El cuarto de la luna" (Proyecto Literal 2020),  "As Seen By Night/La edad oscura" (Nueva  York Poetry Press, forthcoming), "The Broken Woman Diaries" (Andante  Books, forthcoming), available for presale https://www.andantebooks.com/store1/The-Broken-Woman-Diaries-p130175617. A bilingual writer and freelance translator from Mexico City, she translates Chicana and Latina writers for Nueva York Poetry Review. A Ph.D. scholar of Chicanx and Latina literature at University of Cincinnati, she seeks to restore the fractured links  between the broken bones and languages of the Americas. Her poetry in English has been published or is forthcoming from Acentos Review, Label Me Latina, Harvard College's Palabritas, Bozalta, MALCS journal and Latinx anthologies like Nuestra Realidad Creativa Anthology. She currently lives in Cincinnati.

Two Poems By Andrena Zawinski

Summer Haibun  

The summer’s long light fills with bright lemons, melons, corn,  

all the silken thoughts. It languishes under a splashy beach umbrella  

with dominoes and Scrabble, with children digging fingers and toes  

into sand where facets of sunlight bead cascades along windy waves,  

run of shorebirds sweeping the horizon before the gray cityscape. 

This summer is for a young mother jostling her baby in low tide as we  

doze off on the soft lull of water lapping the shore, under a feathered sky  

of oncoming sunset. This is the time of day when curtains billow  

at windows in soft light, when sun squints through above a rippling bay,  

when summer knocks at the door and we answer, 

the wail of seagulls 

winging wild above a catch 

eyes fixed past us 

---

She, sister who reads this poem 

…I know you are reading this poem because there is nothing else  
left to read / there where you have landed… —Adrienne Rich 

I imagine you standing at the stove on a breathy night before  
an open window, breeze flirting crisp white kitchen curtains, 
one hand at the hip, the other stirring soup, tasting, adding  
a bit of basil and lemon thyme. Imagine you musing about 
this poem as it quiets like a child off in the next room into  
something. Something taking your attention, startling, stirring  
outside the lines of unshorn weeds choking flowering sage  
you will get to once you have read this poem again, rising  
from bed, words blurring your eyes in a half-wake state,  
some foggy mess of meaning you chase after and cannot catch.  

I imagine you, she who reads this poem, stirring toward the day  
ahead, alone and unafraid, surefooted along a sandy beach, past 
sandcastles, shells, tossed limbs and bulbs of seaweed at your feet,  
all part of the poem. Imagine another woman, the invisible one  
pushing a broom through dusk lit halls, poem in the pocket of a  
cleaning cart next to disinfectant spray. And the borrowed woman,  
poem tucked at the back of a stroller rolled out to the walk, she 
reading this poem at water’s edge, arms flung wide to morning.  

I imagine you, sister who reads this poem, braving a ridgeline along  
the bay on your own, poem pulled from a backpack at night’s campfire  
then carted carefully back to the pup tent like a child quieted, 
belly full of hobo stew and s’mores. Like a wind so soft it passes  
barely noticed across a piney wood, I imagine you, she who reads  
this poem, barely stirring yet part of the poem, its fire and its flames. 

---

Andrena Zawinski

Andrena Zawinski’s most recent poetry collection is Landings. Her writing has received accolades for free verse, form, lyricism, spirituality, social concern. Her fourth book of poems, Born Under the Influence, is forthcoming in 2022 along with Plumes, a collection of flash fiction. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she founded and runs the popular Women’s Poetry Potluck and Salon.

Kolk's Food For Folks ~ Summer Fare

Enjoy some summer recipes from Sarah Kolker’s mostly Vegan kitchen. Have a great rest of the summer. Enjoy!

---

Quinoa Salad

Light and refreshing protein full salad

2 cups quinoa cooked as directed with a drop of olive oil and sea salt

1/2 cup chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked — or a can of chickpeas

3 small cucumbers peeled and chopped

1/2 cup chopped thyme

A few leaves of basil chopped

1 large slice of onion chopped or green onion chopped

1 avocado peeled and diced

Toss with olive oil, sesame oil, and sea salt and a capful or two of balsamic vinaigrette

Add some chopped cherry tomatoes and arugula or other desired veggies, to jazz up your salad even more.)

Good to eat on those days, or nights, when it seems too hot to eat anything. Enjoy!

---

My family loves pesto on pizza and pasta. If it’s too hot to turn on the oven to make pizza, or just for fun, make it outside on a pizza stone on the grill!

PASTA SALAD

1 lb brown rice pasta cooked as directed on the package.

1 red bell pepper sliced and chopped

1/2 lbs carrots cut thin and small

Olives

two bunches bok choy chopped finely (optional)

a few sprigs of green onions chopped well

2 tbs of an array of fresh garden herbs chopped or shredded

toss all ingredients with pesto.

Two different pestos, gluten-free pizza crust

Five-minute Kale Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups torn kale (no stems) and pesto, combined

½ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt (more to taste)

1 clove garlic

juice of one lemon

¼ to ½ cup raw almonds

Instructions

1. Pulse the kale, oilve oil, salt, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth.

2. Add the almonds and pulse until the almonds are ground to desired consistency.

3. Serve with pizza, pasta, crackers, eggs, salads, soup, sandwiches, etc.

Sunflower Seed Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

* 2 cups packed basil and or spinach leaves

* 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

* 2 garlic cloves

* 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

* salt & pepper, to taste

* 1/3 cup olive oil, or a little more for consistency

Instructions

* Add basil, sunflower seeds, garlic, lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste to a food processor or blender.

* Start the processor, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor until a sauce forms. It might not be the whole 1/3 cup or it might take more until you get a consistency you like. 

* Use immediately or store for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pizza Crust 

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup warm water (between 110-120 degrees F)

* 1 tablespoon sugar or honey

* 1 packet yeast (1/4 oz.) (2.25 tsp)

* 2 cups (285g.) gluten-free flour blend (for this recipe I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1)

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 large egg

* 1 tablespoon olive oil

* 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Set a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven, and preheat to 450°F.

2. Mix water, sugar, and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes, or until it looks foamy.

3. In an electric mixer bowl, mix flour blend and salt. Add in egg, olive oil, vinegar, and yeast mixture.

4. Mix on low speed for 1 minute.

5. Using an oiled spatula, transfer the gluten-free pizza dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Using oiled hands, spread dough into a 10-12-inch round.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

7. Add toppings and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes. (Sautéed mushrooms, pesto, red onion, kale, spinach, olives, vegan cheese are my favorites)

8. Enjoy hot.

---

For those thirsty afternoons after being out in the garden all day…

Blueberry lemonade

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

  1. 2 lemons juiced (4 if they are not juicy)

  2. 1/3 - 1/2 cup maple syrup

  3. 4 cups cold water

  4. ice cubes

Directions

1. Place the blueberries, lemon juice, and 1 cup of water in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the blueberries mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Use a spoon to press the last of the liquid through.

2. Add the rest of the water and maple syrup and mix until it dissolves. Fill the glasses with ice and pour the lemonade over. Serve immediately.

---

And last but not least…

Zucchini Bread made from all the wonderful zucchini we’ve grown in our garden this year.

The zucchini have been prolific!

healthy Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips 

Inspired by Vanilla and Bean


Ingredients

3 Eggs large (or substitute with flax eggs or aquafaban)

1/3 C (70g) Coconut Oil melted, warm to the touch

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

 3/4 C (220g) Pure Maple Syrup

1 1/2 C (150g) Gluten-free flour mix or Oat Flour

1/2 C (60g) Almond Flour

1/2 C (65g) Tapioca Flour

1 3/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Fine Sea Salt

3/4 C (75g) Chocolate Chips (I use Lilly’s dark chocolate chips with no sugar) optional 

2 C (300g) Zucchini loosely packed, skin left on, shredded fine in a food processor with a grater attachment or on a box grater. About 2 smallish zucchini.

Instructions

Start with room temperature ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, maple syrup together until an emulsion is formed. About 30 seconds.


To the wet ingredients, add the gluten-free or oat flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, and salt. Whisk until there are no dry patches left. Set aside while the oven preheats.


Preheat the oven to 350F (176C).



While the oven is preheating shred or grate zucchini using the fine grater in a food processor or use a box grater, retaining the zucchini juice (it will be added to the batter - no need to squeeze the zucchini juice out of the zucchini. Set aside. Grease a 9"x5" (3.5cm X 2cm) loaf pan and line it one way with parchment paper keeping the parchment hanging over the edges for handles. Grease the parchment paper and clip the edges.


Once the oven is preheated, fold in the chocolate chips, if using, and zucchini into the batter until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Turn the batter into the pan and use a sharp knife to run a shallow cut down the center (this helps the beauty crack open up). Bake for one hour and 5-10 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking. When ready, the top will have cracked open and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.


Place pan on a wire cooling rack. After 10 minutes, remove the bread using the parchment as handles. Set on a cooling rack until completely cool. You'll notice the bread shrinks slightly as it cools. Once cooled, the bread can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to three days.

Slices are best toasted and enjoyed with a slathering of choice!



To freeze, slice, and lay on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Freeze, then stack the slices between parchment paper and store in a freezer bag or lidded container.

Freezes for up to two weeks.

---

Sarah Kolker

Sarah Kolker is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Moore College of Art. She has studied health and wellness practices in Jamaica, the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. Kolker currently teaches with Mural Arts in Philadelphia, also her hometown, which is the nation’s largest public art program that engages the community to ignite change through mural-making. You can find out more about her art and recipes here.

Cloud Women's Quarterly Journal ~ Spring Equinox Edition 2021 ~ Vol. 16

Image by adege

Welcome! ~ Ximopanoltih!

Before everything else, I would like to say that Cloud Women’s Dream Society stands in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We call for an end to White Supremacy and to the hate and violence that seeps up through from the pool of this putrid way of thinking and walking in the world. We also extend our deepest condolences to all the families who have been affected by this.

End the hate war here, and everywhere on the planet!

We are into the first few weeks of Spring, the time has changed forward, and we’re seeing the first buds of plants and trees burst forth even though in many places, the weather is still going in and out of winter. Here there’s still snow high up in the Sandia mountains, and nights and mornings continue to be very cold. I am happy to be writing to you today from northern New Mexico, the traditional homelands of the Tamaya Santa Ana Pueblo, and the Jicarilla N’dee (Apache) peoples.

I hope everyone has been able to slow down and rest during the winter months even though there was so much stress due to the ongoing worry over the pandemic, and the aftermath of the presidential election. The chaos, the attempted coup, and these same people being practically allowed to get away with their reckless and murderous behavior. Behavior that no BIPOC people would have been allowed to even attempt, let alone carry out. We’ve also had to witness the corporate media news sources’ continued aggrandizement of stories that sell. No news is not good news for them. So bad news sells, and the former “President” was a daily source of bad news and an example of what I am talking about. I am personally so much more at ease now that I don’t have to wake up every day to his tweets and the presses’ reaction to them. 45’s forced exit from social media has left a glut in how much sensationalism, posing as news, is out there in the world to cover. I was thinking, isn’t it too bad that the networks don’t use their platforms to cover educational topics? For example, inform the people on how to stay safe during the ever-changing face of this pandemic.

There are a lot of wonderful contributions to this issue of Cloud Women’s Quarterly. One of the concerns we are covering which is of particular interest and close to my heart is the virtual tree-sit protest taking place on Clubhouse over the hunting and cutting down of 1500+ elder oak trees to rebuild the spire of the Notre Dame Cathedral in France. Today is the last day to sign the petition urging the French government to put a halt to this and to consider using alternative materials to rebuild their beloved cathedral. (Please find links below) We’ll see what happens. ☆

Thank’s so much to all of the contributors to this edition. We have an article on Covid and Women, some excerpts from Sonia Gutiérrez’s exciting new book Dreaming Mariposas, published by FlowerSong Press, Jana Segal’s Preparing the Soil for ReGeneration: The Tucson Story, lots of great poetry, and our regular Kolk’s Food For Folks feature — with some choice vegan recipes to share for Spring. Wishing you all many hours out in nature. (✿◕‿◕)

Please enjoy!

Ma Xipactinemi, (Be Well)

Odilia Galván Rodríguez, Editor

p.s. The deadline for submissions to the 2021 Summer Solstice issue of CWQJ is June 15, 2021. Thanks to Red Earth Productions & Cultural Work for sponsoring our submissions process. Please go there to submit work. Our issues are loosely themed on the four seasons. We accept articles, interviews, essays, poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction, original artwork, herbal and natural remedy recipes, food recipes, and yes, political commentary on what’s happening in our world. Tlazohcamati. Thank you. 🌳

Two excerpts from a new book by Sonia Gutiérrez ~ Dreaming With Mariposas ~ FlowerSong Press, 2020

Cover art by Jorge Garza “Quetza”

The Story of the First Year 

In our backyard on a Sunday afternoon, finches flew from tree to tree as Tía Alicia and Amá sat surrounded by Spanish moss hanging from our apricot tree’s branches. With her sharpest knife, Amá cleaned the nopales, removing the espinas with ease. The thorns fell on the newspaper she had placed on the grass. Underneath the tree’s shade with her hands resting on her lap with a calmness that comes with age, Tía Alicia sang and shared her stories.

The Martínez Castillo had a way of telling stories. While we were growing up when she visited us, Tía Alicia’s stories had always made us giggle and sometimes even cry. The story Dad’s sister told us this time—she made it very clear—was about Paloma and my future. Taking a blade of grass to her mouth and in deep thought, Tía Alicia began the story of the first year. From where we sat on the grass, we stared at her large brown eyes and listened attentively as her eyes became wishing wells for her two young nieces.

“Paloma and Sofia, mis hijas, blood of my blood, my mother never warned me about marriage. Instead, your Abuela Chucha told me to carry my cross after my first beating. I can assure you the first year together will be the most important year of your lives since it will mark your destiny. I’m telling you this because I don’t want the same thing that happened to me to happen to either of you.

The first year—if you wash all the dirty dishes day in day out—you will always wash them. Always. The first year, even if you fall ill, you will wash piles and piles of clothes. For the rest of your lives, you will never get a thank you for a single drop of sweat. Believe me, at first, he will be very angry, but with time, he will learn to wash for himself, because like any human being, he will need clean clothes. Let’s say one day he washes your clothes and ruins your favorite blouse—don’t complain. Say thank you, and teach him what his mother and father never taught him. If one day he decides to cook for you and the food isn’t good, don’t complain. Say encouraging words and teach him. Praise him. Tell him his cooking could use more spices or this or that the next time. One day, when you are no longer in his life, he will be grateful for making him the well-rounded man he became. Queridas sobrinas, Paloma and Sofia, learn to live a happy life—do not sacrifice your own happiness for a man. Both of you are still young. Let my story teach you both a lesson. These are the humble words I leave you with. Take my words, and remember them when the time comes. Do what you must do because in the end everything will be okay.”

After the story of the first year, Mother looked at her sister-in-law and thanked her with a smile, and I wondered if Tía Alicia was going to die or if there was something I didn’t know. Why had Tía Alicia told us this story? Tía Alicia and Amá stood up, straightened their long-ruffled skirts. They went inside to check up on the pot of beans, cook rice, and dice onions, tomatoes, and cut cilantro for the nopalitos we would be eating for dinner. Meanwhile, the men in our family sat and drank on tree trunks, played guitar, and sang while they collected empty Budweiser cans under the eucalyptus trees’ shade. Next to the thick large Canary palm, Dad prepared the grill for a carne asada.

“Paloma, did Mom tell you something I don’t know?”

“No, Sofía. Why do you ask?”

“I just thought it was strange to hear Tía Alicia warn us about marriage as if she could foretell the future.”

Paloma and I lay on the grass in silence thinking about Tía Alicia’s words and our future with our hands behind our heads looking up through the guayaba tree’s branches at a washed-out blue sky with passing white nebulous clouds trailing behind and our homework due Monday morning.

Renegades

We were back in Vista—this time on

the northside in the outskirts of the city by the nurseries. At her front door, Doña Paula, wearing a purple checkered apron, waited for us. By her feet, a little spotted dog wagged her tail and jumped up and down.

“Pásenle, muchachas. My niece called to tell me you were on your way. I was beginning to worry.”

“Doña Paula, we’re so sorry we’re keeping you up this late—” Paloma apologized as her voice withered.

“Don’t worry, muchachas. What matters is that you’re both safe. I just finished watching my novela. Pintinta, ven pa’ acá. Deja a las muchachas en paz.” Her eyes squinted as she glanced at her clock and her dog. “Siéntense en el sofá, muchachas.”

I wondered if Paloma was hungry too because Doña Paula’s apartment smelled like tacos de papa, and my pansa was starting to growl. In her living room, dolls were neatly lined up on a shelf mounted on the wall. From where I sat, I could see a sewing basket with a tortilla napkin with yellow and turquoise flowers on a wooden hoop, a remote control, and reading glasses. Sitting next to me, I could see Paloma’s eyes looked as if she had an allergic reaction. Swollen. I put my arm around my sister to comfort her.

“Muchachas, vamos a la cocina. Seguro que tienen hambre.”

“Doña Paula, por favor, no se moleste.”

“¿Cómo que no? Vengan.” Doña Paula with great big arms of a luchadora led Paloma and me to her kitchen.

“Doña Paula, thank you so much for taking us in. We’ll call my mom tomorrow. This incident caught us off guard. We didn’t know what to do, so we ran to our car and called up your niece. She didn’t think it was a good idea for us to stay—even if it was across the street.”

“Muchachas, we can talk tomorrow. No se preocupen.”

“Doña Paula, did your niece tell you my sister and I go to college and work. We’re not planning on missing any classes. We’re getting ready for our finals.”

“Yes, Irmita, did tell me that. Don’t worry. You can stay here until you find another place. My roommate left for Honduras. She’ll be back in two weeks. Pintita and I could use the company in the meantime. When she gets back, we’ll make room for all of us. Hasta en el piso se pueden dormir.”  

“Thank you, Doña Paula.”

“Doña Paula, I have a question for you.”

“A ver, muchacha, pregúntame.”

“When you were a little girl did you have dolls?” I asked as she grabbed napkins for us.

“When I was a little girl, my parents couldn’t afford toys. One day on my birthday my mom surprised me with a doll she made from a flour sack. Ay, mi mamita chula. Como la extraño. Pintita, ya te di de comer. Hazte pa’ allá sino te voy a sacar al patio.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” I said as I glanced at the wall, “So now that you’re older, with the money you earn, you buy as many dolls as you wish?”

“Ay muchacha, I’ve never thought about that. It’s possible. They keep me company. My children live up north in Merced and Sacramento; ya se me casaron todos. ¿Les gustaron los tacos? Híjole, se me olvidó el quesito.”

Doña Paula’s tacos were incredibly delicious, and her salsa roja was perfect—not bland nor too salty.

“Sí, Doña Paula, que ricos están sus tacos.”

“Y también su salsa de molcajete,” I added.

“Gracias muchachas. Es secreto de familia,” Doña Paula winked her left eye, and her smile widened. “Pero a lo mejor les puedo compartir mi receta. Se llaman tacos de canasta. Tienen su chiste. Eh. Bueno muchachas, let’s clear up the table, so I can find you clean cobijas. On weekdays, I wake up at five o’clock in the morning to get ready to cook and pack up my lunch. I hope I don’t make too much noise in the kitchen.”

“Don’t mind us. We don’t know how to pay you back for this huge favor. We didn’t have anywhere to go.”

“We can talk more tomorrow. Get some rest. You’ve had a rough night. I’ve been there too. I left my husband and ran away with my three children. Antes de que se duerman, las voy a barrer para que descansen.”

---

Praise for Dreaming With Mariposas

“Overwhelming with tenderness, humor, hurt, and determination, Dreaming with Mariposas is the compelling story of the journey from childhood to young womanhood, to writing, and to self-actualization. Disarmingly vulnerable and poetic. Gutiérrez puls no punches when it comes to the issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, education, immigration, addiction, and violence. Most strikingly, this is the voice of a young brown girl coming into her own—not powerless, not a victim—a young brown girl with clear vision, a willingness to fight back, and a powerful drive to speak.”

—ire’ne lara silva, author of flesh to bone and Cuicalli/House of Song

“Sonia Gutiérrez captures dreams and memories with Dreaming with Mariposas, her latest literary collection. The poignancy of Dreaming wraps the reader in memories and wishes and dreams deferred and fulfilled. A Family of Butterflies forever traveling through dreams and reality.”

—Kim McMillon, PhD., Black Arts Movement scholar and playwright

Sonia Gutiérrez carries the torch of her literary forbearers Tomás Rivera and Sandra Cisneros, powerfully and poetically capturing what it’s like to grow up a brown girl in America. Dreaming With Mariposas takes us from Idaho to Southern California, detailing the struggles and joys of a working-class immigrant family, and shows us with fresh eyes the lessons learned navigating childhood’s difficult terrain. Gutiérrez pays homage to the classics of Chicanx literature, but this book is also a necessary update, a coming-of-age story for our time.”

—Maceo Montoya, author of The Deportation of Wopper Barraza

Editor’s note: Sonia Gutiérrez’s book can be found online at FlowerSong Press pick it up, you’ll be so glad you did.

Sonia Gutiérrez

Sonia Gutiérrez teaches critical thinking and writing, women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and multicultural studies. She is the author of Spider Woman / La Mujer Araña (Olmeca Press, 2013) and co-editor for The Writer’s Response (Cengage Learning, 2016). FlowerSong Press in McAllen, Texas, recently published her debut novel, Dreaming with Mariposas, written in a Chicano/a vignette style. Her bilingual Paper Birds / Pájaros de papel is forthcoming in fall 2022. She is also a moderator for Poets Responding. “The Story of the First Year” and “Renegades” appear in Dreaming with Mariposas.

An Oak Invocation By Onawa Zaltana

Image By Mark Baldwin

To the tree spirits of the West
Where the mighty oak spirits
of the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay
rest, where the biggest oak forest of California
once kissed the sky and squirrels could walk
from tree to tree for miles without ever
having to touch the ground
all around were stands of trees
the Coast Live Oaks Quercus agrifolia

To the oak spirits of the North
sweet green swaying oak savannas
now survive killer prairie rapid fires
so hot in their rage to strike down
everything breathing in its path
return now, along with our Tatanka
mighty bison relatives that feast
on prairie grass the main fuel of these plains’
fires that eat up so many trees and other species
we all depend on one another to survive

To the oak tree spirits of the East
With an Angel Oak — 1400 years old
Guardian over all saplings that sing
in hopes of being able to survive long
and grow as old, true in their pledge
to become steadfast witnesses to human’s folly
to hold true to their lineage; record the truth
of all those who perish
Like Angel Oak who witnessed the settlers arrive
and cried to know what was about to come

To all tree spirits of the South
the sacred direction of all our ancestors
You oak, are centuries old and dubbed The Big Tree
Coastal Live Oak Quercus virginiana
you sprouted near ancestral lands of mine
ancestors whose memories rest rooted in our mesquite trees
Your home Goose Island protected place of the endangered
snowy whooping cranes, and migratory bird home
you stretch your strong arms in welcome to us all

Rooted to our mother earth’s depths you rest
in the knowledge that as long as she lives, so shall the creation

Arms stretch up towards sky father who speaks to you
Says we must all rise and greet the day after the darkness

---

Onawa Zaltana

Onawa Zaltana is a healer with consent, a mediator, a mover, and a shaker — when she’s not just trying to steer clear of the entire mess and meditate in nature. Poet, and word alchemist (writer/editor) only for her highest good and that of others.

Save The Elder Oaks — Tree Sitting With Shelly Denny By Odilia Galván Rodríguez

Image by ybernardi / 716 Bilder

When Shelly Denny, an Anishnabe doctor of traditional Chinese medicine attended a Zoom conference about decolonizing medicine, little did she know that after hearing a check-in from Sharon Simone, another participant, that she would embark on a journey to help save elder oaks in France and at Oak Flat, the Apache Stronghold not far from her home in Arizona. From Sharon, who was dismayed over the lack of information being shared internationally, Shelly learned of the plight of over 1500 elder oak trees. Trees between the ages of 100 to 200 years or older, being hunted and slated to be cut down to rebuild the spire of Notre Dame cathedral, which was burned in a fire in April of 2019. At the same time that Shelly was hearing of the plight that was about to befall these oak trees in France, her husband Olivier Touron, a French citizen and photojournalist, was working on a story about the struggle of the San Carlos N’de Apache peoples who have been embroiled in an over five-year struggle to save their traditional ceremonial site at Oak Flat.

On March 1 Shelly started a “room” on Clubhouse—the invite-only, audio-based iPhone app still in beta testing—called Save the Elder Oaks, to talk about her deep frustration at knowing that not enough was being done about the struggles for the lives of these endangered trees. Sadness over how there was not more upset and uproar—especially over the trees on death row in France. She has wisely said, “The planet needs the trees more than it needs them to be cut down, and it’s not like there are no alternatives.”

Shelly, along with other Clubhouse members, talked into the wee hours of the morning. The next day it was decided to continue the Save the Elder Oaks room to bring awareness to both issues and in particular to promote the petition penned by Sharon Simone and her friend Kristen Flyntz (see Kristen’s poignant poem below) to present to President Macron of France. The petition urges him to stop this wanton destruction of the centenarian oaks in favor of alternate building materials. Time is of the essence because the trees to be used for the rebuilding need to be cut down by the end of March to prevent tree sap and moisture from entering the wood. The plan is that they will be laid out for up to a year and a half, in order to be ready to cut into timber. As of the writing of this, the petition has over 9,000 signatures.

I too have been in and out of the 24/7 Save the Elder Oaks room in the Climate Change and the Just Transition Club since March 3. I’ve met so many amazing people who have become family and have learned so much — the most important — that there actually are many truly caring people on the app. Human beings who care more about life and saving the planet than figuring out how to make millions of dollars.

The actions we’ve taken as a group have been many. From contacting Green Peace USA and France, investigating legal actions that might be taken on behalf of the trees to get at least a pause on their destruction. We’ve also taken part in a tobacco and prayer ceremony organized by Chenae Bullock, one of the administrators of the Climate Change and the Just Transition Club, held an Oak Summit on Zoom with speakers and participants from all over the country, organized a direct action to bring more awareness to Clubhouse members as a whole, and have started a lot more buzz on Facebook and Twitter again, to build awareness and ask people to support our efforts by signing the petition.

To close, I want to share Shelly Denny’s declaration or manifesto, which she told me she wrote as she imagined delivering it to all the powers that be. It would be so much more beautiful if I were bringing it to you in her own voice because it is even more powerful than in writing, but beautiful all the same.

Thanks, Shelly, I will talk to you in the treehouse.

Image by: Erich Westendarp

The Oaks and the Ancestors

by Shelly Denny

From France to Oak Flat

This is our Cathedral.
This is the Cathedral provided to us by Creator.
Let us not make this Less important than the cathedrals built by mankind.
Do not put the Creations of Man before the Creations of the One who put us all here.

I know the tired old arguments of
‘Oh they will grow back’ or
‘There are plenty of trees’.
No, there are not plenty of trees,
especially Oaks of 100 - 200 - 300 years old.
Home to countless forms of life.
Or the hub of an essential ecosystem
that we only act to know something about.
But we only know a little.

Too many of you gave up your ability to hear and speak with the trees,
and the Forests, and the Living Creatures of it a long time ago.

Why? Why did you do this? Why did your ancestors do this?

Why did they then come to my home on Turtle Island and try to do the same things here?

And now there are not only many immigrated peoples here
who do not listen to the land,
but even among the Indigenous
whose family bones of generations lay buried in the ground we walk on.

But you France and Arizona, and Resolution Copper, and Rio Tinto
You bulldoze with your machines because you bulldoze with your minds.
You’ve been led into a myopic, narrow, self-serving view of the world.

I call on your Ancestors to wake you.
The Ones who once took care of the Great Trees, the Forests, and the Knowledge that was
kept there.
You have Ancestors that were English, Irish, Scottish, French,
who lived by the codes of ethics and laws carried by the ancient Druids
- the Keepers of the Oaks and Learned Ones of society
who were respected as Knowledge Keepers.

Why was this way of life and knowing destroyed?
Why were people stripped from their direct connections to spiritual knowledge and told that there must be a designated human being to handle the business of God now?
You just follow in line, do as you’re told, and give away part of your money to the ones who control the designated human.

No more of this.
People no longer have to accept this intentional disempowerment.

Our Ancestors are waking Us up.
Your Ancestors are asking you to listen and wake up.

These trees are sacred.

They are elders in a forest in a world that demands to be recognized for its innate natural value, not to be destroyed and killed for another monument to the corruption of mankind and the violent takeovers in the name of god.

The Oak trees hear your plans.
The Oak trees do not want to be killed and destroyed.
To take these trees would be a devastation.

You must find another way that does not include killing over 1,000 century-old Oaks.
I send this message to you from the Oak trees in Arizona.
They are talking to each other and they are talking to me.

The Apaches face their battle with resolution copper to save their Sacred Oak Flat. 
They are not alone in the battle, the Oaks there are aware.

I call on all your Ancestors who once recognized the Sacred Voice of the Trees.
It is sad that you are sleeping and cannot hear this anymore.

Why don’t you walk out there and ask the land what it thinks should be done?
How it feels about being blown up and mined for copper
at the expense of everything that grows there
and everyone who visits, lives, and prays there.

Have any of you done so?
If not, then your inquiry is incomplete.

Why do I come here today to say these things to you?

To say things that even I myself might have mocked or declared crazy because in my white family I was taught that Trees don’t talk, the Forest doesn’t talk, the Land doesn't talk.
And in schools, the idea that this could be true was never talked about,
if anything it would have been met with more mockery and cynicism.

I am here to tell you a truth.
I am here to tell you that you are sleeping,
a long time ago part of your mind’s ability to experience and perceive directly was put to sleep
and in this sleepwalking much damage is being done.
You are harming others with this decision.

I will not accept the answer that copper is necessary for the many devices of our modern world. If this land was yours then maybe you might have some leg to stand on to proceed, but in this
case it is not.
This is Apache land,
this is a People’s land
and this is the Land’s land.

What you are trying to do is overriding a much higher calling.
And you are doing this based on the handicap of your inability to hear the land itself.
I pity you for that and everything you miss because of it
And everything you could participate in destroying because of it.

I was raised in a white family, in a white society, in a white school with many white friends, and a handful of native friends who were raised in these same systems.

I am educated, I am drug and alcohol-free, I am strong, I am awake
and I am no longer going to be a Trojan Horse appearing as a small brown woman,
but thinking, acting, living like a large white man.
I did that long enough to get to this point today,
to be an educated woman who speaks before you
and says that it is time to wake up from your sleep,
to think outside the box we were raised in
and reclaim your own Ancestral Knowing that was part of God’s gift to you,
planted inside of you.
Your Ancestors want you to wake up to this Knowledge,
and your future descendants depend on it.

Save Oak Flat.

Save the Elder Oaks of France.

Save the Oaks wherever they are threatened.

Speak for them to those who cannot yet hear.
It’s time to realize that it is more normal to hear the trees than it is to not hear them.

Resources:

The Petition ~ Restore Notre Dame Without Sacrificing Ancient Oaks

Website ~ Save The Oak Trees

On Facebook ~ Save The Oak Trees

On Twitter ~ Elder Oaks

TAKE ACTION! Ways to help save Oak Flat

Apache Stronghold Defending Holy Sites

Save the Elder Oaks on Clubhouse

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Shelly Denny

Shelly Denny is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, acupuncturist, motorcyclist, traveler, dreamer, ribbon skirt maker, and organizer. Shelly is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe through her mother and of Celtic and Italian descent through her father. She has an interest in elevating the visibility and voices of Indigenous Women. She was raised in Minnesota and has spent the last 20 years living in New Mexico, Hawaii, Washington DC, and now Phoenix, Arizona. Her love of travel can be tied to her love of land and creation, recognizing the importance of respect and responsibility that is necessary to maintain the lives of all living things.

The Last of the Keystone Species Exhibit By Kristin Flyntz

The last Oak
reaches into a tangerine sky
toward a blood red sun
that is just out of reach
in a gesture that looks like prayer
or pleading

It is not God
who has forsaken the Oak
but the children of Eden
lured out of the Garden by fabricated Apples
genetically altered
and polished with wax,
or made with minerals mined at gunpoint

The leaves of her crown are parched and still
like the Wind, who is silent,
bereft of the beckoning of Birds—
the last one having died this week
of a broken heart, no doubt

The last Wolf
shudders and sighs
awake in his dream to his ancestors' songs
and the call of the tundra, moist and wild
the landscape of his belonging old and vast
beyond the confines of this lifetime

Nestled in the trunk of the Oak is an altar
glistening, gold, and sweet
The last of the honey from the last of the Bees—
a final offering they are compelled to make
for each other
for the Oak
and for the last Grizzly Bear
who will make his last supper
of their labor

Behind the Admissions window
a guard eats a sandwich
Looks out at the line that will never form
and then at the clock:
Only four more hours in this god-forsaken place

In her concrete cell,
the last Elephant
rocks from foot to cracked and bleeding foot
as the rusty chain between them grates
Her ancient eyes turn inward
only looking backward now

Gone are Whale and Polar Bear
Gone are Great Barrier Reef and Mountain Lion
Gone, too, are the last few who would mourn
the mythological beings who once roamed the earth
and who some of us once recognized by name

The last Wolf stirs in his sleep
The last Bear licks honey from his paw
The last Elephant continues to rock
The last Oak witnesses it all
The last Oak remembers it all
Who will remember the last Oak?

---

Kristin Flyntz

Kristin Flyntz is a writer, editor, and dreamer who lives in northern Connecticut on land that once belonged to the Algonkian peoples, including bands of the Agawam and Tunxis tribes. She is the assistant editor of Dark Matter: Women Witnessing, which publishes writing and visual art in response to an age of massive species loss and environmental collapse. It is a home for dreams, visions, and communications with the nonhuman realm, especially with those for messages about how humans might restore their relationship to the earth.

The Hawk, The Canyon and The Hollow By Katarina Xóchitl Vargas

Image by Michael Gaida

1.

Growing Old in the Spring

After lunch, Mother steps out into the patio,
pulls up her plastic chair, faces it to the hills.
The rabbit she fed earlier returns for more.
Mom wobbles to a stand, notices her slippers
are still on, slides the door open, heads back in.
When she steps out again, ten minutes later,
she brings carrots, wears cheap gardening clogs,
spots a red-tailed hawk circling overhead.
Hide! Mom warns the rabbit. A neighbor hears,
the dogs on the hill bark, rabbit’s brown fur
blends in with California desert, hawk flies on.
I come out just in time to hear Mother sigh.
She offers me a tired smile, proudly points to
her own little patch of desert glowing with gold
acacia blossoms. Exclaims: I water every day,
just like your father did! Pulling up another plastic
chair, I sit beside her, pour our agua de Jamaica.
The silence between us is as soft as her hand.
It shrinks, like my Mom. It holds the energy
of wintering, despite the flowering hill,
the wet earth, the offerings of fresh carrots—
reminding me that the hawk is still hungry. 

 
2.

The Half That Runs

After the last frost melts, rebozos come off,
coyotes have their pups, and we loosen the desert soil
with song—tilling out terror, rooting out the deer in us
that freezes before death’s speedy headlights. Lithic-like. 

No one can find us in this canyon. I keep soft sage
leaves in my pocket. They say: When afraid, inhale.  

Dad says the shifting slice of the Rio Grande
cut us in half, so we landed on both sides of the Chamizal:
one part was thrown into a basket, and the other runs,
like a halved chicken after the butcher’s chop.

We are the half that runs. Each spring, we follow
the blood stains of those that ran before us.

Mom says a mountain lioness came to inspect
our work one morning: make sure we still knew
how to dance like eagles, listen to the land,
weave baskets from willow leaves, be still.

I don’t know the road off Black Mountain.
But I know where the biggest cacti grow, how to move
like a tumbleweed, light a fire with sticks and stones—
dry grasses from the sunny side of the hill. Patience.

No one can find us in this canyon. Sometimes, though,
I think I see the light moving closer. Don’t freeze,
don’t freeze, don’t freeze. Sage. Deep inhalation. Run!

3.

Filling the Hollow

Apparently, my tree no longer drops fruits. The river has nearly gone dry. Receding waters give rise to a cluster of mushrooms here, a little boulder there: “cysts and fibroids”, the medical voices say. They wish to nonchalantly snip, and slice and discard my womb in under an hour, hollowing me out like their Thanksgiving Day turkey. When I ask about alternatives, they sound the alarm, complete with hand gestures masquerading as flashing, red lights. “It’s the size of an orange!”, they exclaim, wide eyed.

I feel the cattle prod descending on my brown back. But I’ve done my research: the orange will likely shrink, it requires monitoring, not carving. Still, lunchtime is nearing, so they drag me to worship at their altars, bow to their god, line their purses. Suddenly I am a mermaid wriggling in the net of systemic slaughter—a routinely discarded uterus in every siren’s scream. “You are free to decline any treatments”, they say to me. But between white coats I hear: “Bring the big harpoon! This one resists!”

When it happens to you, meet me where the sea tucks in the shore like a salty sheet. Bring your sisters—wrinkly and smooth—past tidepools brimming with filigree foam and pink anemone-mouths opened in songs of protest. Bring your knife-to-womb narratives— from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Together, we’ll weave kelp into our long hairs, inhale Yemanja’s pearly breath, grow the barnacle-armor of retold myths before their versions turn to stone. And though fishermen will sling their nets at us hollering: Sorcery! Sirens! Sin! (Complete with hand gestures meant to alarm), we’ll break loose, imbibe the goddess, and outswim the harpoons. Until we change the storyline. Until we restore the natural landscapes. Until we fill the hollow in our world where the Feminine is being cut out.

---

Katarina Xóchitl Vargas

Katarina Xóchitl Vargas was raised in Mexico City. She and her family moved to San Diego when she was 13, where she began composing poems to process alienation. A dual citizen of the United States and Mexico, today she lives on the east coast where— prompted by her father’s death—she’s begun to write poetry again and is working on her first chapbook. Her poetry first appeared in Somos en escrito. You may reach her via e-mail: Tonantzin108@yahoo.com

Holiday Ants By Victoria (Vicky) Bañales

image by adobestock

The winter rains
Brought in the ants
First it was a few
Encircling the cat food
Then came in
A small army of sorts

Shiny dark specks
Marching across
Invisible lines
Along the walls and floors
En route to their steady
Supply of food and water

I took out the little ants
One by one
Not with chemicals
Or sprays

With a 5 x 7
Christmas photocard
I scooped up
The tiny invaders

It was a challenging feat
No doubt
And several got away
Beneath the floor wall panels

Still
I captured many
Gently carrying them outside
Shaking them loose
Into the rain-soaked garden

The first night I evicted
Five or six
The second night
It was close to a dozen
By the end of the week
I flung more than fifty ants
Through the sliding glass doors

Needless-to-say
My clever ants
Always found a way back
Back to their endless bounty of
Food, water, and warmth

Some days
I believed
I won the war
Against the ants
Only to find
A pair scaling up the honey jar
A trio parading across the sink

Yesterday
I shoveled six ants
Plopped them
Into a plastic frosty white cup
With acrobatic speed
They zipped to the top
Searching for the exit
I shook and banged the cup
Forcing the ants
Down, down, down
Into the bottom
But my little ants
Undeterred
Began their speedy ascent
All over again
And again
And again

Today
I spotted three black dots
Zigzagging across
The kitchen floors
Armed with my creased and
Tattered Christmas photocard
I gathered up
My unwanted guests
Tossed them out
Into the chilly night

My husband says
I’m much too kind
That’s why they keep
Coming back

I didn’t know this before
But ants are
Fascinating creatures
How can I ever do away with them?

That’s why I’m grateful
For my sturdy
Christmas photocard—
A photocard I’ve held
In my hands
And admired for weeks

For every time
I complete the task
Of scooping up the ants and
Ushering them out the door
I inspect Tadeo’s coquettish smile
Joaquin’s dreamy eyes
Josie and Trish’s tender embrace

With an outstretched arm
I carry the photocard
Like a delicate tray
Keep a watchful eye
On my frenzied ants
As they race across
Tadeo’s toothy smile

And out they go
Snapped up
Like fresh spring laundry
Slide off the glossy photo paper
Float down like pepper flakes
Into the backyard
That smells of damp earth

Most Christmas photocards
I proudly display
On my refrigerator door
Throughout the
Long winter months

As the seasons change
The cards are
Discarded
Forgotten

But this
Christmas photocard
I’ll surely keep
And remember
Long after my holiday guests
Are gone

---

Victoria (Vicky) Bañales

Victoria (Vicky) Bañales holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Feminist Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. A Chicanx writer, teacher, and activist, she teaches English and creative writing at Cabrillo College and is the founder and editor of the college’s Xinachtli Journal. She is a member of the Hive Poetry Collective, which runs a weekly poetry radio show on KSQD. Her work has appeared in Translocalities/Translocalidades: Feminist Politics of Translation in the Latin/a Américas, Beyond the Frame: Women of Color and Visual Representations, North Dakota Quarterly, Acentos Review, and Porter Gulch Review. She is the recipient of the 2020 Porter Gulch Review Best Poetry Award. Victoria lives in Watsonville, CA, and is currently writing her first novel, titled Candelaria.

Preparing the Soil for “ReGeneration: The Tucson Story” By Jana Segal-Stormont

Cistern and basin art by Rihanna Gayle

I click the link - Join with Computer Audio - like I've done numerous times while recording my virtual play ReGeneration: The Tucson Story. But this time there is a class full of teenage art students waiting behind their Zoom windows for me to be let in. Their teacher, Amy Wood from Sky Islands High School, introduces me. I scramble to recall what I had planned to say to inspire them to create artwork for my play - starting with the story of why I decided to take on this ambitious project. I recount how I used to take my kids to the pool every summer afternoon to cool off from the hot Tucson sun. Inevitably we would end up waiting in the car until the monsoon storm had passed. But as the boys grew up, I began to notice that it didn't rain as often as it used to. I began to worry. What if Josh and Jeremy decided to stay in Tucson? Would there be enough water? 

Zoom shot of Ms. Wood’s art students

Then an event happened that changed our lives.  One sunny fall morning, my husband Dan peddled off to enjoy Watershed Management Group’s Homescape Harvest Tour, clasping a map of some yards that the co-op had worked on. When Dan got home, all sweaty and out of breath, he rushed me out the door to see some exciting examples of rainwater harvesting. I was especially blown away by WMG’s Living Lab and Learning Center where every plant on the property, including some fruit trees, were irrigated with stormwater. They weren’t using any city water! Docents explained how there was enough stormwater to fill every Tucsonan’s needs if we all “planted the rain.” Finally!  practical solution to making Tucson water secure!

Dan planting a tree

For the last seven years, Dan and I learned everything we could about rainwater harvesting and sustainable living. He became a member of their co-op, spending every free weekend digging catchment basins in people's yards to sink in the rain and installing big water barrels to collect runoff from rooftops to irrigate native plants. I blogged about our adventures (and misadventures) in transitioning our own yard into a desert food forest.

 But we realized that despite our best efforts most Tucsonans still had not heard of rainwater harvesting. We needed to reach beyond our little Facebook bubble. That's why I wrote the play - to reach out to those who would be the most impacted by climate change - particularly young adults. Like those in Ms. Wood's arts classes. We needed their help to make sure our play appealed to their generation. Fortunately, the students embraced the challenge and went to work creating the art that opens many of the scenes. We're thrilled to have them on our team.

Dry desert art by Aiunae Thompson

ReGeneration: The Tucson Story is about a diverse group of teens who bring their communities together to save Tucson as the climate disaster progresses. The cool part is that it was presented by a diverse group of teens inspired to share sustainable solutions.

To reach the teen audience, I needed to make sure that the dialogue reflected the way they speak. This was an issue because it had been a while since my boys were teens. A high school English teacher agreed to have her students look over the dialogue when they got back from Spring Break. Then COVID struck.

I continued to work on the script after my screenwriting group critiqued it. I was painfully aware that while the pandemic may have stalled my efforts, it certainly had not slowed down climate change. I decided that it was time to contact high schools and theater companies about producing the play. But they had problems of their own. Teachers were struggling to adapt to virtual classes. Local theater companies were working on ways to stay relevant. There was no time to read a play from an unknown playwright. However, in the problem was the solution. Drama teachers and theater companies started producing virtual (Zoom) plays. That was it! Inspired by their productions, I decided to produce a virtual reading of my play.

Zoom shot — Street teens scene

It was time for a leap of faith. I started a search for the diverse cast of 16. A friend introduced me to a drama teacher. She announced it to her class. I finally got a response from a bright young actress, Itzel Macias. She convinced a couple of friends from drama club, Ariel Chang and Andrew Trever, to audition. They impressed me with their talent and enthusiasm! I cast them all. They were instrumental in getting this production off the ground becoming the first members of Team ReGeneration. 

Andrew Trever, who plays Alex, wrote in his bio: “I joined the ReGeneration project because as a young Latinx person it spoke volumes to me to be able to work with such a diverse cast and to be able to talk about a subject that affects me and the very town I call home.”

I strongly believe that our diverse communities need to work together on sustainable solutions if we want to lessen the impact of climate change. That theme is woven throughout the play. It was important that those voices be as authentic as possible. So I researched Tohono O’odham and LatinX cultures. To make sure I was respectful of their traditions, I had members of those communities give me feedback and incorporated their suggestions into the script. I made a concerted effort to cast the main characters with actors of the correct ethnicity. That was a challenge. After an exhaustive search for the Latino brothers, I finally spotted a PSA with a young man who looked right for the part of Rogelio. I tracked Eduardo Rodriguez down on Facebook and asked him if he would be interested in being in my play. I waited with anticipation as he read the script. He got back to me after a few days. Said he was fascinated with the sustainability aspects of the play. But it was the characters’ relationships that kept him turning the pages! He was definitely interested in the part. Only... one thing... he was a Pima Community College graduate. Somehow I managed to convince him that he could play 14 year old Rogelio. And I was right. The transformation was remarkable!

Zoom shot: Tierra watching Eduardo, Simone below

As difficult as it was finding the young Latino actors, I knew I had a bigger challenge ahead - finding a Tohono O’odham actress to play Ha:san. Then it happened... a little miracle...I discovered a short video by a young Tohono O’odham woman who lives on the reservation near Sells. We connected on Facebook. I was so blessed to have Tierra Domingo in our production. We worked together to make sure her character and the T.O. traditions were presented accurately and respectfully. She even recruited her little sisters for the storytelling scene – all donned in their traditional Tohono O’odham dresses! Tierra recently shared her experience in her tribe’s newspaper, The Runner. Her dress inspired this art from Sisiki Bidelman-Owens, one of the art students from Sky Islands High School.

Hasans dress becomes a maypole art by Sisiki Bidelman-Owens

I am so proud of the talented and hardworking young actors who also contributed as the assistant director, stage manager, promoters, technical support and artists. We held all of the rehearsals and production meetings online. There were certainly challenges with using a virtual medium and a steep learning curve for me. But it was fun to work with this creative group of young people to find solutions. The teens were masters at coming up with blocking and using props in the limited space. Even separated in their individual Zoom frames you can see the comradery. They were also my advisers. When I was struggling with finding the balance between using authentic street dialogue and being culturally respectful, they shared valuable insights. They taught me how to be a better director and communicator. And I think they learned a thing or two. Throughout the rehearsal process, the teens discovered sustainability practices like rainwater harvesting and regenerative gardening. During the Q & A at our virtual premiere, some shared what they learned. Andrew said he's thinking of growing a garden! Plans are in the works for Tierra to speak at Ha:san Prep, a Tohono O'odham school here in Tucson.

Photo of R3D by Javier Castillo

Speaking of the Q & A... There is another member of the panel I want to introduce. I was looking for an artist who could bring a teen audience to our virtual premiere and a friend recommended R3D. To be honest, I wasn't sure if he even wrote the kind of lyrics I needed. There were no songs about the environment or climate action on his page. The closest thing I found was a music video about the police, inspired by what had happened over the summer, called "Land of the Privileged." But when I pointed out that he still had eight days left to write a new song for the premiere, he took up the challenge. He wrote "Our World" super-fast, in two days. I asked him why he was interested in this project and he responded, "I’m all about cleaning the earth. Saving the planet, we live in it and we must keep where we live clean. I also want my kids, kids, kids to have a better future but it starts with us. Therefore our kids will learn and continue to keep Earth clean so their kids future will be brighter than ours."

Listen in as R3D performs his new song, "Our World" and joins Tierra, Andrew, and Itzel on the Q & A at our fun-filled virtual premiere of ReGeneration; The Tucson Story now available on Youtube.

People are always inquiring why more young people aren't involved in our community. Sometimes they just need the opportunity to share what they love. Prepare the soil and plant the rain. Invite them to the garden. And watch them grow.

Originally appeared in Sustainable Living Tucson

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Jana Segal-Stormont

My journey hasn't taken me where I expected when I completed my MFA in Dramatic Writing. After working on love projects like the award-winning script, “Model-T Biscuits” with my mom (Lorna Beall) and raising my two boys, I spent years building Tucson's independent film community and writing movie reviews to promote meaningful films. In the process, I watched a few environmental docs which led to the most important trek of my journey - embracing a sustainable desert lifestyle with my husband Dan. Inspired by a group of rainwater harvesting enthusiasts, we spent our weekends digging basins to capture the rain. We learned everything we could about sustainability and climate solutions, then shared that passion. After searching my heart, I've decided that the best way to reach people is through storytelling. I love telling environmental stories like “The Beaver Family” and “The Santa Cruz River Story." I directed, “No! (That Isn’t Recyclable).” It is such a joy to get back to my first love of playwriting. I am blessed to be working with the talented cast and crew of, “ReGeneration: The Tucson Story.” I believe that we can all use our talents and passions to create a sustainable future.

Spring’s Entrance By Noël Bella Merriam

Image by Shrikesh Kumar

Dancing dancing the river is free we move

As one I move dancing embracing sun walking alone

Trusting the dance above and below what is seen

Sun’s appearance earth sleeping fearing the warmth

May be deceptive a visit cut short by more cold

River rustling nutria surfacing birds peering hesitating

Tendrils reaching green slowly reaching up

hiding true movement roots welcoming dark below

Hoping sun will stay dancing our hidden selves hoping

In time with earth and all life hearts beating

dancing above and below softly unexpectedly

Moving in time in time with earth’s rhythm

Ripples a river of ripples dancing up and down

Sun’s ripples of light radiating ever stronger

Flowing inward and outward flowing

As one yet ever alone I dance

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Because Of The Past Winter By Noël Bella Merriam

Image by enriquelopezgarre

Struggling to stay awake some days

On others small jewels reveal themselves opaque

In the dark cave of existence

Glistening calling low I can’t stop myself

From reaching out for the dark

Glowing hematite burnished silver black jade

Slow shimmers like my breath a sparkle upon arising

Stretch into the future without faltering

Before minutes and memories sink the hours

                        Offer what I can to the goddess this moment

Wishing to exchange stillness and sorrow

                        Molding new meaning with the mud covering my hands

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Noël Bella Merriam

Noël Bella Merriam is a Latinx artist and poet from San Antonio, Texas. Her poetry has appeared in Oye Drum, Pecan Grove Review, Cactus Alley, The Revue, The Children of Nigh, and the San Antonio Poetry Anthology. She was a finalist for the 2021 Saguaro Poetry Prize and her poems explore themes of family, identity, culture, loss, and transformation.

Eve in Her Garden By Kendra Nuttall

Image by anncapictures

There are moments I forget
what it means to be a woman.
I walk forward,
shoulders straight,
eyes ahead,

happy hips swaying
to the music of Mother Earth.

I lose myself
in the paradise of my mind,
like Eve in her garden, before

mankind
forgot how to be kind.

Why do you hate us?
Men wait for the punchline
as we brace for the punch,

guarded by the thorns
we have to show.

I still plant roses and wait
for them to grow.

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Kendra Nuttall

Kendra Nuttall is a copywriter by day and poet by night. Her work has appeared in Spectrum, Sad Girl Review, Capsule Stories, Chiron Review, and What Rough Beast, among other journals and anthologies. She is the author of poetry collections, A Statistical Study of Randomness (Finishing Line Press, 2021) and Our Bones Ache Together (FlowerSong Press, forthcoming) and is a poetry reader for Capsule Stories. She lives in Utah with her husband and poodle. Find her online at kendranuttall.com.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Women and Why It Matters to Change By Maissa Khatib, PhD & Oscar Aguilar, MD, MPH, FACC, FAHA

Image by Angeline 1

COVID-19 is an urgent health crisis, but one which will have massive global social and economic impacts that will reverberate for years to come. Lots of carefully designed research will be critical to capture the pandemic’s full impacts on diverse individuals, communities, and economies to inform policy responses. There are preliminary studies on COVID-19 that demonstrate a differential impact for women and men.

History shows that conflicts, crises, and disease outbreaks play out with a certain grim predictability. As they infect societies, they expose and exploit existing forces of marginalization and injustice. It is no coincidence, for example, that in the United States, Black Americans and Latinos are dying at disproportionate rates. Or that although more men are dying of COVID-19, the broader impacts of this crisis have affected women’s lives and livelihoods disproportionately (UN Women &WHO, 2020).

With the lockdown and social distancing, many women became unemployed to be the main caregivers for their children or other family members. They are at home taking care of others and dealing with the challenges that COVID-19 has added to our lives without any financial or mental health support- as they lost their health insurance along with their job. In addition, with the focus on the capacity of health systems to deal with COVID-19, it is important to acknowledge that a lot of vital services upon which women depend have either reduced or completely stopped their services, such as childcare, reproductive health, services for domestic violence victims, and preventative care such as mammogram, pap smear, etc.

We would like to voice our concern that more women will be vulnerable in this chaotic period which started in March 2020 with the failure in containing the pandemic, the current uncertainty around the ability of the three available vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson) to fight the variance of the current virus, and the economic impact of COVID-19. Our focus in this paper is to shed light on the impact of COVID-19 on women, create awareness about the importance of maintaining good health, and provide accessible simple health information and guidelines that can be easily followed for a better immune system and enhanced ability to overcome many illnesses.

For about one year now, we have been battling COVID-19. We wonder why some people have no or minimal symptoms when they get infected with this virus while others experience extensive health complications or even die. There is a very wide range of responses people have to the COVID-19 infection. The reality is that there is no specific medicine against Covid and there is no specific therapy that can cure us. Our own immune system is the only means we have to fight COVID-19. The healthier our immune system is, the better outcome we will have . This pandemic has shed light on the importance of having a healthy immune system.

It is estimated that about 88% of the US population do not have a healthy immune system Furthermore, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) show that 95% of the US population have inadequate Vitamin D, 84% have inadequate Vitamin E and almost half of the population have inadequate Vitamin C (Reider et al., 2020).This is perhaps the main reason why we are seeing so many people in this country are seriously affected by the current viral infection (COVID-19).

Hippocrates (400 BC) said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food” and according to Aristotle (348 BC) “we are what we consistently do”. These are two important philosophical quotes that should be the main framework for our daily habits. We need to be mindful of what we choose to eat and what we do during the day. Healthy diet and staying active are key for maintaining a good immune system to defend our body against infections and chronic diseases. But what makes our immune system strong? What is considered healthy food and what is a healthy lifestyle? The three main pillars of good health are: good nutrition, physical movement, and peace of mind. The following are eight simple steps that can be implemented daily for maintaining good health.

1. Avoid Simple Carbohydrates

You might have heard the term carbohydrate or carb for simplicity. There are two types of carbs: complex and simple. Complex carbs are for the most part fiber and take the body longer to digest, which is beneficial for the body. The most recommended complex carbohydrates are the non-starch vegetables like asparagus and zucchini. Simple carbs are, put simply, mainly sugar.

Sugar has approximately 60 other names that can be used for sugar, therefore, reading the ingredient list of a product may be tricky. Some of these names are agave nectar, maltose, evaporated cane juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, raw sugar, honey, syrup, dextrose and others. There are different kinds of sugar-this paper will cover only two: sucrose and fructose. Sucrose is the regular kind of sugar we think of when we talk about sugar. It is common table sugar.

The other kind of sugar is called fructose. Fructose is mostly found in fruit. However, it can also be produced and added to certain foods. Fructose is also known to be highly fattening as well as liver toxic when eaten in high quantities. As mentioned before, fruit is high in sugar. Nonetheless, it is better to eat fruit than to juice it. Juicing the fruit eliminates the fiber. When the fruit is consumed as a whole, the fiber and pectin in the fruit lessen the sugar effect. The best fruits are berries. It is recommended to eat no more than half a cup of berries daily.

2. Eliminate Sugar and Reduce Fructose

Sugar is present in over 80% of the products we can buy from a grocery store. Sugar is everywhere and even some foods that are not generally conceived as having low or no sugar may have some sugar or even high sugar content. Take the example of bacon. Bacon is an animal product that we know has protein and fat. However, it is quite common practice for companies to add sugar to bacon. Sugar is known to be very addictive, hence very difficult to stop consuming it.

Finally, alcohol is metabolized as sugar or simple carbohydrates. Try to limit your consumption. According to several European studies, one serving per day is healthy for women. One serving of alcohol is 12 ounces of beer, 8-9 ounces of wine or 1 ounce of spirits. It is important to understand that mixed drinks cannot be recommended because their ingredients can vary widely and most tend to have significant amounts of sugar and fructose.

3. Select the Good Fat

There are two kinds of fats: unsaturated (liquid at room temperature) and saturated

(solid).

a. Avoid Vegetable (Seed) Oils (unsaturated)

Oils such as soybean, cotton, safflower, canola, grape seed, corn, rapeseed, sunflower, sesame and others are examples of vegetable or seed oils. All these are examples of a kind of fat that is called unsaturated fats. Margarine is another kind of seed oil; however, it is processed by hydrogenation which is a method that makes the fat more solid. As a result, margarine is considered to be an artificially made saturated fat. These oils are very inexpensively produced or obtained. For this reason, most processed foods contain high quantities of one or several of these fatty oils.

Foods with very high content of these oils are corn chips, Subway tuna sub, all Burger King sandwiches- especially the chicken sandwich, Kentucky Fried Chicken, cakes with frosting, peanut butter, creamy soups, granola bars, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and many other products. As a general rule, any packaged snack is going to have a high content of vegetable or seed oils. The only exception to what has been said previously about vegetable oils is extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) which can be safely used especially when consumed in a raw or uncooked state.

b. Use Saturated Fat

Lard, butter, talus, ghee, and animal fat are examples of saturated fat. For decades these sources of saturated fat have been considered unhealthy. Nonetheless, it is now recognized that they are healthy and are not inflammatory and not detrimental for our health. In fact, it is much preferred to include them in our diet. Furthermore, as opposed to the vegetable or seed oils, cooking with saturated fat is considered safe and healthy.

4. Consume Legumes in Small Amounts

Legumes are plants that belong to the family of beans and peas. Legumes have good fiber content and are known to have some health benefits; however, they also have a high content of carbohydrates that behave in a similar way as sugars when they are consumed. Green peas, lentils, soybeans, chickpeas, pigeon peas, and all kinds of beans are legumes. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are considered legumes as well. Normally, peanuts are listed in the category of nuts, however, peanuts are a legume. It is better to consume legumes once a week.

5. Increase Soluble Fiber Intake

There are two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Metamucil, MiraLAX and other similar products are examples of insoluble fibers and their purpose is to assist in bowel movement. Soluble fiber on the other hand is known to be healthy and help the gastrointestinal tract function and feed our microbiota. There are many different kinds of natural soluble fibers and they are all desirable in the diet. Soluble fiber is abundant in vegetables and the main kinds are leafy greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, parsley, arugula, and watercress. It is also abundant in zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, radish, turnips, beets, and others. We all should include leafy greens and colorful vegetables in our daily diet as these foods are high in soluble fiber. It is recommended to have around 3-5 cups per day of vegetables.

6. Consume Animal Protein Moderately

Meat in general has a high content of protein and a variable content of saturated fat. The source of the meat is important; grass fed meat tends to have higher concentrations of omega 3 than regular meat (Haspel,2015). Moderate consumption of animal protein is recommended. It is better to consume grass fed beef, wild caught fish, and free cage chicken.

7. Avoid Processed Foods

It is very important to avoid consuming processed food. Processed food is the food that has been altered from its natural state to make it more convenient, tastier, or to have a longer shelf life. As a rule of thumb, if the list is longer than 4 ingredients, it is likely to be processed food. If the food item comes in a box or a bag or if it is frozen then it is likely processed food. Processed foods have too much sugar, fructose, salt, unhealthy fat, and multiple artificial ingredients. Processed foods are now a major component of the American diet. Processed foods are commonly described as healthy by their producers, i.e., the food industry. Also, any kind of food you buy from any fast-food chain is processed food.

8. Be Active and Meditate

Make your exercise an integrated element of your daily schedule. Take simple steps to walk more. For instance, park your car far from the entrance of the store, office, school, etc. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Try to ride a bike to nearby destinations. Include a workout or a sport in your socializing event, such as hiking, biking, swimming, playing tennis or walking.

In addition to being physically active, it is very essential to take care of the mind. With the added stressors due to the current pandemic, it is recommended to include an exercise for the mind to clear, unwind, and relax. Most people tend to spend a lot of time on their devices navigating the web, checking social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), watching videos, or playing. Even though these digital outlets have been a source of relief and entertainment during the lockdown and the current virtual reality we are living, we need to understand that the mind needs a break from the noise, light, and stimulation.

Meditation is the answer. Include meditation in your daily schedule. Pick a time where you can dedicate 20-30 minutes for meditation. It can be done anywhere, at any time, and at no cost.

COVID-19 is not only a challenge for global health systems but is also a wake-up call to examine long-standing issues and problems in societies. COVID-19 exposed our archaic policies and strategies, and our poor preparedness for crisis. COVID-19 has revealed the critical need to shift our healthcare from reactive to proactive. COVID-19 has caused about 500,000 deaths in the U.S. in one year. Our government has poured trillions of dollars as a response to the impact this respiratory virus has had on the healthcare system and economy. This has been a very deadly pandemic affecting all, but more severely women and other vulnerable communities.

While some voices have flagged the impact of the current pandemic on women, gender concerns are not yet shaping decisions made for response and recovery. It is true that the economic and social impacts of the pandemic on all are severe, but many of the impacts of COVID-19 are hitting women hardest. In addition to the economic impact on women in both the formal and informal economy, women’s health and safety are in danger. Apart from the direct impacts of the disease, women have been finding it hard to access much needed health services such as maternal and preventative services given that all services are being directed to essential medical needs. In addition, many women lost their jobs and consequently their health insurance; they are isolated at home taking care of their family while being away from their social safety net and services.

In conclusion, women typically shoulder a greater burden of care, and yet do not receive the needed care. We hope that this paper will contribute to the effort of others who have brought to light women’s struggles during the pandemic and offer women simple tips to take care of their health and wellbeing.

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Maissa Khatib

Maissa Khatib is a Palestinian-American educator. She received her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She received numerous honors and awards including the Institute for Policy & Economic Development Award at UTEP. She also received the Department of Languages and Linguistics Outstanding Faculty Award. In addition, she was the recipient of a federally funded grant overseen by the National Foreign Languages Center at the University of Maryland (2012, 2015-2020). Recently, she completed a certificate on migration and global health at University of California at Berkeley. Currently, she is a faculty member in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at UTEP where she teaches health-oriented courses from a gender perspective with a global focus. She has served as the Chair for the Women’s History Month Conference. She presented her previous research at national conferences including the Southwest Social Science Association Conference. These experiences have provided her with valuable knowledge and insight into the design, coordination, and implementation of research studies, academic programs and funded projects. Broadly, her research concerns gender and healthcare, migration and health, and health disparities.

Oscar M. Aguilar

Oscar M. Aguilar was born in El Paso, Texas. He grew up in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico where he finished high school. He earned his college and medical school degrees at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, in Monterrey, Mexico. For his post-doctoral fellowship, he went to Baylor College of medicine, in Houston, Texas. After this, he attended the University of Kansas where he obtained his diploma for internal medicine internship and internal medicine residency. Later, he went back to Baylor College of Medicine to study Cardiovascular diseases, interventional cardiology and nuclear cardiology. Throughout his education and career, he received honors from all the institutions he attended. He was also the recipient of multiple awards for outstanding medical education achievement, outstanding humanitarian treatment of patients, and best teaching practices. After his training, he established his practice in El Paso. In 2019, he completed a master’s in public health at Southern New Hampshire University.

Journey By Mayte Castro

Image by Aaron Cabrera

Identity appears in the colorful clothing
Of a quinceañera.
Vibrations of my mother tongue.
Remind my tongue to roll its rr’s and
Body language that is unequivocally a limitless rhythm.

Far from inconspicuous
Identity rolls out the many 1-hour waits
of developed film,
Capturing childhood instances where
Food was the central piece.
Surrounded by siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles
and the occasional visit of the grandparents.

The ever present systemic oppressors menacing.
I must push forward and respect Mother’s journey
In leaving her home country
For a future she saw in me.

Whispers and lullabies, in Mother’s tongue,
make an appearance when
A child runs across the playground with open arms.

In this journey,
assimilation and acculturation
make an
appearance
at every turn.
Resisting it seems redundant.

Yet the hold of Mother’s hand is far stronger.
Its potency varies
Caressing my cheeks as she
smooths out spanglish words
that
have slipped in.

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Battle Cries By Mayte Castro

Image by Ana Carolina Mantelli

Recall the backbone in the quilt
Of the fifty stars.
Valor and resilience
Black Lives
Intertwined in the development of
The Empire.

Attention!
Countless agonies
Imposed by master’s
On Black Lives.
The travesty must resign.

Black lives venerated!
For freedom spreads its wings and soars

When Black lives matter!

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Mayte Castro

Mayte Castro is originally from Southern California (daughter of Mexican parents). She teaches youth and young adults ages 16-21 at an Open Doors program in Martin Luther King County. She writes poetry that focuses on immigration, culture, travel, and self-expression as a road to healing generational traumas. Additional published poetry can be found in Brave Expressions, Poems to Lean On, Under Review, and Azahares.

Triolet for the Return of Spring By Andrena Zawinski

Image by giselaatje

So much to love about it,

the again again again of it,

the breeze on pampas grass seaside.

So much to love about it

the riots of wildflowers, return of green,

the singing birds, the simple daily beat.

So much to love about it,

the again again again of it.

—appears in the author’s micro chapbook
from Origami Poems Project that nominated
it for a Pushcart Prize

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Andrena Zawinski

Andrena Zawinski’s third and recently released full poetry collection is Landings. Her poems have received accolades for free verse, form, lyricism, spirituality, and social concern. She founded and runs the San Francisco Bay Area Women’s Poetry Salon.

A Heroine’s Pledge By Vanessa J. Toves

Image by Free-Photos

wishing to be autonomous in decisions

by walking freely without a cover

her womanliness exposes significance

breaking conventional roles and power

labeled a sinner or a saint

when she speaks about the emancipation

of women

emerging from a state

of bondage and subjugation

peacefully revolting against the set of rules

a compelling expression of

identity

embodying a strong feminine womanhood

paying homage to heroines in history

among the voyages near and far

there is a path she

can no longer pretend

the immeasurable choice to travel inward

and bring years of suppression to an end

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Vanessa Toves

Vanessa J. Toves resides in Guam with her beloved husband Matthew. She is a covid19 survivor who donated her convalescent plasma at the Guam Naval Hospital in 2020. She is currently working on a love project chapbook. Her published COVID-19 poem, The Social Distancing Era,can be found on The Dewdrop

Kolk’s Food for Folks

Image by pieonane

Hi all!

A few ideas for Spring eating. Here are a couple of main dishes, a tasty salad, and of course something for the sweet toothed. Hope you like these offerings.

I give thanks to all the innovative chefs out there who are thinking of yummy alternatives for us vegans and vegetarians — or for those who aspire. Plant based diets are sustainable and healthy for us and the planet, but for those who still eat animal protein we always encourage folks to try and find the most humanely raised sources, and to add in more vegetables in your daily diet.

If you want to slip in a few more veggie dishes during your week we offer some great ideas. Check this out and other of my columns in previous issues of CWQJ or on my website which can be found here.

Thanks Cloud Women’s Quarterly for sponsoring and supporting — Kolks Food for Folks.

Best, Sarah

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Creamy Massaged Kale Salad

photo courtesy of 36kolks.com

As we anticipate the warmth of spring and summer, this kale salad is a perfect fit. Well massaged and tasty as well.

INGREDIENTS

10 big handfuls kale, torn into pieces or buy a bin of baby kale 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.

1 1/2 avocado, diced, 1/2 yellow Bell Pepper sliced or diced how you like, tangerines or oranges in sections cut up, sunflower or seeds of your choice. (all optional)

How to massage Kale?

• Add kale to a large serving bowl and top with a few squeezes of lemon and extra virgin olive oil. Then massage with clean hands for about 3 minutes. The point of massaging is to infuse the kale with the lemon juice and oil, and also to break down some of the tough, fibrous characteristics of kale.

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Vegan Split Peas Soup

Photo by Agnieszka Piotrowska

for those still chilly Spring evenings


Pressure cooker or stove top

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil OR 1/4 cup water for water saute

• 2.5 cups of green split peas, rinsed and odd peas removed

• 3 large carrots, chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons of thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 4 – 6 cups vegetable broth or water*

• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste

• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped (or 2 – 3 teaspoons dried)

INSTRUCTIONS

Slow Cooker:

• Place ingredients into the bottom of your crock pot, starting with the split peas and finishing with the broth. Heat on low for 7 – 8 hours or high for 4 – 5 hours. Add parsley 30 minutes before done. Let soup cool slightly and remove bay leaves.

• Using an immersion blender, carefully, as to not burn yourself, puree soup until desired consistency. You can also puree using a food/processor or blender, may take two batches. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as needed. Soup will thicken upon standing.

Stovetop:

• Heat oil/water in a dutch-oven or large pot over medium-high heat, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme, and saute, stirring frequently, for 3 -4 minutes. Add the split peas, bay leaves, and vegetable broth/ water.

• Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley 30 minutes before removing from heat. Let soup cool slightly and remove bay leaves.

• Using an immersion blender, carefully, as to not burn yourself, puree soup until desired consistency or mix well with wooden spoon to mash. You can also puree using a food/processor or blender. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as needed. Soup will thicken upon standing.

Serves 4 – 6

NOTES:

Make this oil free by using 1/4 cup water in place of oil when sautéing on the stove top.

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Black Bean and Summer Squash Enchiladas

Replicated recipe 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

From Susan Voisin

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion , chopped fine

• 2 cloves garlic cloves , minced

• 1/4 cup green or red bell pepper , chopped

• 12 ounces patty pan, zucchini, or yellow summer squash , diced (about 2 medium squash) (if you have squash with tough skin, bake it and then scrape and use the insides, minus the seeds)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon Ancho chile powder (or mild chili powder)

• 1/8 -1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or to taste)

• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans , well rinsed and drained

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 2 teaspoons lime juice

• 1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce (or 10 ounces homemade sauce)

(I used can tomato sauce with garlic powder and chili lime powder from Trader Joe’s as a quick fix)

• 8 corn tortillas, I substituted brown rice tortillas (yum!)

• chopped green onions , for serving

Instructions

1. Saute the onion in a medium-sized saucepan until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the bell pepper and squash and cook, stirring, for about two minutes, until squash is just beginning to become tender. Add the cumin, chile powders, black beans, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the nutritional yeast and lime juice. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray one large rectangular baking dish or 4 individual baking dishes with olive oil. Place a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of each dish, reserving most of it to go on top. Heat the tortillas for about 20 seconds to soften them. Place a tortilla in front of you and arrange about 1/4 cup of the bean mixture across the center. Roll up and place seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beans. Pour the remaining sauce over the top.

3. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with sliced green onions to serve.

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Cacao Vanilla Cookies

Gluten Free (vegan) cookie option

Cacao Pods ~ Image by myfriendkarla

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour I used ‘Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking 1:1 Flour’

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 cup coconut oil softened at room temperature

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1 large egg room temperature or 3 Tablespoons of aquafaba (chickpea water)

• 2 Tbsp vanilla bean extract

• 1/4 cup cacao nibs plus extra for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 355ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add softened coconut oil and using a hand mixer or fork, lightly whisk oil for a few seconds to break it down. Add honey and beat until well combined and fluffy.

4. Add egg or aquafaba, and vanilla extract. Beat until light, fluffy and smooth.

5. Gradually add in flour mixture, beating well until it begins to form a soft dough.

6. Slowly beat through cacao nibs.

7. Form into a soft dough, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from refrigerator and form into balls/cookies. Approx. 2 tablespoons worth each. Place onto prepared tray, pressing down on them slightly. Leaving 2 inches between each cookie as they do spread.

9. Sprinkle each cookie with a few cacao nibs and slightly press them into the cookies.

10. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.

11. Remove and cool on tray for 10 minutes.

12. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Serve and Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Store in an airtight container, in the pantry or refrigerated, for 4-6 days.

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Sarah Kolker

Sarah Kolker, a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Moore College of Art and Design, was born and raised in Philadelphia and has studied health and wellness practices in Philadelphia, Jamaica, SF Bay Area and New York City. Sarah is an Artist, Educator, Chef and Certified Yoga Instructor. As an Artist she has worked with well-known mosaic tile artist Isaiah Zagar, the Mural Arts Philadelphia, Groundswell Community Mural Project, DOPE SWAN, and has completed a Create Change Artist in Residency with The Laundromat Project. As a Chef, Sarah started at A Full Plate Cafe, worked at Integral Yoga Foods, and was honored as Chef of the Month at Cafe Gratitude in Berkeley CA (read more about it here). Sarah recently consulted for Pure Sweets in Philadelphia. Sarah’s specialty is gluten free and vegan and sometimes raw “baked” goods and salads. Read more about Sarah here.

Covid C By Cynthia Yatchman

Covid C is a mixed media piece done with latex house paint, ink and acrylic paint.

Cynthia Yatchman

Cynthia Yatchman is a Seattle based artist and art instructor. With an M.A. in child development and a B. A. in education, she has a strong interest in art education and teaches art to adults, children and families in Seattle. A former ceramicist, she studied with J.T. Abernathy in Ann Arbor, MI. though after receiving her B.F.A. in painting from the University of Washington she switched from 3D art to 2D and has stayed there since, working primarily on paintings, prints and collages. Her art is housed in numerous public and private collections and has been shown nationally in California, Connecticut, New York, Indiana, Michigan, Oregon and Wyoming. She has exhibited extensively in the Northwest, including shows at Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Shoreline Community College, the Tacoma and Seattle Convention Centers and the Pacific Science Center. She is an affiliate member of Gallery 110 and is a member of the Seattle Print Art Association and COCA (Center of Contemporary Art)