June 2017 And so The Affair began. The days following The Arrangement were like a dream. Wednesday I had plans to go back to the camera store to pick up my prints, and I invited Thomas* to join me. He enthusiastically agreed. I knocked on his door, and he came outside to join me, his … Continue reading The Affair
Author: m.
The Arrangement
27-28 May 2017 When I broke up with my ex and began this year of being single I thought that maybe I would meet someone nice or cool or interesting, and we would date for a while and then at some point, perhaps, I would find myself in another relationship. I did not anticipate one … Continue reading The Arrangement
About Last Night. . .
25 May 2017 I lay in bed, staring intently at the ceiling, trying to process the events of the previous night. Sunlight harshly streamed into the room through the thin curtains, making the faint stains on the ceiling more apparent. I could feel a hangover coming on. "Was this inevitable, or was it something that … Continue reading About Last Night. . .
Sadiversary
23 May 2017 This day would have been my 10th anniversary with my ex if we had stayed together. It felt so strange: in the past, this was a day of such importance and celebration, but now, it was a normal workday, like any other day, it's ordinariness magnified by the fact that he and … Continue reading Sadiversary
Crushing
April 2017 I was what they call a "late bloomer". I had my first real kiss at 16, to a guy who would become my only boyfriend in high school, a relationship that lasted all of 3 months. I lost my virginity at 19, to the guy who would become my boyfriend for virtually all … Continue reading Crushing
Things Fizzle Out
April 2017 When it rains, it pours. But when it doesn't rain, what is it? A drought? Six weeks after moving to Kanazawa, my love life had taken on a barren quality. I had anticipated this; while Nagoya had been boring it had offered all of the social and romantic opportunities of a big city. … Continue reading Things Fizzle Out
Poem: A Love Letter to Japan in Spring
April 2017 A Love Letter to Japan in Spring The sweet, Fresh, Fragrant, Spring wind of Japan rips through my window Ruffling my hair Through my waiting nostrils Down, down to my lungs And fills my soul with the promise Of carefree days and lingering nights Of warmth and spontaneity Of rebirth, rejoice, … Continue reading Poem: A Love Letter to Japan in Spring
Beginning Again
April 2017 And so I began my new life in Kanazawa. Life on my own in this quiet corner of the world began somewhat timidly, like the spring, unsure as to when to burst into bloom. I arrived in mid-March, when it was still a bit cold, so that I kept my balcony door shut … Continue reading Beginning Again
The Bed Poem
March 2017 A poem I wrote when I had just begun living alone. The bed is Small Narrow Up against the wall Just big enough for one, really. The bed has A hard, Thin mattress With a slight dip in the center. For one to fall into, as if by accident. So … Continue reading The Bed Poem
Canadian, Round 2
March 2017 I had barely been in Kanazawa one week before I again found myself on the train, heading back to Osaka. During my first few months in Japan I went to Osaka 4 times. It was my home away from home, where I escaped to when Nagoya was too boring, a vibrant, gritty city … Continue reading Canadian, Round 2
The Year of Being Single 