Big Business

Last week I interviewed a badass young woman who recently won the New England Golden Gloves boxing tournament. She’s kicked and pushed and drilled her way to getting where she is, no matter the resistance. She told me a story of high school struggles in a plastic fabrications shop. She worked almost solely with men, and a darling older guy came round to work under her after she’d already been at the shop for 5 years. The man couldn’t deal with her authority. A 17-year-old girl with vast experience, a higher pay grade and management responsibilities? The gentleman ended up leaving the shop, aggressively, making it well known that he didn’t like how the setup was run.

This poem is for the ladies who work hard to take their place in a world that’s not always keen to have them in the positions they’re so capable of. Continue reading “Big Business”

3 Lei per Kilo

This past Sunday, I rose early for autumn’s first chill dawn. I dressed and waited for my partner Anna’s call – she was hitchhiking in from her village. She rang from the cemetery. Though we had planned to meet at my place, her ride had dropped her early and unceremoniously. The walk to my director Olga’s house would be faster if Anna didn’t have to meet me.

I sighed, and trudged alone the 20 minutes to Olga’s home, where I joined the ladies and Olga’s parents for breakfast. We waited longer than we had planned for two neighbors, but we needed them – it’s wine season in Moldova!

Continue reading “3 Lei per Kilo”