Why tip toe when you know you just want to barge in and grasp whatever it is that you need?

Fierceness is never tamed or ever completely harnessed.  We know…fierceness is an integral part of the human spirit and emotional conviction.  Fierceness leads to poignant life stories.  Cases in point….read these excerpts by aaduna summer 2017 issue contributors Soukeyna Mbaye, Alfredo Almazan, Oliver Lodge, and Nicholas Musch:

Soukeyna Mbaye (photo provided)

Soukeyna Mbaye’s, “Just Far Enough”

I

clung on to my mother’s hand as if she would disappear if I let go. She stood to my right and my father to my left and they were both ready to abandon me. I was probably told way in advance I would be starting preschool, but the shock came just as strong as if I was suddenly swept away to this unknown room.  Standing in that large entrance hall, I was not the only one reluctant to leave their parent. Children my age are either sobbing or on the verge of doing so, begging their parents to bring them home. But a lady goes from child to child, says a few words to them and soon, as if bewitched by some witches spell, they are  calmly taking her hand and led through the threshold to a smaller room full of colors.

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Alfredo Almazan (photo provided)

Alfredo Almazan’s, “Letter to Karen”

Jay Tee said that he was raised in a Christian household, so he always believed in God. He later began questioning his faith when he reached high school and fell into depression. Not too long after, he met a friend who shared similar struggles. Jay Tee resonated with this person and they became good friends.

Soon after, Jay Tee was accepted into UCLA; his friend wasn’t. Gradually, Jay Tee and his friend drifted apart. One day, Jay Tee received a call from another friend telling him that his friend had taken his life.

While driving to the funeral, Jay Tee fell asleep and was almost in a car accident. At that moment, Jay Tee could care less if he died. Jay Tee began questioning God’s presence in his life, and asked for a sign to show him that God was still there. A few days later, Jay Tee discovered his sign. 

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Oliver Lodge (photo provided)

Oliver Lodge’s, “Daughter”

H

     i   I’m here. No need to cry. It’s okay, Savanna. I promised you that I would always answer whenever you prayed. So here I am. I’m sorry you couldn’t reach me the other day. You have to put all your heart into it when you reach out to me, honey. Sometimes it takes a little while but I will come. Dry your tears. I know. What you have gone through is what no child should have to experience in a lifetime. Breathe, honey. Breathe. You have got to pull yourself together. You’re just having a bad day. You have to stay strong. I want you to know that I appreciate how hard you’ve been trying to live a normal life despite all that’s happened to you. Your grades have been suffering. But only a little. And who’s wouldn’t? Don’t give that boy the time of day. If he can’t treat you with dignity and respect then he doesn’t deserve you. It doesn’t matter what he said. I was there. I saw that nothing happened. All the angels in the spirit world were watching and that’s all that matters. Your classmates can talk all they want. But my angels and I know the real truth. What everyone else thinks is pointless.

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Nicholas Musch (photo provided)

Nicholas Musch’s, “When You Don’t Love Your Home”

A

requirement at my high school is to write a senior speech, delivered at one point during your senior year. When I first heard about it, I was thrilled, and immediately started writing multiple drafts on a variety of topics. I have chronic depression, generalized anxiety disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and on top of all that, I’m a gay transgender guy.

                   There's a lot to talk about.

                   And I wanted to talk about it all. There is so much I could say, so many words I could use to show [what] my life is like, who I am. So I decided to talk about something that can be important to anyone: a place. Maybe it's a bedroom, a hallway on the third floor of school, a park in the city.

                   For me, that place is on Ruppstrasse in Bemidji, Minnesota.

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Visit us tomorrow for another journey into the world of aaduna’s 2017 summer issue ~ LAUNCHING SOON!

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aaduna - a timeless exploration into words and images - is a globally read, multi-cultural, and diverse online literary and visual arts journal established in 2010.  Visit us at www.aaduna.org where we put measurable actions to our words.

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