Poetry from I.O. Kirkwood
Author Archives: I.O. Kirkwood
Why I’m Single and Why You Might Be Too
Divorce is almost inevitable for a married couple in the United States. The psychologists would have us believe that only fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. They gloss over the constraints of the trials, which measures the three years between marriage and divorce. Another constraint is the observation of only heterosexual marriages.
Privilege is a Dirty Word
This is a terrible topic to touch, but I will explain my understanding of what privilege is and what it is not. It isn’t that rich, attractive, light-skinned, Christian men are too “clueless” or not “intelligent” enough to understand the concept of privilege. But the way the media has twisted it, privilege has become aContinue reading “Privilege is a Dirty Word”
Fury + Fear = General Anxiety Disorder?
Fury is what I feel when I’m helpless. Plus fear is what I feel when my amygdala kicks in with the fight-or-flight reaction (FFR) and I can’t make it stop. Equals General Anxiety Disorder. Looks pretty simple, but it isn’t. If I broke into rages instead of a panic attack, then my fury would beContinue reading “Fury + Fear = General Anxiety Disorder?”
That’s Not How Feminism Works, Sweetheart
I know you feel men and women should at least be equal, right? You’re very vocal about this, but I’ve seen you use your feminine charms to crush a besotted male. I’ve seen you order men around because you know they want to get between your thighs and that you have agency of yourself soContinue reading “That’s Not How Feminism Works, Sweetheart”
Toddlers: How Mine Survived
Raising children is a fine line between harnessing demons and treating them as humans. It’s a difficult job. I’m so glad I’m done. See, I despise toddlers. I despised my own and I despise other people’s toddlers. Even when toddlers do the cutest things, more often than not, I’ve had to wrestle with them theContinue reading “Toddlers: How Mine Survived”
Old Lady Badges
As I get older, I realize that my mother was an old lady well before her body had caught up. I don’t know if it’s my medication or a strict code of courtesy that my mother had passed to me when she died, but I have begun to collect my Old Lady Badges. What areContinue reading “Old Lady Badges”
The Release of Death
I can only speak of my own experience now that someone with enormous influence over my life has died. I could write about the horrors of those last two weeks or how I cried when I made one of the most harrowing decisions of my life. Instead, I’m going to write about the last twoContinue reading “The Release of Death”
The Art of Courtesy
I am no Miss Manners. I curse like a sailor. I have foot-in-mouth syndrome to such a degree that LSCWs despair of my ever being cured. But there is one thing my father taught me, and it is the bedrock of all good things in society. He told me this as a child and IContinue reading “The Art of Courtesy”
Don’t Kiss Me, I’m Irish-American
On Saint Paddy’s day, there are Americans who are of Irish descent that do not maraud in the streets in drunken stupors. We do not carouse. There is no Bacchanal on this holy day. This is the day the Irish and those of Irish descent go to church, have a quiet dinner with their families,Continue reading “Don’t Kiss Me, I’m Irish-American”
