Musings

Rant

December 12, 2016

verb 1. speak or shout at length in a wild, impassioned way. “she was still ranting on about the unfairness of it all” synonyms: fulminate, go on, hold forth, vociferate, sound off, spout, pontificate, bluster, declaim. Sometimes I like to speak at length in a wild, impassioned way. Sometimes I… Read more

Prey

November 15, 2016

Poem originally published under the name Marla Carlton on September 23, 2016 in Rat’s Ass Review Love and Ensuing Madness

I walk into the club.
I see you at the end of the bar.
I move closer.
You smile. Read more

In the Beginning

November 14, 2016

Poem originally published in Rat’s Ass Review, Love  and Ensuing Madness under the name Marla Carlton.

Play me, Tempt me, Pursue me
Go ahead. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. I am here for your enjoyment.
I won’t break. 
Read more

Still hot

October 1, 2016

Not a nurse, not a barmaid
not a cavegirl, not a hooker Read more

Published: Rat’s Ass Review

September 3, 2016

I am thrilled to announce that two of my poems have been published in Love and Madness, a collection on Rat’s Ass Review, an online poetry journal. Please take a look if you are so inclined. The poems “In the Beginning” and “Prey” both cover the broad topic of Love… Read more

PMS

January 28, 2016

Listen. I feel like I’m quickly going crazy. Not slow crazy       quick crazy.
Fuck!

The urgency to get into the bath is palpable. It’s the rain. The rain makes me this way.
Ring. Ring. My mom. My dad. Ring Ring. My mom. My dad. A friend I just called Read more

my mom can’t swim

July 16, 2014

Water calms me. Baths, steam rooms, pools, creeks, lakes, rivers, oceans,
Niagara Falls.

I soak in the bath for hours. A psychic told me to shower often, to get my head straight, to cleanse, 
wash away other people’s energy. Read more

Poems are Made by ‘Fools’ Like Him, My Dad, 95 Years Old

June 18, 2017

My dad is 95 Years Old. He will be 96 in December. I asked him recently if he’d ever thought of being a poet. I was surprised to hear his answer. Read more

Overcoming My Childhood from the Daughter of an Alcoholic Father

May 14, 2016

Do you worry about how much someone drinks? Hmm. Yes I do. I don’t worry about how much I drink but I do worry about how much my husband might drink. Lucky for me my husband doesn’t drink all that much, so I don’t have to worry too often. But, I am upset when someone is drunk at a party, especially if I’m not drinking. Read more

I’m a Good Daughter

July 31, 2015

My father is an obstinate man. If I tell him it’s raining, he tells me it’s not. One day, I commented how interesting it was for a painter to paint a cow bright red, and he replied matter of factly, “There are red cows, I’ve seen them.” Read more

Why I Like to Screw with My Husband

March 9, 2015

There’s nothing worse than buying expensive pens and having them swiped by your 12-year-old so he can trade them for candy at school. Yes. You heard correctly. My son actually trades my pens for candy. I want him to be an entrepreneur but not at the expense of my pens. Read more

6 Reasons Why 3 Children are the Tipping Point

January 19, 2015

I started out with one child like most women do. Then, three and a half years later I ended up having twins, so I jumped from one to three overnight. Now, I have to admit when I had just one my attitude was a little different, and I can honestly say that three children is the tipping point. Read more

Why You Should Never Open Your Door to Strangers

January 14, 2015

My first scary memory as a child happened when I was three. A sound had woken me up in the middle of the night. I heafd a knock on the door and my mom talking. So, I squeezed my blankie and headed down the dark hallway toward the living room. I remember my mom looked very nervous. Then, there was another knock. Read more

13 Things NOT TO SAY to a Mom with Twins

October 18, 2014

I have twins. They are 8-years-old now. And I can tell you after almost nine years of having twins there are some things people say that really PISS ME OFF. There are also things that are NOT SAID that PISS ME OFF. So either way, if it’s the first decade post birth, anyone who speaks or looks at me the wrong way is treading on THIN ICE. Read more

A Day at Marina Grande, Capri – Time-lapse Video

June 26, 2014

My son, 11 years old at the time, shot this time-lapse of our couple hours at the beach in Capri. Read about our fast-paced trip to Italy, 10 cities in 1o days. Thoughts thoughts Read more

A Summer Trip to Italy with the Kids: 10 Cities in 10 Days, Saluti

June 26, 2014

A 6th grade trip to Italy, God help me. 12 children, 3 parents, 2 teachers. 11 days. EF Tours was the chosen tour company, known for being cheap. They lived up to their reputation. We arrived in Milan on a Monday, after 31 hours of travel beginning at 3:30am at LAX, a long layover in NYC and finally Milan, five movies later. We met up with other assigned groups at the airport. 51 of us piled onto our tour bus that would become our second home for the next 9 days. I’m not a group person. Read more