IT

Don´t know much about it.

Don´t know how to deal with it.

Don´t know what to do about it.

Don´t know if it is good.

Don´t know if it is bad.

Don´t know if it is right.

Don´t know if it is wrong.

Don´t know if it will be a long wait.

Don´t know if it will be a short wait.

Don´t know what the outcome will be.

Don´t know if it will hurt me.

Don´t know if it will cure me.

Don´t know if it will suck me up.

Don´t know if it will spit me out.

Don´t know if it will make me delighted.

Don´t know if it will make me boisterous.

Don´t know if it will bring serenity.

Don´t know if it will bring a broken heart.

Don´t know if it makes me bewildered.

Don´t know if it makes me clearheaded.

Don´t know if I will become mindful.

Don´t know if I will become thoughtless.

Don´t know when it will end.

Don´t know how it will end.

I just don´t know.

 

Written: October 7, 2025

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Loneliness, Pain, Darkness

 

Foto: Gettyimages

 

In the darkness, every thought resonates intensely,

And suffering finds more space to manifest.

This suffering falls heavily on tired shoulders.

Open eyes dispel the sleep that seems comfortable.

The clock insists on recording the time that doesn't pass,

Loneliness whispers truths that no one dares to admit.

Each sigh is a silent scream in the emptiness of the heart.

Silence is deeper than any word.

However, when a delicate line of dawn traces the horizon,

In varying shades of red and orange,

The pain, though still present, surrenders to the emerging light.

 

Translated from Portuguese: October 6, 2025

THE GIFT OF THE MOUTH

 

 

Having a mouth is so good!

Good for eating a specially prepared dish,

drinking that festive drink from a tall, thin glass,

letting out everything that doesn't agree with you, complaining with style,

pouting, making faces, showing anger or contempt.

Good for kissing, and kissing, and kissing.

 

Good for expressing ideas, feelings, stories, and even protests,

letting in nourishment and pleasure,

whispering, gliding, breathing close, and biting lightly,

tasting fresh fruit from the tree, chocolate, and coffee,

expressing joy, sympathy, and connection with others.

 

Good for living intensely,

crying,

keeping quiet,

screaming,

singing,

uttering, talking nonsense,

moaning,

and even playing a wind instrument.

 

If you stop to think about it, the mouth is where body, mind, and emotion meet.

Having a mouth is so damn good!

Written: September 24, 2025

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PIN, forgot it. NOW WHAT?

 

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a bright light coming from the bathroom where your phone is plugged in to recharge?

It happened to me last night or should I say, early this morning? Afterall it was 4 am. Too early on a Sunday morning for some one who went to bed late watching Lionel Richie perform ALL NGHT LONG on the live show of THE TOWN.

Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom at least once has become routine for this almost 60-year-old. Could that be the cause, the age? Perhaps I should have just unplugged it and set it aside. Anyway! I got up and tried to put in the PIN number so the phone could complete its updating.

Once, wrong!

Twice, wrong!

You now have only one more try. You phone will be blocked.

Third time… blocked.

All of a sudden it has dawned on me that I am a nobody without my smartphone. Who can I call for help? I don´t remember anyone´s number by heart except for my mom who´s 82 and in the IT department doesn´t know much.

The computer! Log on to my phone company and they are going to send am SMS??? How am I supposed to check that?

Check the internet for videos and some kind of info… to no avail.

Found out that the nearest store opens at 2 pm. But, how am I going to get there? Can´t call and Uber. OK, get a cab number. But then, how can I pay? Cash, but will I have enough money for that?

Who needs this at such an early time on a Sunday which is supposed to be easy?

Right Mr. Richie? Easy like a Sunday morning???

 

Written: September 14, 2025

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A Dragon in the Toilet?

 

 

A nine-year-old Brazilian girl went to the US for the first time. Enchanted with the days ahead, already on the flight, she encountered her first fear. It wasn´t the foreign language, she succeeded in speaking a bit. It wasn´t a roller-coaster, she went on all of them whenever she went to an amusement park and genuinely enjoyed herself.

A GRHHHHHHHHHHH alarmed her as soon as she flushed. She hurried out of the bathroom and ran to her seat. She did not mention it to anyone. She figured it was because they were up so high, consequently, the airline company used flying dragons to suck up all the residue left behind.

Arriving at the airport, her aunt accompanied her to the lady’s room. The only vacant stall was the real big one. What she did not know was that in the US the toilets flush automatically and were just as powerful as the one on the plane. SKRRRAAAA! A sudden roar! She hadn´t even started to use the toilet and she quickly stood up. The aunt explained what had happened and that it was ok to use it. Nervously she tried and tried, but to no avail. The toilet and the sound changed every time. HSSSS! SHRRRAAA! GRHHHHHHHHHHH! Maybe, it wasn´t a dragon. Perhaps, it was a lion or some other giant and fierce creature.

Traumatized by the situation, she always went to the restrooms with her aunt, but prior to using it, she would ask if it were automatic. And the toilet WHRRRRed to life every time. But as time went by, she started to overcome the fear and relaxed a bit more when there were bathrooms that you manually had to flush.

Poor girl! How imaginative! She really believed that dragons lived in the toilets and would suck her in.

 

Written: August 12, 2025

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A Strange Moment

 

Everything is turning dark. I see people looking at me. But who are they? Their mouths are moving. There are strange sounds coming out floating to my ears. But my brain cannot decipher what they are saying. What is happening to me? I can understand what my brain is muttering, but these people… Are they even people? I know I should take care of my health, but… Now my brain is starting to fade… it is speaking a language I do not understand… What is happening? I feel my body collap…

Written: June 25, 2025

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An Atrocious Alteration

The most deceitful statement that can begin a corporate email is, "We will be switching our health insurance for your benefit, thinking about your well-being and mental health."  You can be certain that any message that begins in this manner will have an impact on your emotional and physical health. You can be sure that the future is not going to be good.

When the HR representative tries to persuade the employees during a meeting of all the advantages you would receive, when in reality your world is falling apart and they are saving money on your life, it is an anger trigger similar to when you sell your watch to place a wager at a casino when you don't have enough money to do so.

Since the move, the employees have been anxious about where to go in case of illness and an additional 20% they must pay for tests and hospital costs.  With this modification, a staff member who had the basic plan but paid nothing now must pay for these additional costs.

Tensions are high, so is the blood pressure of the staff. Although there is no room for negotiations, they still do their best to try and reverse this atrocious modification.

Only time will tell whether this plan can be changed or how much it will benefit the well-being of the staff as mentioned in the email forwarded to the workers.

Written: June 17, 2025

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The Illusion of Perfection

 

Perfection is often seen as the ultimate goal; a flawless standard we strive for in our work, appearance, and relationships. Society frequently associates success with being perfect, pushing people to hide their mistakes and present a sophisticated version of themselves. But this constant chase can become a trap, leaving us feeling inadequate and exhausted when we without doubt fall short.

In reality, perfection is an illusion. No one is without flaws, and expecting perfection from ourselves or others creates unrealistic pressure. Growth comes from mistakes, and it is through failure that we often learn the most valuable lessons. By embracing imperfection, we give ourselves the freedom to try, to stumble, and to improve.

Rather than aiming to be perfect, we should focus on being authentic. Honesty, effort, and resilience carry more weight than a spotless image. When we accept ourselves as we are flawed, but capable. We create space for real connection and genuine progress. Perfection might be unreachable, but striving to be our best selves, despite imperfections, is a goal worth pursuing.

Written: June 2, 2025

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Not A Strong Enough Word

 

Heart splits into two

Two parts which were one

Through an icy, lifeless letter

All we shared was undone.

 

Gloom hits me intensely

Hard as a heavy boulder

Love isn´t a strong enough word.

Now, who´s going to lend me a shoulder?

 

Trying to comprehend where it all took a turn

Escapes through my fingers as sand

While the flames in my heart burn, burn, burn

The radio blasts a song by our favorite band

 

Tears soak my pillow as I try to sleep

Sleep profoundly into the abyss so deep.

A reminder of how actions are stronger than words.

Written: May 13, 2025

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Cold and Empty

 Love can take one to freezing places

Damp, cold, dark – alone.

Love is supposed to maintain one open – alive.

 

One loved profoundly, with all they had,

While the other moved on, never looking back.

 

A love remembered,

A life love never got.

 

One loved fully and lost without war.

The kind of loss that does not knock – just walks out the door.

 

Written: April 29, 2025

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Pope Francis

 

Last week Pope Francis passed the Monday after Easter Sunday. It was a great loss to humanity, in my opinion. I felt very sad although I am not catholic. Nonetheless, I praised his decisions and actions. After his burial, I received this message from a friend. It may not have been written by him since people are going nuts over AI, however, it sounds so much like something he would right. Therefore, I would like to post it here to pay tribute to Pope Francis – rest in peace.

Pope Francis wrote this in the Hospital.

“The walls of hospitals have heard more honest prayers than churches...

They have witnessed far more sincere kisses than those in airports...

It is in hospitals that you see a homophobe being saved by a gay doctor.

A privileged doctor saving the life of a beggar...

In intensive care, you see a Jew taking care of a racist...

A police officer and a prisoner in the same room receiving the same care...

A wealthy patient waiting for a liver transplant, ready to receive the organ from a poor donor...

It is in these moments, when the hospital touches the wounds of people, that different worlds intersect according to a divine design. And in this communion of destinies, we realize that alone, we are nothing.

The absolute truth of people, most of the time, only reveals itself in moments of pain or in the real threat of an irreversible loss.

A hospital is a place where human beings remove their masks and show themselves as they truly are, in their purest essence.

This life will pass quickly, so do not waste it fighting with people.

Do not criticize your body too much.

Do not complain excessively.

Do not lose sleep over bills.

Make sure to hug your loved ones.

Do not worry too much about keeping the house spotless.

Material goods must be earned by each person—do not dedicate yourself to accumulating an inheritance.

You are waiting for too much: Christmas, Friday, next year, when you have money, when love arrives, when everything is perfect...

Listen, perfection does not exist.

A human being cannot attain it because we are simply not made to be fulfilled here.

Here, we are given an opportunity to learn.

So, make the most of this trial of life—and do it now.

Respect yourself, respect others. Walk your own path, and let go of the path others have chosen for you.

Respect: do not comment, do not judge, do not interfere.

Love more, forgive more, embrace more, live more intensely!

And leave the rest in the hands of the Creator.”

—Pope Francis

Written: April 28, 2025

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Have you ever been to Fortaleza, Ceará? What about the Book Fair there?

 

    

 

Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It is Brazil's 4th largest city and 12th among cities with the highest gross domestic product. It forms the core of the Fortaleza metropolitan area, which is home to almost four million people. To the north of the city lies the Atlantic Ocean. Residents of the city are known as Fortalezenses. Fortaleza is one of the three leading cities in the Northeast region together with Recife and Salvador. *

The "Bienal do Livro" (Book Fair) in Fortaleza, Brazil, which is the 15th edition, was held from April 4th to 13th, 2025. It's an international event and takes place at the Ceará Events Center, on the ground floor. The Book Fair was free to attend.

The Bienal do Livro in Fortaleza is an important event that celebrates literature and provides a space for authors, publishers, and the public to gather and interact. It features a variety of activities, including book signings, author talks, workshops, and more.

I was honored to have been invited to the Book Fair and launched my children´s book “Bella e Bolinha”, as well as having taken part in the launching of a collective book called “Poe(mar)” in which 52 women were selected to contribute with a poem or short story – Two of my poems were selected.  Twenty of these fifty-two were from the southeast of Brazil, while twenty-two were from the northeast. Just having been selected was a gift, not to mention going there. It all worked out in my favor, for I had time in my hectic schedule to go and spend five special days.

The launches were magical and successful, however, what mattered to me the most was meeting such amazing writers, readers and exchanging experiences. Not to mention that my IG meire_marion_escritora welcomed forty-five new followers from the event. Speaking at the launches to a room filled with people, not enough seats in the house, was incredible and touching. Being in so many pictures was fun although I need the practice in the posing and making faces part of the event. Somehow, I always manage to come out with squinted eyes because my smile is so wide.

 

*Source: Wikepedia

 

Written: April 23, 2025

Foto: Leonardo Albuquerque ( google images)

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Early Morning

 

Waking up early to go to work is never an easy task, especially when the bed seems to embrace us with a caress that only it knows how to give. The alarm clock rings repeatedly, like a clueless friend, insisting on breaking the embrace of sleep. I look at the clock and see that it is 5:00 in the morning. Daylight has not yet appeared, and the world outside is silent, as if everyone is still trapped in the same dream as me.

I get up with that automatic movement, where the body knows what to do, but the mind is not yet convinced that the day has begun. Coffee seems to be my only faithful friend at this moment, anxiously awaiting my arrival. The aroma of hot, steaming coffee is like an invitation to wake up to reality. I take a sip and feel an energy begin to arise within me, even if it is a timid and reluctant one.

The window is still dark, but outside there are already signs of movement. The city is slowly waking up, with the first cars on the streets and the first lights on. However, the feeling of loneliness on the way to work is immense. Few people face the early morning, and each one seems to have their own private universe in mind. The traffic is still light, and the city, for a moment, seems to be mine.

I arrive at work with the feeling that, despite my tiredness, there was something beautiful in the silence of the first hours of the day. The world was still asleep when I started my journey, and for some reason this gives a special meaning to those first actions of the day. But soon the routine sets in, the hours pass and the feeling of tiredness mixes with the fast pace of work. In the end, what remains is the certainty that, despite everything, dawn always brings with it a new chance. And, even if bed continues to call, we carry on.

 Written: March 26, 2025

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A Week Off

 From February 28 to March 10, I had this time off from work due to the Carnaval break or Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday.” It is best known as the New Orleans celebration of carnival that leads up to Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, the season of fasting and penitence during the forty weekdays before Easter in the Catholic calendar. I believe this is the first time it has happened in my whole career as a teacher, mind you, well over 40 years.

Because of this, I decided to treat my mom and younger nephew and niece to eight days at a fine hotel at the beach. Fun filled days with nothing to worry about (except trying to avoid skin cancer due to the scorching sun), going to the beach, staying at the hotel pool, eating all meals at the hotel (some weight gain was a downside) and having fun at Carnaval parties (at least we went to one).

I don´t enjoy going to the beach that much. It is relaxing and beautiful; however, it is a lot of work, especially because I have such fair skin. Turning into a lobster is not a pleasant undertaking.

There were ups and downs during the week due to wants and preferences of activities everyone could take part in. Nonetheless, overall, it was a way to relax and not do everyday chores. I know that mom enjoyed it.

Written: March 12, 2025

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Telephone Game

 

Wondering whether the title should be ‘heard it through the grapevine’ or ‘telephone game.’ Guess I will go with ‘telephone game.’

It all happened a couple of Fridays ago. When I checked my messages, there was one stating the sad news about the passing of a cousin´s husband. The message read: he died on the treadmill, however, treadmill in Portuguese is ‘esteria’. It is used for other things too, but in this case, everyone thought it was a treadmill at the gym.

On the way to the wake, the family started talking about using this fact the next time the doctor said we had to exercise. Imagine going to the doctor´s and saying ‘my cousin passed while he was on a treadmill. Don´t want to die, so I will not do it.’ All of this was to make the situation lighter for everyone was incredibly sad.

At the calling, the cousin who had received the message of the death and passed it on to everyone else clarified the situation. It just so happened that the deceased worked in a factory that had a conveyor belt (also ‘esteira’ in Portuguese). You can probably guess by now where he really died. At work, not exercising. Nonetheless, what a dreadful event.

Written: February 18, 2025

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Guilty?

 

Coming home from an afternoon of shopping with her mom felt safe and warm. The sun was shining, and the car ride was pleasant. They talked about the supermarket offers and what they were going to cook for dinner that evening.

 As they reached their home, mom got out of the car and started to open the garage door. Suddenly, two young boys approached her window. One of them pointed a gun at her. Something came over her. She put the car into reverse and drove away – no destination whatsoever. She just ran away from that situation without turning back.

Meanwhile, her mom closed the garage door and screamed for her husband to come outside. ‘They pointed a gun at her head! She drove away! They are running up the street!’ Her husband ran out of the house and chased the boys up the street.

As he was heading back, his cell phone rang. It was his daughter. ‘Come back. They have fled. It is sa…’ The girl noticed her father´s voice had changed. He was struggling to speak. Suddenly they were disconnected.

As she approached her home, she noticed a mob in front of her house. There was a body lying on the ground – motionless. There was a neighbor trying to perform CPR – to no avail. Her father had gone. No gunshot wound. No blood. His face had turned purple due to the lack of oxygen. She couldn´t make out whether he was breathing. He had gone. Died.

Later that week, the neighborhood watch had posted a video on the WhatsApp group of the events of that day. She can´t get over the fact that her father had a heart attack. She hasn´t got the nerves to delete it. She watches it over and over again. Sobs. Screams. She has been in her bedroom since then and won´t come out – not even to eat.

Written: February 11, 2025

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Stay or go? That is the Question

 

Going to the weekly meeting has lit a sparked in your mind whether your presence is truly needed. As the app lets you into the room, the conversation going on can be heard although your microphone takes a while to turn on. Then, there are those who question why your camera is not on without realizing that this mechanism also takes its own slow time to turn on. Sometimes you wonder whether you should get a new laptop or just make a few upgrades so that it works a bit faster and do not need to deal with the comments made – “how come her camera is not on”; “it is always that way”; “maybe she doesn´t want to be seen” – these comments are so aggravating.

The fact that the people in or at the meeting (since it is online, prepositions are used differently according to grammarians. Then again, grammarians tend to differ on syntax) are much older than you are and the one who is younger has discovered a way to just say that he is listening in but is at work so then the camera will be off and will answer via chat. Of course, when the chat box pops up, the message is read at once. When you try to speak, someone tramples over your speech, and then the others just ignore your point of view and go along with the treader. So, what is there to do, but turn off your mic, hold on to your chin, smile and pretend that you are mindfully there.

Nobody asks for your opinion. Nobody even notices that you have made a gesture agreeing or disagreeing with what has been decided. Nobody cares whether you are there. Once again you wonder if you should say that the connection is bad; if you should miss the next meeting, if you should even belong to the group at all. Would you be a huge loss or even a minor one for them? Would they come running after you? You understand that people are replaceable, however these are the feelings that run through your mind. Afterall, you are only human.

There are times when you believe that you should make yourself heard. Your opinion is important. Your experience in life can contribute to the matter. You have probably done it several times before and are only tired from always having to do so. You end up coming to the conclusion that you actually cannot teach an old dog new tricks. The saying has been wrong all along. Maybe, it just applies to the animal itself. Old dogs are able to be taught, people are not.

 

Written: February 5, 2025

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Growing Old

 Growing Old

The aging process is complex, similar to watching a movie that you already know the ending to, but that still manages to surprise you with every scene. Your hair starts to age, your steps slow down, and your memory, your old companion, starts to set traps. However, there is something beautiful about this journey, as if each mark were a narrative imprinted on your face.

Little by little, we learn that rushing no longer makes so much sense. The days that used to be rushed now seem to invite us to take a break. Time, which once ran against us, now becomes a silent ally, perhaps even an accomplice to serenity. We realize that, as we grow older, we not only gain years, but also the ability to appreciate the simple, everyday things, as if we had never really noticed the color of the sky or the taste of homemade soup before.

It is clear that youth is a constant reminder, a reminder of unrestricted energy and incessant curiosity. However, old age brings a wisdom that cannot be acquired or transmitted, only experienced. Between a memory that fades and another that remains, what really counts is what one experiences and the way one chooses to live each new dawn.

Aging is similar to a book that, instead of ending, begins to understand the beauty of its own story. Each turn of the page represents a farewell to something, but also the introduction of something new, even if subtle. This, in itself, is already a great blessing.

 

Written :  20/01/2025

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Coffee and Conversation

 

I sit at the table in the small café on the corner, the warm and welcoming aroma of freshly brewed coffee envelops my soul. The place, simple and peaceful, smells like something that has been experienced many times before, but still holds the promise of something new. It is one of those cafés where, without wanting to, conversation seems to spring up unhurriedly, as if time stretched out with each sip.

He arrives punctually, as always. Friendship is like that: a story with a beginning, middle and end, but that repeats itself over the years, with the naturalness of good stories. We greet each other with the usual simple gesture, as if words were left for more solemn moments. He sits down and, without saying a word, gives me that look that only old friends know how to give. It is as if we know, instantly, what brought us here, what we are leaving behind and what we still hope for the future.

The cup of coffee arrives at the table. Hot. Intense. Almost challenging. I look at him, he looks at me. He takes a sip, and I follow suit. The silence lasts for a few minutes, but it is comfortable. There, the conversation does not need to be rushed, nor does it need to be full of big news. In fact, what we seek is that space between words, where the simple fact of being there already says everything that needs to be said.

We talk about work, about small frustrations and achievements. But also about dreams, those kept in the back of the drawer, which we only share with those who understand the weight and lightness of an old desire. Sometimes, in those silences, the conversation hangs in the air, hovering between us, in no hurry to be put into words. We do not need answers. The gesture of being there is enough, with the coffee warming our hands and the clock forgetting its beat.

When the cup is empty, the pace of the conversation does not slow down. It continues to flow, lighter now, as if with each sip the world becomes clearer. The topics come and go, but what really matters is what is not said. The knowing look, the easy laugh, the sharing of time. Friendship is made of these moments. Small, simple, but when combined, they become great. And so, between sips of coffee and relaxed smiles, we weave our story. There is no rush to finish, nor any obligation to leave. The coffee is just the setting, the catalyst for the conversation. What really matters is the company. And, in the end, that is what makes us return to the coffee shop, whenever possible. The rest... well, the rest remains in the air, like the taste of coffee that still lingers, even after the cup is empty.

Written:  01/13/2025

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Welcome 2025

 

New Year- time for resolutions. As the writer of this blog, I firstly, thank you for reading my posts. Secondly, as you may have noticed, I did not post as much in 2024 as in previous years. Therefore, one of my New Year´s resolutions, besides losing weight and exercising (one day, one day), I will try to post at least two entries per month.

Hopefully when December comes, I will have at least written 24 entries.

Thank you once again and all the best in 2025!

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