Blue

by Tara Agtarap

Originally published on October 5, 2002

Her jeans come out of the tired, rusty machine clean, wet, and wrinkled. They’ll eventually dry into that faded and worn wash she loves yet a gnawing, crusted spot still remains deep in its cotton fibers no matter how much she pours of the magic potion that promises to heal. It’s a struggle to put [...]

Identity

by Tara Agtarap

Originally published on October 1, 1997

Divided by salt and saints with names christened by Philip’s sons, we hide our mahogany sheath from the constant glare of powdered Baby’s and Joy’s who starve to be enamored on billboards that stand amidst giggling starched uniforms and veiled gauze but only the miraculous Madonna holds the answer as to why so many taste [...]