Beckie Loewenstein

With the perception of escalating criminal activity at Occupy Boston, camp residents and activists struggle to maintain safety at Dewey Square in Boston, Massachusetts.  Police work overtime to monitor the security of the area, and have made arrests of dealers selling heroin and cocaine at South Station and at Dewey Square.  However, Occupy Boston residents and activists avoid cooperation and coordination of activities with law enforcement.  Instead, they rely on their own volunteer groups to monitor those who use drugs in the tents and those who return to the camp high and intoxicated.

Dress travels in backpack, Soaring in overhead bins Of airplanes bound to Dallas, For family visit in June. Navy blue Dress Carries a bouquet Of gray flower prints. Pleasant & lovely, Dress fulfills all needs. She rides bikes & Evades greasy chains. Her cotton fabric Breathes humid air, Wicks sweat, Blocks sun rays. She sips tea & Absorbs green stains. She walks collies & Dodges muddy paws. Her modest shapes of Hemmed sleeves Hug shoulders, Button-down collar Conceal clavicles & Knee-length skirt Drapes thighs. She prays at synagogue & Observes devout laws. Versatile & resourceful, Dress holds good intentions & Plans to join Girl to Stepbrother's highschool graduation. Dress cannot imagine Impending consternation. Father orders Daughter — Poor communication — Change Dress or else Destroy family relations. Daughter defends Dress Without hesitation As her choice represents Freedom of expression. Father curses Defiant contravention & Tells Daughter,

Jurors not authorized to leave room. Police officer monitors phone. Sticker badge assigns me twenty-eight Waiting, I wash and eat purple grapes. All stand and rise for honorable, Wonder about case ponderable. Judge asks us dutiful citizenry If we hold bias against battery. Jurors who claim objectivity Satisfy lawyers through honesty. Enter gate to shiny olive seat, Raise right hand for oath before debate. Clerk stutters and mumbles words unclearly, I look confused so Judge dismisses me.

airborne ankles spin breakdance soles bruise plum-purple toes bubble blisters

jelly bellies roll smushed soles bruise purple as plums hips juggle sweat drops

Casual remark snubs Manager who blames Supervisor who accuses Employee who defends Stubborn pride. Accidental liars ignore Reason to apologize. Island survivors vote Weakest link: Declare with no care to explain, Order not return here again, Lure sinker of embarrassed shame, Burn brand new, unworn uniform, Ignite red lettered name in flame, Surprised to feel so little pain. For decisions immutable, Acceptance more honorable Than crying uncomfortable, Bummer to be so dispensable, When let go, simply say OK.

Indoor street hockey Players storm unfair referee: Sticks swing up too high, Give players five-second timeout! Goalies cannot score, Uneven teams, three vs. four! Skills out of balance, Wiffle balls all roll out-of-bounds! Ref abruptly quits, Friendly rivals enforce rule, strict, Keep sticks low to floor. Street players switch to sketch sidewalks, Rosy chalk sticks dust Princess with most pink cheeks ever.

Rain means slow days at the outdoor swimming pool of The Country Club.  Overcast skies and cool, damp air deter all the fair-weather-swimmers.  A lifeguard loses purpose at a pool with no swimmers.  Optional tasks might be to squeegee water out of flooding bathroom floors, tidy papers in the office, or take inventory of lost and found items in the closet.  My personal favorite course of inaction would be to climb to the top of the pile of white towels for a short n.  Instead, I suit up for a swim, and propel myself through the fog on a kickboard.  I feel like an otter.  A squirrel running underneath the row of lawnchairs, sometimes pausing, captivates my attention.  Heart thumping, rain drop dodging.

At fifteen minutes to two on the previous afternoon, I adjusted my helmet to bike out to The Country Club.  Sailing down the smooth sidewalks of Larz Anderson Park, I admired the flower and vegetable garden plots.  At the often-ignored stop sign on Goddard Avenue, I cautiously looked both ways at the cross walk, especially wary of drivers with ears glued to phones and with eyes blind to all pedestrians.  I veered on the bumpy asphalt of Clyde Street, and grit my teeth and bent my elbows to assert my place on the road.  Golf caddies stood in the hot sun waiting for Bus 51.  I waved hello. The Country Club entrance has a yellow stop sign with green letters.  The yellow buildings with horizontal wooden slats and signs with neat green letters seem to follow a uniform color code.  The design evokes friendly greetings between people wearing nametags.  Hello, Club House!  Hello, Curling Building!  Hello, Pool Café! Station wagons, SUVs with warm engines, and golf carts with keys still in the

I consign at Second Time Around to earn additional income.  Consignors earn 40% of the final sale price and $20 for each referral*.  STA accepts items based on the season and fashion trends, not brand name. My experience as a STA consignor has allowed me to contribute to a socially responsible, eco-friendly business.  Shoppers who purchase pre-owned items at a consignment store save the water, energy, and natural resources that go into the manufacture of brand new items.  Sold items go to new closets, not landfills.  Unsold items go to Goodwill donations.

The U.S. Postal Service has extra optional services to improve logistics.  The USPS Delivery Confirmation number costs an extra $0.19.  As the number is is also called a “Label/Receipt Number,” should the USPS offer refunds when the shipment does not meet delivery expectations?

Professors Richard Samuels, Ken Oye, and Michael Golay shared their insight and uncertainty about Japan’s nuclear crisis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on March 16, 2011.  The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants lost essential safety functions in the earthquake and tsunami.  The loss of the electricity grid and back up electric power sources means that pumps cannot circulate water to the reactor vessels and the radioactive uranium fuel overheats.  Nuclear power plant workers must now rely on improvisation to stabilize cooling at the reactor.  The escape of radioactive particles and their dispersal in wind and rain from the damaged power plant threatens the environment and health of Japan’s residents.

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