By Bruno Talerico
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Last night: a lunar halo—a ring around the moon,last night: a storm warning,last night: an omen.Todayyou endedone of your lives.Todayyou stopped purring.TodayI dug your gravein a spot next to a treewith a mountain view for your next eight lives.© 2026 Bruno Talerico13/365
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Letting GoBeneath an ancient juniper tree,smoke, like incense,drifts toward starlight.I flicker, fade, and char,aching, amorous.Will passion followthis feathered breath?Or has it dissipated?Embers of sun.glow in my heart,charcoal and my petrified teethare the only remnants.© 2026 Bruno Talerico 12/365
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My name isBruno Richard Talerico,same as my dad’sand great-grandpa’s. I never met my sister Christineand I never will.She died during childbirthwhen I was not quite six years old. Mom and Dad were heartbroken. They wanted the comfortoffered by a proper wakeand burial in the cemetery whereother family members rest. But she wasn’t baptized. The priestwould…
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You can dream and plan all you want,but there is no map.There is no chart that accountsfor the dry spring, the flash flood,the extra miles you didn’t mean to hike. No one knows for certainwho they will bewhen they reach the other side. Between the person you areand the person you will become,something unforeseen will…
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Your loved one comes home, removes mask and body armor,puts weapons in the gun safe, places boots next to the door.It’s been on the TV news all day,sound leaking into the kitchen—headlineson the screen in the next room.They hug the kids,notice the smell of pot roast,smile at you and ask, “What’s for dinner, honey?” They…
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Dear Mr. Trump,Please accept thisPiece-Ah Pizza prize. It’s messy and,by the time it gets there,a few days old,but that’s OKyou won’t be eating it. You’ll be patting yourself on the backadmiring it, proudly displayedon the mantle over the fireplacebetween the Venezuelanand FIFA concession prizes. I’ve also included a couponfor a special limited edition prizemade in…
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Rain dripping on the keyboard writes a story. A story no less durablethan symbols on stoneor pencil on paper. Stuttering percussive lines and dots,legible only through translators,who may or may notfully grasp the language—much less the meaning of the rain. © 2026 Bruno Talerico7/365
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Start early.Wear sturdy attire:most plants are heavily armedwith spears, hooks, and barbs.Stay out of the noonday sun.Ignore the vultures.Treat hot spots before they blister.Stay hydrated.If you drink whiskey,match it with water.Be cautious:of pretty women in cool shade—mirages that’ll challenge your budget and steal your heart.Open your eyes each daybefore sunrise, and let them closewhile watching…
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In the ballroom of life,sometimes you stumble and fall.If you stay on the flooror storm off in anger,you’ll never learn to dance.So ask your partner for help, take the offered hand,practice the steps, and soonyou’ll be tripping the light fantastic.© 2026 Bruno Talerico5/365Image created with AI
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Predawn skymostly gray with a hint of pinkthat makes the day.© 2026 Bruno Talerico4/365
Desert Dweller 