HEY, YOU! SKIPPY! We’ve arrived! Who are we you ask? I’ve stumbled across a group of women. Or should I say they stumbled upon me. Are they my group? I don’t know. But they’re my group for now. 6 women. 3 meals. 6 friends. 4 gallons. 0 showers. 1 man.

me you she she he they them I us no longer together we work to distance makes things harder better faster stronger knots hold larger loads of dirty laundry hung out carefully constructed feelings fleeing away from home sick for a past tense that has not happened yet it’s so easy to convert back to old times are changing clothes piece by piece the puzzle comes together just to be broken alliteration acting as an accomplished achievement TOGETHER

TAKE A WALK   I ventured out into the open desert with a couple of the girls. Walking to fill the time and to feel time. Not looking for anything in particular, just learning our space. We came across multiple dump piles. Some look like fallen structures. Others, garbage intentionally brought to be discarded, and some, things that were loved but needed to be left behind. We approached an arrangement of rusted cans, on the edge laid a composition of random scraps that really caught my eye, I snapped a photo.     This composition stayed

WHO ARE YOU   Well, I'm Skip. Who am I and how did I get here   I come from a huge family. A military family. No, I'm not a military brat, I just come from a long line of respect and dedication to the military. Pride. Honor. Respect. Cousins, aunts, uncles. Photos of great grandparents and great great grandparents in uniform.   My grandfather, 82nd Airborne My father, 82nd Airborne My brother,   Family is important to me. The one we are given and the one we chose. Pittsburgh is home, it