Time Only Moves Forward
I found these two unfinished pieces the other day—experiments combining erasure poetry, analog collage, and my own images. For some reason, I abandoned them, not quite convinced they worked together. Much time has passed, and with fresh eyes, I decided to revisit and tweak.
For this week’s post, I thought I’d pair these collages with one of my journal entries from a few months ago. Both carry that stream-of-consciousness theme.
4/15/2026, 4:00 p.m. Maman Café, NYC.
Life can end just like that—at the snap of a finger. That’s really what’s on my mind: to witness Ate Marica, and walk with her until the end. I still grasp for the words to describe the loss.
Suddenly, there’s no room for hesitation, for putzing around. Life never gives us all the answers to our questions. We’re left only with mysteries—and learning to live inside them.
Plans falter. There’s only uncertainty, and the work of sitting with it. There’s so little we can control—our internal landscape, and not much else.
We only have moment to moment. And we have to savor it, make it count for as much as it can. Loving the everyday, because that’s where life lives.
There are no redos. No dress rehearsals.
Time only moves forward.
Inspired by my sister Marica’s love of literature and libraries, this collection layers vintage imagery with library ephemera—date stamps, catalog cards, and handwritten script. Through circulation and return, libraries connect us across time and generations, making timeless stories accessible to all.
Share words of encouragement or gratitude, or offer a simple reminder that someone is loved.
With every note sent, her presence lives on.
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Beautiful Stella!
Beautiful, Stella!