• Facebook
  • BlueSky
  • Instagram
  • GoFundMe
  • Threads
  • Mastodon
roostlogohead2cropped-transp-blue-owlS.pngroostlogohead2roostlogohead2
  • Home
  • All Magazine Issues
  • About
    • Vision and Mission
    • Meet the MockingOwls
      • Leadership Team
      • Editorial & Writing Team
      • Design & Web Team
      • Performing Arts & Tabletop RPG Team
    • Our Contributors
    • Keep the MockingOwls Roosting!
    • MockingOwl Roost Staff Services
    • Contact
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Blog
    • Artist Profiles
    • Best Of
      • Gaming Corner
      • Round Ups
    • Film and Theatre
      • The Acting Side
    • Inspiration for All
      • Positivity Corner
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
    • Music
      • Music Performance
      • Music Reviews
    • Reviews
      • Book Reviews – Fiction
      • Book Reviews – Nonfiction
      • Film Reviews
      • Tea Reviews
    • Resources
      • NaNoWriMo
      • Writing Prompts
      • Books for Writers
    • Series
      • Travel
        • Literary Travel
      • Fitness for Creatives
      • My Favorite Things
      • Writing Memories
      • Things I Wish I’d Said
  • MockingOwl Roost Workshops
  • Resources for Creatives
    • Presses Taking Unsolicited Submissions – No Agent Necessary
            No results See all results
            ✕
                      No results See all results

                      Just Taking Out the Trash

                      Published by CLS Sandoval at February 3, 2024
                      Categories
                      • Blog
                      • Poetry
                      Tags
                      • anger
                      • CLS Sandoval
                      • faith
                      • nana
                      • regret
                      • trash
                      park bench and leaves

                      Image created onCanva

                      Nana was just taking out the trash
                      I was angry about so many other things
                      I was holding the holy book didn’t belong to our religion
                      She said she just wanted to chat with the missionaries

                      I was angry about so many other things
                      Nana assured me that her faith was as strong as ever
                      She said she just wanted to chat with the missionaries
                      I was yelling louder than I ever should have yelled at her

                      Nana assured me that her faith was as strong as ever
                      I cried out, knowing I was attacking the wrong person
                      I was yelling louder than I ever should have yelled at her
                      So many moments of regret that I could never take back

                      I cried out, knowing I was attacking the wrong person
                      On the bus in middle school, I wished a near-death experience on Kelly
                      So many moments of regret that I could never take back
                      I thought a near-death experience would help her find the truth

                      On the bus in middle school, I wished a near-death experience on Kelly
                      I always thought that the world was so simple and objective
                      I thought a near-death experience would help her find the truth
                      Nana was just taking out the trash


                      Looking for more to read? Check these out from the MockingOwl contributors and authors.

                      • It Was Supposed to Be About Being Well-Loved
                      • Faith and Dandelion Seeds
                      • A Dream
                      CLS Sandoval
                      + postsBio

                      CLS Sandoval, PhD (she/her) is a pushcart nominated writer and communication professor with accolades in film, academia, and creative writing who speaks, signs, acts, publishes, sings, performs, writes, paints, teaches and rarely relaxes. She’s a flash fiction and poetry editor for Dark Onus Lit. She has presented over 50 times at communication conferences, published 15 academic articles, two academic books, three full-length literary collections, three chapbooks, as well as flash and poetry pieces in several literary journals, recently including Opiate Magazine, The Journal of Magical Wonder, and A Moon of One’s Own. She is raising her daughter and dog with her husband in Alhambra, CA.

                      Find more on CLS’s Facebook or Instagram.

                      • CLS Sandoval
                        #molongui-disabled-link
                        A Long Way From DARE
                      • CLS Sandoval
                        #molongui-disabled-link
                        Almost Christmas Morning
                      • CLS Sandoval
                        #molongui-disabled-link
                        Fireplace for Your Home
                      • CLS Sandoval
                        #molongui-disabled-link
                        Tiffany Takes Flight

                      Related posts

                      A warm, joyful scene of a mother sitting on a soft rug embracing her young daughter tightly. The mother is smiling with both of her eyes closed tight. The cozy living room behind them includes light-colored furniture, soft decor, and sunlight that adds to the peaceful, serene mood. speak the truth Text: Mama’s Prayers, Linette Rabsatt, Poetry

                      Image created on Canva

                      May 28, 2026

                      Mama’s Prayers


                      Read more
                      A soldier in uniform stands with their back to the viewer, saluting against a backdrop of an American flag and a glowing sunset sky. twenty-one-gun salute Text: Memorial Day, Paula Frew, Memorial Day Poetry.

                      Images by freepik frome freepik and Huseyn Naghiyev via vecteezy

                      May 25, 2026

                      Memorial Day Cinquain Chain


                      Read more
                      A gold ornate picture frame surrounds an abstract image composed of small rounded shapes in shades of brown, tan, cream, black, and blue, arranged to resemble a human eye at the center. The background is a light textured surface. best friend TEXT: Plenty, Susan Shea, Poetry

                      Image created on Canva

                      May 23, 2026

                      Plenty


                      Read more

                      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

                      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

                      "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."

                      Toni Morrison

                      Archives

                      • May 2026
                      • April 2026
                      • March 2026
                      • February 2026
                      • January 2026
                      • December 2025
                      • November 2025
                      • October 2025
                      • September 2025
                      • August 2025
                      • July 2025
                      • June 2025
                      • May 2025
                      • April 2025
                      • March 2025
                      • February 2025
                      • January 2025
                      • December 2024
                      • November 2024
                      • October 2024
                      • September 2024
                      • August 2024
                      • July 2024
                      • June 2024
                      • May 2024
                      • April 2024
                      • March 2024
                      • February 2024
                      • January 2024
                      • December 2023
                      • November 2023
                      • October 2023
                      • September 2023
                      • August 2023
                      • July 2023
                      • June 2023
                      • May 2023
                      • April 2023
                      • March 2023
                      • February 2023
                      • January 2023
                      • December 2022
                      • November 2022
                      • October 2022
                      • September 2022
                      • August 2022
                      • July 2022
                      • June 2022
                      • May 2022
                      • April 2022
                      • March 2022
                      • February 2022
                      • January 2022
                      • December 2021
                      • November 2021
                      • October 2021
                      • September 2021
                      • August 2021
                      • July 2021
                      • June 2021
                      • May 2021
                      • April 2021
                      • March 2021
                      • February 2021
                      • January 2021

                      Newsletter Signup Form

                      Newsletter Signup Form
                      © 2021 The MockingOwl Roost.

                      All Rights Reserved