“You say you love flowers, but you cut them. You say you love birds, but you cage them. You say you love animals, but you eat them. Now you say you love me. Please forgive me, but it does make sense for me to be a bit pessimistic given your stellar track record. Cut. Caged. And Eaten.”

From https://banterrepublic.blog/2026/05/25/love-making/

I have to intentionally drag myself to do them, subjecting myself to deadlines that serve as markers I can move when convenient and without repercussions. But really? No repercussions at all?

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/27/imposing-deadlines/

It's funny how I suddenly received the Perfectionist badge from #wordpress after doing more than 100 revisions to a blog post I started writing in November 2025.

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/26/the-perfectionist-badge/

The first few chapters of Katabasis felt like walking through an unfamiliar terrain; I wasn't sure I'd find my footing. But I did.

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/25/will-i-lose-myself-like-alice/

#PhDlife

Since I started uploading #YouTube Shorts, I've been posting them on schedule, knowing deep down that I am peddling for views. Who am I doing this—getting high views—for anyway? And playing the numbers game (once again) has messed up my head, giving me a sense of activity without actually moving anywhere. The result? I feel accomplished, then empty, and so I refresh again.

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/20/pull-to-refresh/

Since I started uploading YouTube Shorts, I've been posting them on schedule, knowing deep down that I am peddling for views. Who am I doing this—getting high views—for anyway? And playing the numbers game (once again) has messed up my head, giving me a sense of activity without actually moving anywhere. The result? I feel accomplished, then empty, and so I refresh again.

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/20/pull-to-refresh/

The work was real. The achievement was real. But the moment of celebration had no witness, and so I found myself saying congratulations to no one.

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/18/congratulations-to-no-one/

So I started scrolling through #Facebook just to get an overview of what's going on, which got mixed into a mush of Mother's Day posts, family photos, and milestone updates. Three significant things happened today...all in one afternoon.

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/11/the-news-reached-me-anyway/

Now that I'm back home—and local businesses are getting bolder and more creative with their products post-pandemic, just like the ones I had back in the metro—I finally have the opportunity to visit cafés like The Tipsy Butter and hang out with my sister for a long afternoon catch-up.

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/10/finally-we-dont-have-to-travel-for-the-good-stuff/

Going back to poetry

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash I used to write words that rhymeLike singing songs in your headBut then I stopped suddenlyWriting things with harmonyThen one day I came acrossOther's work of poetryAnd I recalled that I wasOnce having fun doing thisSo here I am hoping thatWriting one would lead me toWriting more and more of thisBut for now I'll end it here

https://jessa.blog/2026/05/09/going-back-to-poetry/