Inqueerier issue 2

roommates and our guests. We decided to let our little patch of land grow wild. We didn’t do this because we are lazy, opposed to yardwork, or simply apathetic to the state of the garden. We did this to see what might grow. We watched the grasses come up past our knees, flowers we couldn’t name bloom, all while a thriving ecosystem of bugs, birds, squirrels, rabbits, and bees took refuge in the wild-grown haven. Mid spring, I went outside with the Seek app (which identifies plants with your phone camera) and a goal of identifying as much as I could. Here is just some of what I found.

White Clover covered the vast majority of the ground. The leaves looked like clovers I am used to but bigger, round little flowers that I was taught make into flower crowns. I can’t find four leaf clovers, but my sister in found about twenty. Stalks of Kansas’s state flower, the Sunflower, were shooting up all over, not yet blooming but already over 3 feet high. Shepherd’s Purse is a funky little member of mustard family, from Europe but been naturalized, and can be used

23,

Violets bloomed by the fence, with flowers that are tasty as is or in a jelly or tea. The leaves are also rich in Vitamins A and C! The neighbor’s Mulberry Tree, also a native Kansan, has many children along the fence of the yard.

I have enjoyed my place in providing a habitat for little creatures, and will miss sitting among them to enjoy my books and my tea. Our landlord is making us cut it all down soon, perhaps the neighbors complained. We will not see the sunflowers bloom, never discover what other mysteries might have been hiding. I hope the beasts that dwell in garden find another that suits

THE VOID YELLS BACK

At times, we may experience moments of deep emotion that require yelling. But where to yell? Yell here: into The Void. And the void yells back advice!

Dear Void, how do you start a revolution?

Dear Revolution-Starter, look to your community for the fuel to start that fire. All we have is each other, all we do is for each other. And don’t be afraid to get a little weird with it!

Dear Void, I fear I have ruined a chance at something I have always wanted because of myself. What do I do?

Dear Ruiner, Look deep into me, The Void, into the endless abyss of it all and remember: Nothing really matters, and therefore everything does. Things fall apart all the time. Just let things be. It’s not the end. It’s the beginning.

ASS-TROLOGY

By Alejandra

Aries: Slow down! Life is a highway and you’re a terrible driver.

Taurus: It’s okay to be more gentle with your credit card.

Gemini: Inside of you are two wolves: one is a hotdog and the other is craving a hotdog.

Cancer: It’s no longer your birthday, but you can still cry if you want to!

Leo: EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP.

IT’S LEO SEASON!

Virgo: July is a time to think outside the box and wonder “how did I get in this box?”

Libra: Going to grad school won’t heal you. Sorry.

Scorpio: Now is as good a time as any to speak up! Yell, even. SCREAM!

Continued on page 4

By Buffy

Your deceased pet isn’t made of butter, spread their memory here; tell us their cute lil secrets; submit inquiries to the link in our bio

BooBoo 2012-2022

Boo Boo was a Siamese cat transplant foraged from Laurel Valley Plantation in rural Louisiana. Best known for his stanky paws and stealth pooping in the shoes of boyfriends past.

Blondie 2000-2019

Blondie was the embodiment of a Lisa Frank sticker collection. Substituting horsepower for girl power, she was a pillar of discipline and routine. Teaching her owners love and respect she raced to rainbow bridge after a full life.

Recipe for Cryptid Cookies

Ingredients:

1 package of cookies

1-2 friends or foes

1 poor quality camera (optional)

Prep time: 5 - 15 minutes

Serves 1 Cryptid

Directions:

1. Open package of cookies

2. Hide cookies in hard to spot places

3. Let your friend or foe loose to hunt for your cyprtid cookies

4. Optionally, take blurry photos of your cookies and send to another friend or foe with no explanation

GOD OR SOMEONE LIKE HER

By Nik

A couple months ago, a friend and I were trying (unsuccessfully) to fit my full-size mattress into my mid-size SUV. Clearly seeing our struggle, two men came up to us and offered to help. They pointed to their van; they were with Cordell Moving and Delivery (if you live in LR and need moving services, this is clearly the place to go)! They easily solved our problem and we were so grateful; my friend said, “Should I believe in god?”

A couple weeks ago, I walked into a restaurant (shout-out Toshi’s Ramen in Eugene), ordered, and realized I didn’t have my wallet. I turned around to check the car (I had just used it at the gas station) and a man walked into the restaurant to hand it to me; he had seen it in the parking lot, and was bringing it into the restaurant. And for a second I thought, “Should I believe in god?”

But after a few moments of reflection I

TEA FOR T

By Vice

Three things to know about me: I’m trans. I like to read. I like drinking tea. Here's some trans books and tea suggestions to go with them. I recommend enjoying them together, on a nice day, in a park, in a hammock, if at all possible.

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa –Earl Grey with Lemon and Orange Peel

Perhaps you see my tea suggestion and think “Isn’t that just Lady Grey?” but you’ll be glad you transed your tea yourself when you drink it while you read this gay, trans retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

realized these were not acts of a god. These were acts by humans and I was left with a renewed belief in people. And of course, these interactions with strangers don't even begin to cover all the ways I am helped and cared for by those I love. Truly, I believe in people, over and over again. I will bet on people being kind and generous every time. And people come through, whenever they can afford to be.

Capitalism has made it difficult to afford to be. But the competition is fake. This is a cooperative board game, and we are working together to fight the big bad (corporate greed and exploitation). We need each other. Other people need you, your help, and your expertise.

You may believe in god(s), but I urge you to also flex the muscles of believing in each other and relying on one another. As Assata Shakur wrote, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August – Pumpkin Chai Bubble Tea Pumpkin, the name of this book’s space cat, would be thrilled to hear you are chilling with some boba rather than running from the end of life as we know it.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers – Rosemary Mint Tea

Preferably looseleaf, just throw some dried spearmint and dried rosemary in a pot of hot water and steep for 5 minutes. Strain, sweeten to taste, then sit down to join a tea monk on their journey of self (and robot) discovery. You won’t find a cozier drink or a cozier book.