Grandpa smelled of comfort; the rich, warm scents of coffee and Aqua Velva. Quiet and witty, his brown eyes glinted when I’d beg him to play. Just one more time, pleeease. We’d construct palaces of red, yellow, and blue rectangles or clutch our stomachs as...
The razor-sharp accusation in his voice cut deep, “You’re pressuring me.” Mental illness, trauma, and lingering habits mock my optimism and resilience. I blink away hot tears that cloud my vision before the ache in my heart spills down my face. “It’s not...
We spoke of the not knowing. Not assuming too much. Not offering enough grace and I was reminded of the weight of shame pressing hard against my chest as I shuffled my feet toward the front of the line–my head dipping low as my son’s face shone cherry red....
Strangely warped containers and melted relics of what had been lay bent and twisted among cinder blocks stained by purple tongues of angry fire. Only the brick fireplace stood tall and unchanged, a lonely reminder of what had transpired there. Like the remains of the...
A woman grips a cardboard sign with the words “Need rent money or food. God bless.” scrawled across its surface. Her eyes follow one vehicle and then another as the drivers rush past, too busy or embarrassed to acknowledge the lady with the woebegone face. Young men...