I am the schoolgirl in the playground,begging someone to play with me,only to have my bag decorated with spit.Treated like an outcast. I am the girl you see in a crowd,with no friend in sight,loneliness her companion.The world passing her by. I am the girl you think a weirdo,a freak of nature cloaked in costumes,trying ...

We were best friends, you and I. We told each other everything. Laughed and cried together. I didn’t think I could be so close to someone. If platonic soulmates existed, that was us. I knew everything about you; Your old crushes, your favorite color, the way you would roll your eyes at stupid things. We ...

Each breath ignited a fire in my lungs. Still, I remained in place as my hand traced the aged closet that displayed my grandmother’s bold, African print frocks a year after her death. I don’t know why I chose this dreary, overcast day to store her away. It added to the weighty silence in the ...

There are no Govern-mansOnly Éowyn and she is the Queen.Her brother shows her a map,Tells her they live in America,Repeats ‘representative democracy’And other words he’s heard in school.“No we don’t,” she insists.“We live on Earth. And I’m the Queen.”He asks exactly what she is the queen of.“Earth,” her Royal Majesty replies.She’ll be four next monthAnd ...

I thought he would never changeA man of a strong, bold bravadoTo match his towering stature. We met in days of childhood,He never cared for me thenA young and naive schoolgirl. I knew not how ideas of romanceThe world or human nature,Can affect a meek soul like me. The boy I knew in childhoodShowed no ...

We spend the majority of our formative years waiting to grow up. Then we grow up enough to be able to do everything we wanted to do as children and all we want to do is go back to having naptime after lunch. I recently turned 30 a few weeks ago,  and I have been ...

Paper towns and cities, Arranged in perfect fashion, A bouquet of white in place. You remember the days? How we used to construct wonders, Built castles and people from scratch. Colored each one, Gave it life, Each creation a pinch of magic. Have you already forgotten? The idea of childhood imagination, That made us whole ...

I have been thinking about how the world is changing and how as a person I have changed over the years. A decade ago, if I wasn’t in school or actively speaking with someone, I had headphones on my head. I would always replace them in a matter of hours when they shorted out or ...

Dear Santa, Thank you for giving people something to believe in. The excitement, the joy, the magic that people experience year after year is magnificent and memorable. So, Santa, I decided to ask several family members to share a Christmas memory or two and was delighted by their responses. I hope you enjoy them as ...

Recently I was asked to give an example of a loss of innocence in my personal life. As I reflected on what to share, I couldn’t help but think of all the different times in my life that chipped away at my childhood. There was one episode that stuck out above the others. I was ...