Little things are always Breaking The sole of a shoe Splits The back of an earring Vanishes The filament in a bulb Snaps A screw comes loose On my chair And all I can do is Stuff it Tie it Hope it holds The big stuff I can handle Presentations Critiques Launching a book Planning ...

You stole my Voice— Devoured it like a chocolate cookie, Secretly snatched before dinner. But it didn’t spoil your appetite— You yearned for more. So you helped yourself to my Strength— Chewing every crumb, Rolling it with your tongue, Into a cream-and-spit mash. Yet you still hungered, And swallowed my Compassion— Washing it down Like a ...

First it was cramps Grinding, debilitating cramps Tying my abdomen in An impossible sailor’s knot And out came the heating pad— A thick, orange water bottle— And the plug-in blanket, The rice sack that smelled like Lavender in the microwave Double socks Double blankets Pain, searing hot showers 48 hours of misery. After I had ...

He is the perfect partnerThe words tumble from her lipsdisregarding anypain or tearspreviously shed He is passionate and dignifiedwords she now uttersas the warmthof his bodycomforts her in his bed His words aresoft and caringlike none she’s ever heardher words describe him boldlywithout the slightest care in the world She’s oblivious to thetime and patienceinvested ...

I was pretty baffled at what happened to me the other morning, outside of my house on Brookside Drive… My boyfriend and I had the hoods of our cars up in preparation to check their oil and add windshield washer fluid. I thought this was very normal. I told my boyfriend to hold the washer ...

The door to the restaurant opened and I willed him to walk through, but only watched as a couple with their toddler hustled in from the rain. The patter on the rooftop mingled with the low dim of voices as I sat, waiting. I sat next to the window and watched people dart around puddles, ...

The hardest thing to hear from other moms when they find out I don’t have kids is “Oh, be so glad you don’t have them yet” or “You are so lucky.” I’m then told why I’m so lucky, and to “seriously, be thankful” I haven’t doomed myself to motherhood yet. I always smile and nod ...

“People may not realize the damage that they are doing by placing the blame on the victim—but that doesn’t lessen the damage that they cause by doing it.” -Darlene Ouimet Time Magazine recently announced their Person of the Year, and it was glorious. There, on the front cover looking like total bad asses were the ...