How is it that a person becomes convinced of her inherent worth? How does a child sold for a hundred dollars along with a flock of sheep know that she’s worth more than the sheep, more than a hundred dollars? The girl’s name was Isabella, and what the world told her, what people told her, […]
My Eyes Have Seen You
Growing up, my Grandma and Grandad would come and see us every Friday night. My Grandad and I would go for walks on the country lanes north of Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District. During one winter—I must have been around eleven years old—he showed me the night sky and taught me to […]
The Warren & The World Vol 9, Issue 13
Last year, as I began working from home due to COVID, we were about to enter one of the loveliest and longest springs since I moved here to Charlotte. Rather than hurtling into summer heat by the end of March, the weather was a gift of warm-but-not-hot days and cool nights. I opened the windows, […]
Finding The Lost Words
“Once upon a time, words began to vanish from the language of children.” Oooo—doesn’t that sentence send a little shiver down your spine? Read it a little slower, maybe in a bit of a British accent. It feels almost like the beginning of a mystery/fantasy epic, in which a brave band of beauty-seekers goes out […]
Mending the Wood in Small Spaces
It’s still dark at 6 a.m. here in the foothills of the Appalachians. My husband has left me a cup of tea on the counter ready to be sweetened. I open the wrong cabinet because this isn’t my kitchen and I don’t remember where we are keeping the honey. Also, where are the spoons? Finally, […]