She was in a relationship that had soured. Resentment hung in the air like dampness after an early evening thunderstorm. It was the kind of situation where they both were martyrs, underappreciated, overlooked, unloved. The stage in which you are attempting to fan a flame without a fire. No slack was cut, no mistake left unannounced. The ice…read more

A little bit of pain won’t hurt you
My mother said
As she forcefully dragged a hairbrush through my waist length hair

A little bit of pain won’t hurt you
My father said
As he stood over me and my bloodied knees in the gravel

A little bit of pain won’t hurt you
My coach said
As I gritted my teeth, muscles quivering, before my eventual colla…read more