I Never Knew, by Michelle L Devon

Dear Ryan,

In this world, I thought I was smart, learned, educated… I had been through hell, been to heaven, and everywhere in between… so much I had experienced, so much I thought I knew.

And then there was you.

I learned from you that as much as I thought I knew, I had only begun to understand and know the world around me. I never knew the sky could be quite so blue or a sunset so beautiful as when I watched it through your eyes, watching me.

I never knew what family really meant. (more…)

Dear Dr. Pride:

When I came to you, scared, alone, young, pregnant, and you told me I might have cancer, I did not expect you to hug me or hold my hand or even to provide any emotional support whatsoever. I didn’t expect you to sit with me all day and answer all my questions. I wasn’t looking to be coddled.

I did, however, expect you to be human.

So when I asked you, “What about the baby?”

And you answered, “What are you doing having sex so young anyway?”

I was stunned. (more…)

Cut it Out, by Angel Sharum

Dear Uterus,

I was shocked when the doctor informed me we would have to part ways. I mean, sure, you had been giving me more problems than usual, but I thought you had hooked up with Mr. Thyroid and y’all were just causing mischief. I never dreamed you were growing something in there!

You sure were busy too! From one appointment to the next, you had cultivated your seed to the size of a sixteen-week-old fetus! You know, if you were that desperate to grow something again, you should have talked to me. We might have come to some accommodation. As it were, you left me no choice but to remove you. (more…)

Our Friendship is Over; I am Done… Again

My Dear Ex Friend,

The idea of this letter has been in my head for several years. I never wrote it before because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings or put you on the spot about your behavior.

I guess what I need to know is this: What happened? What changed? What’s your problem?

Our friendship, I thought, was lifelong. We became friends in the first grade, and we soon became permanent fixtures in each other’s lives and families. I knew everything about you; you knew everything about me. We became roommates in college and shared our lives–good and bad–with each other. (more…)

"1.11.04"

M.,

Here I am again, awakening at the dawn of reflection. All I feel is love for you. All I see when I open my eyes is you.

Within my love for you lives sadness, for the pain we are sure to impart on one another is great, and very powerful. Powerfully painful… and powerfully fertile ground for seeds waiting to grow from our dirt.

The essence of all great love stories’ beauty lies in the truth and tragedy of the human condition.

Tragic is the lovers’ undying determinism to hold on tightly to a force much bigger, and more fluid, than what any human can grip in their hands. Love must not be held prisoner by the hedonistic desires or frightened fists of humans. If we grab at it, we will miss it. (more…)