“There are of course degrees to these things but I do think every family home is an emotionally violent place, full of suppressed rage, struck through with profound individual disappointments.”
— Zadie Smith, from “The Bathroom,” in Feel Free: Essays
why do grooms get one boring black jacket and brides get the most jawdropping gowns ever like when i get married i want pearls and lace and a train is that too much to ask??
I love how in tamil, no one really says bye. Instead, we say 'poitu varen', which means I'll go now and come back later. Even other variations of goodbye all have the same meaning in tamil, which I'll go but come back. It makes me quite happy.
Refaat Alareer, If I must die, written in 2011, published online on November 1, 2023
If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself—
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up
above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale
(transcript by the American Friends Service Committee)
please give me all your thoughts and tell me all about your process, i'd love to hear about all of it, and yes i am procrastinating agonizing trying to outline a potential story, why do you ask