Ann E. Burg > Quotes

“Sometimes the words people don't say are as powerful as the ones they do.”
― Ann E. Burg, All the Broken Pieces

“Maybe love is like
a monsoon rain.
When it rains
really hard and heavy,
it seems like
it will never end
and we'll swim in mud
forever.

But then the wind shifts
and the earth grows
dry and cracked.
Every gurgle and ooze
tiptoes away
and we're left wishing
and waiting
for rain again.

Maybe love is like that.
Maybe the wind shifts
and love just tiptoes away.”
― Ann Burg, All the Broken Pieces

“Words are messy,
but sometimes,
words are all you've got
to show what matters most.”
― Ann Burg, All the Broken Pieces

“Maybe the Americans should have brought baseballs instead of bombs.”
― Ann E. Burg, All the Broken Pieces

“Pretendin'. I'm still pretendin'.
For the rest of my life, I'll be pretendin'.
How ya doing? they ask,
and I say,
Okay, man,
even though I'm not.
I'm not okay
and I'm never gonna be okay again.
I just don't get it, how they don't see my
insides hangin' out, when it's all I can do
to put these feelings into words
because words don't mean
a thing.

—Joe”
― Ann Burg, All the Broken Pieces

“We have found you and we love you.
You will never be alone.

I will sing to you of morning,
I will stay until it's light.
I will sing to you of laughter
on the other side of night.”
― Ann Burg, All the Broken Pieces

“Without dreams the world
is only dirt and dust”
― Ann E. Burg, Serafina's Promise

“There is darkness on the water.
There is darkness on the land.
There is darkness all around us,
but I will hold your hand.

You are safe, my precious child.
You are safe now, you are home.
We have found you and we love you.
You will never be alone.”
― Ann Burg, All the Broken Pieces

“Some cancers are sneaky.
They're silent and invisible.
They creep up on you
and invade so deep on the inside
that no one on the outside
even knows the cancer's there
until it's too late.”
― Ann Burg, All the Broken Pieces

“Outside, the stars is still danglin in the purple darkness- not a trail of ladle stars, but loose stars, runaway stars, stars too stubborn to disappear.”
― Ann E. Burg, Unbound: A Novel in Verse

“Where are the stars on this dark, dark, night?
Where is there tiny twinkling light?
Where is the music?
Where is the song?
Where are the colors?
Something is wrong.

Sometimes stars hide in the clouds,
and their light seems far away.
Sometimes voices are hushed and still,
and the rainbow fades to gray.

Sometimes the world is topsy-turvy,
and nobody really knows why;
Sometimes sad things happen,
and even grown-ups cry.

But always, my child, always,
you are safe here in my arms.
The world may be topsy-turvy,
but I will shelter you from harm.

Always the stars are twinkling,
even when clouds hide their light.
I promise you voices will sing again,
and colors will again shine bright.

I promise there is always tomorrow
for starlight and rainbows and song;
My love will always surround you
unchanged, unbroken, and strong.”
― Ann E. Burg, The New York Reader

“Even if fear steals my soul, I'm never goin coddle grown people what's got no sense of kindness.”
― Ann E. Burg, Unbound: A Novel in Verse

“I wonder how it feels like
to be a tiny fish
what flitters n darts
so free.

I wonder how it feels
to be the cool, clear water
what runs
without bein chased.”
― Ann E. Burg, Unbound: A Novel in Verse

“The Lord don't need a ribbon
to hear your mama's prayer,
she says,
n you don't need a ribbon
to remember your mama.
The things what we love,
we keep buried in our hearts.”
― Ann E. Burg, Unbound: A Novel in Verse

“A baby'll always be
tied to her mama's heart,
she says real quiet,

n I wonder
how many babies
is buried
in Aunt Tempie's heart.”
― Ann E. Burg

“Age don't make you old Aunt Sara says, worries do." ”
― Ann E. Burg, Unbound: A Novel in Verse

“Life should be about curiosity,
wonder and discovery --
not grades.”
― Ann E. Burg, Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson

“It is not enough
to embrace knowledge
if we are not also willing
to use that knowledge
to benefit the world.”
― Ann E. Burg, Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson

“You keep those eyes lookin up that's where the good lord n his angels live”
― Ann E. Burg, Unbound: A Novel in Verse

“Mama says scars is nothin more'n a body's memory.”
― Ann E. Burg

“The words people don't say are as powerful as the ones they do. Even the broken pieces are worth something to me.”
― Ann E. Burg

“n suddenly, like a clap of thunder in a sweet blue sky, all my promisin starts to feel like fistful of thorns is scratchin my brain.”
― Ann E. Burg, Unbound: A Novel in Verse

“In heaven, Mama says, the good lord loves everybody, no matter what color they's painted.”
― Ann E. Burg, Unbound: A Novel in Verse